F*ck Fate! (Book 3)

Chapter One: Front of the House

Shawn

It was an accident. The bowl honestly slipped right out of my hands. Of course, it just so happened to be the second bowl I've broken this week, not to mention however many I've broken since I started. Maybe this job wasn't meant for me after all.

The manager also happened to walk into the kitchen at that moment, just as I was about to sweep up the pieces of broken bowl. I had hoped to get it cleaned up and thrown out before she saw. Didn't look like that was going to happen now.

She caught on to what had happened within a second, letting out a disappointed sigh. "Again?" she asked.

I shrugged, squatting down with the dust pan. "Sorry, Lisa. It won't happen again."

"You said that last time."

I shook my head as I gathered up all the broken pieces. "I'm sorry. The bowl was wet. My hands were wet. What can I say? I didn't mean to drop it."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Shawn, I hired you to be my dishwasher, which means your job is to handle wet dishes with wet hands everyday. I can't have you breaking all my bowls."

I stood up and dumped the remains of the bowl into the garbage can. I didn't want to answer her, afraid that anything that could come out of my mouth would end up getting me fired. I couldn't lose this job - I really needed the money.

Lisa thought for a moment before nodding her head slowly. "Have you ever been on a register before?"

I felt like that was a trick question. I had never worked the register before, so that could go either way - she could train me to work it or fire me for being completely useless. Or, I could lie and say I have, let her put me up front, and then struggle to figure out how the thing worked.

I went with the easiest answer. "No."

"Wanna learn?"

That question had only one obvious answer. "Sure." I hadn't exactly wanted to be working a cash register at a fast food place, but washing dishes hadn't turned out to be so great either. At least in the front, I had less of a chance of breaking more dishes.

Lisa led me out of the kitchen and over to the counter. Diana was at the register, helping a customer. She was the only one out here right now, since it was still early. Not many people came here this early, as I've discovered over the last three weeks I've been working here, unless it was the older people, like this current customer, who looked to be about seventy years old.

As soon as Diana finished putting in the guy's order, she turned to us. "Hey, what's going on?"

If she wasn't ten years older than me and married, I'd say she was attractive. Black hair always neatly tucked into a braid going all the way down her back, nice size boobs (which she told me once was only because she had kids), and curves any guy would love. She was only working here because her kids had gotten old enough to be in school all day and she got bored at home. I wish I was that lucky to not need the money like that.

"I want you to train Shawn on register for a couple hours. See how he manages."

That almost sounded like a threat. The he better be good at it or he's fired kind of threat. I cleared my throat, hoping that wasn't the case.

"Of course!" Diana replied cheerfully. Everything she said was always cheerful. I wondered if anything could ever bother her. "It's easy," she said to me. "I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time!"

Lisa, seeming satisfied that Diana could handle this on her own, walked away, back to her office. I was actually sort of nervous. I didn't really know how to talk to people, let alone trying to sell things to customers.

Diana showed me where each menu item was on the computer screen, and even had me do a mock order, since there were no customers right now. As I suspected, I got lost quite often and needed her to remind me (sometimes more than once) where something was or how to do certain tasks. I didn't see this ending very well.

An hour later, I had watched Diana take a couple different customers' orders when they came in. She talked with them so easily and was always so polite. Was that a necessary part of this job? Maybe I should just quit before I mess up this position too. But then I'd have to find another job before anyone found out and judged me.

Dad might not find out right away, but Meg would. I shouldn't disappoint her again. We've been dating for about a year and a half now. She knew what I've been going through, and if I messed this job up, she'd know I wasn't trying as hard as I promised I would. I needed to make this work.

Just before the lunch rush started up, another cashier started their shift to help out. Franky was barely eighteen I think - just out of high school - but he was good at his job too. He seemed to have a knack for learning things quickly and a charm that makes anyone like him. Him too, I would find attractive if it weren't for his age, although I tended to like guys bigger and stronger than me. Franky was the opposite: a tiny twig with a bubbling personality.

"Hey! Dishwasher guy!" he said as he clocked in. "You're up with us now? It's a party, isn't it Di?"

She smiled at the kid. "The dream team, right here." She then put her hand to her mouth and leaned over to whisper (still rather loudly) to Franky, "Shawn needs some help before he can make the team, though."

"Hey!" I interjected. "I can hear you."

She stood all the way back up and patted my shoulder a couple times. "You're doing great, sweetie. Don't mind me. I'm only teasing."

I sighed and leaned up against the counter. Sure, this was better than sitting in the back washing dishes and having no company, but I wasn't sure if I liked working up here yet. I guess the only way to figure that out was getting through the rest of the day. If I could handle the incoming lunch rush, I'm sure I'd be able to handle anything in this position.

A/N: Hey! Welcome to the third book of the Fate series. If you haven't read The Way of Fate and Misinterpreting Fate yet, I suggest you do, although you don't need to in order to understand this book. 

As always, please vote and comment - let me know what you think! I'm so excited to start getting into this story :)