Glass Pavement - - Book One

Chapter 6 ✔️

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I picked up my pace as I came closer to the building. The familiar smell of greasy burgers and stale cooking oil filled the air. I pushed through the doors, feeling relieved to be out of the colds. My relief was short-lived when I saw the disapproving look from my manager, Leo. My shift wasn't supposed to start for at least five minutes, but Leo was always on my case.

I looked away and made my way to the small room in the back of the restaurant. It had a wall of lockers that we were allowed to use to store our things while we worked. The lockers were just big enough to hold a purse and a small jacket, but not much more than that. I stuffed my small backpack and sweater into the locker and shut the door.

I made my way out of the room and pulled on my uniform hat. After clocking in for my shift, I immediately got into the rhythm of things, taking orders, passing out food, waiting on guests. It was an easy job, so easy in fact that the pay was slim and dropping by the day. My hours had been shrinking more and more these days. We'd been getting less business and that meant that someone was bound to be fired soon. I just hoped it wouldn't be me.

I was one of the best workers here- never late, always willing to cover shifts, and I gave nothing but quality service. That didn't stop Leo from reprimanding me every chance he got, though. I never understood why he was so vicious towards me, but there were worse things than a bad attitude. Leo's cruel nature was a walk in the park compared to the actions of his nephew, Brent.

Brent was the exact opposite of his uncle; extroverted, talkative, friendly. The thing about Brent, though, was that he was a bit too friendly, and he didn't bother hiding it. He liked to flirt, make inappropriate comments, and blatantly stare at my body.

He didn't fear repercussions since he was assistant manager, his uncle was manager, and his grandfather owned the restaurant.

I would have left months ago had it not been for the fact that I needed the money. College wouldn't be cheap. I applied for scholarships and financial aid, but I would still have to pay for some things. My small savings would be gone in days at the rate I was going.

I had tried looking for other jobs, but with school and extra-curricular commitments, my schedule wasn't flexible enough for other companies. It didn't help that I was still only seventeen, and most companies liked you to be eighteen years old.

Days like today, though, were tolerable, when Brent wasn't present. He was here most days, but on lucky days like today, he wasn't scheduled for work. Leo watched me closely as if he was waiting for me to set the restaurant on fire. I tried my best not to mess anything up, but it was hard not to make nervous mistakes when his constant glare never left me. I had just finished up taking a customer's order and I reached over to grab a paper cup for their drink.

The heat of Leo's judgmental stare was so heavy, I became distracted for just a split second. My hand hit the stack of cups next to the register, knocking them to the floor. It was a harmless mistake, nothing too serious, but by the look on Leo's face I would have been no worse off having staged an armed robbery of the restaurant.

I looked to the elderly woman that I had been serving. "I am so sorry, ma'am." I rounded the counter and began picking up the cups.

"Oh, it's no problem, Sweetie." She smiled kindly.

The cups were easy to pick up, but since they had fallen onto the floor, I would have to throw them away. In any other establishment, that may have been something easily overlooked by a manager, but I knew Leo was already calculating the amount he'd be taking from my paycheck. I sighed when the realization hit me. I avoided looking at him while I replaced the cups and continued taking and serving orders.

When the rush died down, the inevitable happened and Leo called me to his office. I walked into the small room and hesitantly looked up at him.

"I'm sorry about the cups, Leo." I said to him.

He looked at me with hard eyes before sliding a piece of paper towards me. "I'm giving you a written warning for wasting those cups. Next time, it'll be a write-up."

I pushed down the defensive response aching to come out. I'd already gotten two write-ups since I had started working here. One more and I'd be suspended. Instead of arguing I pressed my lips together and nodded. "Alright." I answered.

He nodded, turning away from me. "You're dismissed."

I pursed my lips and left the office. Only two more hours and my shift would end. Unfortunately, the thought wasn't very comforting. Home wasn't exactly a place that I wanted to be.

Work was frustrating, bleak, mind-numbing, but it was better than home. I just wished I had somewhere that I could find some comfort in. Maybe someday, I would. Somehow.

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Green, yellow, then red again. The lights turned on an endless schedule. The only reliable constant in my life. I knew, no matter what, that the lights would change the same every time. Never out of order.

The light was red now, and the cross-walk signalled that it would remain red for 18 more seconds. Then it would turn green and traffic would be released to speed off towards their destinations.

I squeezed my work uniform hat between my fingers. My heart went wild in my chest as I stepped closer to the end of the sidewalk. Only 13 more seconds.

For once, it wasn't raining. The sidewalks were dry and fairly empty, considering it was nearly nine o'clock at night. 7 seconds. Almost there.

Corinna. I bit my lip as the voice echoed in my mind. Stop.

Tears brimmed in my eyes and frustration built inside of me. Why should I stop? I thought angrily. There's no point in doing this anymore.

I didn't want her to stop me. I was sick and tired of her stopping me. Nothing was getting any better. Things just got worse. My foster family was a nightmare, school was coming to an end, and college was just a stupid dream when it came to someone like me. Why the hell should I keep going on like that was ever going to change?

Just until graduation. She reminded me. You promised.

"Promises were meant to be broken." I whispered sadly.

The crosswalk blinked as the numbers counted down. Three, two, one-

Please.

I shut my eyes tightly and the urge to scream filled me. I was so tired. I silently pleaded with the voice in my head to just let me go. I opened my eyes to the street filled with cars passing back and forth under their green light. I felt helpless. Completely alone.

With only one person, one voice inside of my head, fighting for my life, I wondered how I lasted this long. She wanted to live, but this wasn't living. Still, she was all I had, and I made her a promise.

I gave her this year, just until graduation.

"Okay." I said softly.

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