Trying to live #Wattys2024

Chapter 6 (Edited)

Grams and I talked a little bit before she went to the hospital with Rhonda. I told her that I had to live with Mrs. Avilla, and she said I should give it a chance. You know, I love Grams with all my heart, but sometimes I think she has the dumbest answers to my problems.

Oh my gosh! What was I thinking? How could I say something like that? I mentally slapped some sense into myself—I would never think about my Grams like that again.

I didn't tell her about Scott—partly because I had a small flicker of doubt that it was my fault, and partly because I didn't want her to worry.

She already had Mom to worry about.

I clocked in and walked to Rhonda's office, where we had our meetings. Caesar and Mac attended the front while Dean and I had our meeting with Jenna. Dean always started his shift after his morning classes and then was the last one to leave unless he had afternoon classes too. But he and I always had our meetings together because Jenna didn't want to repeat herself.

And when you talk about a clown (I won't say devil because he's my relative), he stands right next to you. Or so goes the saying. God, I'm really bad at sayings.

"You know what I really dislike?" Dean asked, leaning against the wall.

I walked straight to the chair and sat down. I always get restless when I stand too much or sit too uncomfortably.

I raised my eyebrows, signaling him to continue.

He scoffed. "You didn't have a job interview, did you?"

I knew it was a rhetorical question because Dean already knew the answer. When he found out that Rhonda had hired me at Royals without a job interview or application, he didn't talk to me for two weeks. It was horrible for me. I liked him, and I felt so lonely without him. But when I was with him, I could joke around and pretend I was okay.

One day, when I had enough, I dragged him to the back room where the lockers were and told him I hadn't had an interview or filled out an application because I needed a job quickly due to problems at home.

I hadn't lied, and he suddenly understood me.

When Dean got annoyed, he tended to believe I was just a dumb rich girl who got everything she wanted. Like right now.

"Cranky Idiot?" I suggested.

"H-How the hell do you come up with that?" he said, flustered.

I tried not to laugh. "Well, if you remove the one line of the V, you have a Tower of a crooked I instead of the Tower of Pisa."

Dean stared at me and suddenly left the room. "Hey, you can't walk away! We have a meeting, you idiot!" I called after him.

As I walked after him, I nearly bumped into Jenna, who was approaching from the opposite direction. "Geez, Jenna, you scared the shit out of me!" I said, trying to calm my racing heart.

I was jumpy as hell. I flinched and jerked at the stupidest things. Everyone found it so funny, but I tell you, a heart attack might just be my downfall.

Jenna was in her mid-twenties, had a college degree, and worked here full-time now. She actually wanted to pursue her Master's but was currently focused on her ex-boyfriend, Alessandro.

She looked from me to Dean, who had disappeared back to the front. Her curls bounced as she did that.

"Do I want to know what happened?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

I shook my head. "Nope, not really. Besides, Dean's sulking, and we both know what happens when he does that."

She nodded and gestured for me to follow her to the front. Dean was wiping down the counter when we arrived. Jenna tapped him on the shoulder. "You know, when I say we have a meeting back in Rhonda's office, we have it. That doesn't mean you can walk away and I have to follow you," Jenna said, looking very annoyed. This might have been because Dean was paying her no attention. "Rhonda gave me the manager position when she's not around. She saw my potential as a powerful manager and leader. She—"