Burn ▹ Ashton Irwin

two

My eyes jolted open the next morning to the sound of my loud and quite obnoxious alarm clock. It was one of the most annoying sounds to ever here, because all it did was tell you to get up and get a move on. Don't get me wrong, I love to get stuff done...but then there are mornings like these where I just want to sleep. It was 6:45 am, and it was time to get ready for my shift. It started at 7:45, but I needed about an hour each morning to get ready and walk to the shop.

As I got out of bed and shuttered to myself at how cold it was in here, I hoped that it wouldn't be that busy today at work. I hated it when it was really busy; I had to talk to more people. It might seem easy to just ask people what type of over-priced coffee they wanted, but I get so uncomfortable with it. I never thought it would be easy when I got the job, but I also never thought it would be this hard. It tired me out, to be honest. I only got my job here so I could earn money before my classes start in the fall, and so I could get free coffee whenever I wanted. Well, my limit was two a day, but that was enough for me.

I quickly hopped in the shower and cleaned myself down, starting with shampoo and conditioner. My hair's not that long, and it takes a short time to wash it thoroughly. I always quite liked the color of it; just...brown. It gets lighter at the ends, but only during the summer. So my hair is...boring. Kind like my social life. Actually, kinda like my life in general. I'll be honest with you; I personally think my life is very, very boring. It's the same freaking thing everyday: get up, shower, get dressed, go to work, get home, and go to sleep. Throw in a few meals here and there and you get a typical day for me. I know there's not much for an eighteen-year-old girl to do when there's no college to go to, but I still wished there was a little excitement here and there.

After finishing up my shower, I quickly threw my hair into a towel and searched my big closet for my work outfit. I put on the same jeans as yesterday, and topped it off with a similar white t-shirt. I finished towel drying my hair, and quickly put on some makeup to look a little more presentable. I unplugged my phone that was charging on my bedside table, and walked out to the kitchen to find some breakfast. Even though I do eat a lot, I must say, I'm never really hungry in the mornings. Usually I just settle with an apple or banana and eat it on my way to work. So, sticking to routine as I normally do, I grabbed an apple. I put my phone in my purse and slipped my converse on. I took one last look around my flat to make sure it was good and tidy, before heading out the door.

When walking down the busy streets of New York every morning, I always find myself studying every face that walks past me. Whether a person is old, young, good-looking or the complete opposite, I always take that one second I have as they walk past me to look at them. I don't really know why, but when walking all by myself every day and every night, I just like to act like I have company. I stare; it's probably not a good habit of mine, but I can't help it. Sometimes I like to think the people I stare at as they walk past me or in front of me are my friends. It's lame, but it makes me feel less lonely as I walk the usual stretch of pavement and crosswalks to get to work.

I finally made it to my place of work with five minutes to spare. It was nestled in between a small boutique and a bookstore, and it was a cute place to go and sip coffee and do homework. When I start school in the fall, I'll be lucky to be able to use the wifi here to do stuff. I pushed through the door and was instantly hit by the sweet smell of coffee and pastries. This place always had the best smells in the mornings; everything was being brewed and cooked for the day. I saw my boss, Stella, tidying up the counter near the back. I guess she heard the door close behind me, because she turned around with a warm smile on her face.

"G'morning Skylar." She said nicely.

"Morning," I nodded awkwardly with a smile. "So what's the deal today?"