Locked On

Chapter 3

Bluebell
"Stupid out of order elevator," I grumbled to myself as I walk through the lobby of my apartment complex. The elevator had been broken done for two months now! I was so sick of getting home in the early hours of the morning and having to climb the four flights of stair to reach my apartment.
I unlocked my door and cringed at the loud creaking noise it made as it swung open. I quickly made my way down the dark hallway to my bedroom and collapsed on my bed from exhaustion. A tear made its way down my cheek causing me to angrily rub at my face. I hated how my life was turning out. I was so emotionally drained after every night working at the Lounge that I just wanted to scream and cry. I need to be strong though. I drifted off to sleep with thoughts of the future filling my mind.

"Mum! Mum, come on get up!" I was shaken awake by my rambunctious son.

"Morning baby," I smile at my boy as I swing my legs out of bed.

"Mrs Mack helped me make pancakes for you! Come on let's eat them!" Dylan yelled as he raced out of my room.

I quickly changed into light jeans and a plain white t-shirt before making my way out to the kitchen. Dylan and Martha were sitting at the kitchen table with a huge pile of blueberry pancakes in the middle.

"Thank you for having him last night Martha. I hope he was well behaved," I said as I hugged our elderly neighbour. Martha has been the closest thing I have to a mother ever since we moved into the building. She looks after Dylan on nights I'm working and always makes sure Dylan is ready for school and has a homemade breakfast prepared in the morning.

"He was an absolute angel Bell! Now you sit down and get some pancakes into you," Martha said as she patted the seat beside her.

Dylan had already tucked into the pancakes and had blueberry stains on his chin. We sat around the table laughing as we ate our pancakes. Although my life has had many trials I always feel blessed on mornings like this.

"Rightio bud it's time for school!" I yell from the front door. Dylan comes racing up the hallway with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Mum you don't have to walk me!" Dylan groans as his eyes zero in on me pulling on my black converse shoes.

"The schools on the way to Joe's bud so your stuck with me," I wink at him as we make our way out the door, "but my shift today won't finish in time for me to walk you home this afternoon."

"YES!" Dylan yells excitedly. He's been begging me for ages to let him walk alone but we live in a rough area and I'm anxious to let him out of my sight.

"Listen to me Dylan. I'm counting on you to go straight home okay and not get into any kind of trouble," I warn him sternly.

"Yeah mum I'll be fine," he replies with an eye roll.

We continue the walk to the school chatting about what he has been learning in school and I quiz him on his times tables. We got to the gate of Eastlake primary school and Dylan quickly hugged me then ran into the school grounds. I continued a few more blocks until I arrived at Joe's Coffee House. The bell above the door announced my arrival as I made my way inside.

"Good morning Bell," Joe called out as he tossed my apron to me.

I greeted him back as I tied my apron around my waist and busied myself clearing and wiping the tables in the small cafe.
Working at Joe's didn't pay anywhere near as well as a shift a the Lounge but I much preferred working here away from the grabby hands of drunk men. I needed the money from the Lounge to make ends meet though as Joe could only give me shifts two days a week. The day flew by uneventfully as I took orders, cleared tables and washed dishes. I was exhausted by the end of my shift though as I was running off three hours of sleep.