Upside Down

Chapter Two

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“JoLynn, hurry up. Table six is starting to look anxious,” Kim said in an irritated voice. I looked up from the cup I was currently filling with soda to send a glare at her retreating figure. I hated working with her. She is always criticizing me as if I have no idea what I’m doing, even though I’ve been working here longer than she has. I had even trained her over the summer!

Asia and I got hired at the Little River Diner by a stroke of luck. It was back in April, a week before Asia’s birthday, and we were walking around town, filling out applications. The diner was the last place we were going to stop at. We had just walked into the diner when the shouting started. No one was there except two waitresses and Tom, the owner. The girls were yelling at Tom, both saying they were sick of working there. They took their aprons off and threw them at us while they stomped out of the diner.

Tom looked at us with a frown on his face. Then his frown transformed into a smile and he asked us if we would like a job. Without thinking I shouted out yes before I could stop myself. We then sat down with him and got to know each other. He was frustrated when we told him we were only in high school but told us we could still have the job. We set up a schedule and he called in another waitress to show us the ropes. 

No amount of training could have prepared us for that night, though.

From five until eight, the diner was packed. There were kids screaming and crying and adults getting angry as we both continually mixed up the orders. By the time we started closing, we were both exhausted. 

I quickly filled the cup to the top with soda, set in on my tray and carefully lifted it into my arms. I cautiously walked through the tables filled with people. I hurriedly passed out the drinks to the table and took their order. On my way back to the kitchen, I gave table six their check. Walking into the kitchen, I went to fill my tray with food for yet another table, when Sarah walked into the kitchen, tying on her apron.

I glanced at the watch on my wrist and realized my shift was over and that I had to be to Asia’s in two hours. Yanking off my apron, I handed Sarah the small folder that had all the orders and checks for my tables.

“It’s Sunday,” Sarah laughed as I almost sprinted out the door. “What could you possibly have planned to make you this anxious to leave?”

Turning around, I paused long enough to say, “Nothing too exciting,” which was a lie. I’d been looking forward to this all day.

Ten minutes later I parked in front of our three car garage and unplugged my iPhone from the stereo and opened my car door. I walked up along the front path to the door.

Stepping into the foyer, the first thing I saw was our family portrait. We were sitting in front of the huge garden in our front yard; my mom (Elizabeth) my six-year old sister (Riley) and I were all wearing different red summer dresses. My step father, Dan Lund, was wearing a white dress shirt and a pair of designer jeans.

Looking only at our positions, we appeared to be the perfect family. Dan had his arm around my mom, holding her close to his side. I was standing in front of him with my arms loosely around Riley’s neck and she was holding one of my hands. Dan had his hand, the one that wasn’t holding onto my mom, resting on my shoulder and my mom had one of her hands resting on Riley’s shoulder.

It really was a sweet picture and it made us look like family but it was what you couldn’t see that showed that we are far from perfect.

You couldn’t see that Dan’s hand on my shoulder was tense, like he thought I might burn him. You couldn’t see how my entire body was rigid, like I was expecting someone to shove me out of the picture and tell me I didn’t belong in this family. You couldn’t see that everyone’s smile, except for Riley’s, is as fake as a news reporter’s face. The camera also didn’t show the limo that was parked in front of our house, ready to take Dan to the airport for another two week business trip.