Coffee Break || On Hold

Chapter 2: A Fedora? Really?

JULIE

SOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WORLD WAS GONNA ROLL ME, I AINT THE SHARP-

I grunted in response to my alarm going off and rolled over to hit the snooze button. 5 more minutes...

SOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WO-

This time only, then I swear I'm getting up.

SOME-

One more snooze can't possibly hurt.

S-

I was still half asleep when I aimed to hit the snooze button once more, but I missed and ended up pressing the stop button instead. Huffing in annoyance, I glared at my bedsheets. Self-note: slap Nicole for thinking it's funny to change my alarm tone into Allstar by Smashmouth.

After a couple minutes of hating Nicole, Smashmouth, mornings, and myself, I checked the time on my phone to face how screwed I am.

11:10 AM

Well, shit. Turns out I'm more screwed than a prostitute on a busy day.

My job interview is in 20 minutes and I'm still in bed with crusty eyes and probably a very attractive line of drool running down the side of my mouth. I jumped out of bed and almost tripped on my bedroom rug, trying to get to the bathroom. It was too late to even consider a shower, so I settled for brushing my teeth and peeing. After finishing up my - ahem - business, I ran out of the bathroom to throw on a white button-up and the only black jeans I own that don't stink.

With the pace I was going at, I swear I could've put Usian Bolt to shame.

Just as I was beginning to relax, I looked in the mirror. My eyes widened and my face paled as I took in the sight in front of me.

My hair.

There was no way this nest was going to cooperate today. I grabbed the brush and desperately tried to smoothen it out. After realizing that my hair just refuses to be brushed out, I frantically pulled it into a bun - tangles and all - and hoped for the best. I checked the time on my phone once again, dreading it already.

11:22 AM

I ran out of the house as fast as I could, speeding down the street with every ounce of energy I had in my body. 

I could've cried in joy as I finally saw the café come into my line of sight. 11:30 AM. Perfect timing. But just as I was about to exhale in relief, the sight I saw on the reflective glass of the café windows made me stop in my tracks.

My half-assed bun completely fell apart, and my hair was back to looking like it was ambushed by a family of very angry sparrows.

I could feel my palms sweating as I paced frantically in front of the café. I couldn't go in looking like this, they'd laugh in my face and decline faster than you can say 'interview'. Just as I was about to say fuck it and go in there anyway, an idea popped into my head.

A very, very bad idea which was bound to cause me more trouble than it was worth, but an idea nonetheless.

I entered the hat shop next to the café before the rational part of my mind could convince me otherwise. Grabbing the first hat I could get my hands on, which happened to be an old-fashioned grey fedora, I covered my face with it and ran out of the small shop as fast as my feet could take me.