F*ck Fate! (Book 3)

Chapter Seventeen: Easily Angered

Shawn

I was running late. I should have left my house fifteen minutes earlier, but that just didn't happen the way I wanted. Distractions were a bitch - I blame having to take a shit, then playing a stupid game on my phone while still sitting on the damn toilet for way too long, but that's besides the point.

I only knew one shortcut from my house to my work, and that was directly through the college campus. It wasn't the route I normally took, only because there happened to be a lot more people roaming around.

Just like always, the sidewalks were crowded. I ran in between people, trying my hardest not to knock into them.

I almost made it.

I could see my work at the end of the street. That must have been what I was focused on, because in the next second, I had run into something and ended up on the ground. I think my head hit the sidewalk.

"Oh my god," someone said. "Are you okay? Wait, Shawn?"

Clutching my head, I looked up, only to realize it was Andy I had run into. Why, of all people, did it have to be him?

Getting to my feet, I glared at him. "Watch where you're going," I muttered, stepping around him.

"I wasn't going anywhere," he said, making me stop walking. "I haven't moved from this spot in quite a while."

Looking back at him, I noticed that he was sitting next to a bench, where a girl sat. She had a notebook open in her lap. It looked like they were doing homework together.

"Yeah, he really hasn't moved," the girl said. "I've been with him the whole time. You might want to work on paying attention to where you're going."

I gave her a weird look. Who did she think she was? "Maybe you shouldn't sit in the middle of the sidewalk!" I exclaimed, angry. "People could get hurt!"

"Shawn," Andy said. "Calm down. I'm sorry if I was in your way. I thought I had moved back far enough."

Honestly, he probably had. It was my fault for running into him, I just didn't want to admit that out loud. Not when he already thought I was a major klutz from the amount of times I've fallen or dropped things around him. He could take the blame for something at least once, right?

I sighed. I knew that was the wrong thing to do. "I'm sorry, Andy," I said, which was a lot harder to say than it should have been. "I wasn't looking. I'm late for work."

Crap. I'm late for work! I pulled out my phone to check the time. I was only five minutes late right now. That wasn't too bad.

"I gotta go," I told him. Then I ran the rest of the way down the street.

A minute later, I burst through the front doors of the restaurant, breathing heavily. I really needed to work out more. Diana was standing behind a register, eyeing me curiously.

"Shut up," I muttered, slowly walking over. "I know I'm late."

Diana was about to say something, but then Lisa walked out of the back. "Shawn? I thought you were closing tonight, not opening."

I had been about to clock in, but I froze. "Did I read the schedule wrong?"

Lisa laughed. "Yeah, I think you did."

She then grabbed the schedule off the back wall and showed me. Sure enough, I was supposed to work the closing shift.

"Shit," I muttered. "At least I'm not late."

"No, you're just seven hours early."

I shook my head. "Just fucking great." I could have slept in this morning. I could have avoided seeing Andy this morning. So many things could have been avoided if I had just read the schedule right the first time.

With a sigh, I walked back out, with the promise of seeing them all later. I didn't know what I was going to do now. I could go back home and play video games, but that was far. I could also do some of the errands I've been needing to do, but kept putting - which was a whole lot more effort than I was willing to put out right now. So I just started heading back the way I came, figuring I'd decide what to do for the next seven hours on the way.

I had completely forgotten about Andy and that girl sitting there, even though it had only been a few minutes. Which is why when I got close enough to remember that that was them sitting there, I stopped walking. It would be embarrassing to walk by them again.

Of course, Andy noticed me anyway. "They didn't fire you, did they?" he asked, cracking a smile. I hated to admit how much I liked seeing him smile.

I shook my head and walked over, knowing I couldn't escape now. "Nah. Read the schedule wrong. I don't start until four."

His friend barked out a laugh before covering her mouth. "Sorry," she said.

I didn't respond since my phone had started ringing. I pulled it out and stared at the name on my screen in shock. I wasn't expecting her to call me back, especially since it's been three days since I left her that last message.

I turned and walked back the way I came, bringing the phone up to my ear. "Mom?" I asked. still not believing she was actually calling me.

"Hi honey," she said, as if we talked every day. "Sorry I haven't had a chance to call you back. Hurricane season is just finishing up. We've had a lot of damage this year. Harry and I are fine though, just the house needs some fixing up, but nothing we can't handle."

I stopped walking. "I don't really care about the fucking hurricanes, Mom," I said. I heard her gasp at my language, but I didn't care. I was going to speak my mind, because I might not get another chance to. "Do you even care about us anymore, or can all you think about is that stupid little house on whatever island you're on or Harry, who you decided you loved more than us? The family you left up here - your kids and their father - yeah, we're struggling, Mom. I feel like I'm the only one keeping this family from living on the streets. And I'm barely making enough money to buy food every week! Don't you care?"

Before she could say anything, I hung up. If that was the last time I ever spoke to my mother, then good. She'd know just how mad I was for leaving us.

I spotted an empty bench a bit further up the street. Sitting down on it, I put my head into my hands, trying my hardest not to let my emotions get to me.