Enslaved by a Lie

A Longing for Normality

Working at Burger Kingdom sucked as it was, but I hated when people 'forgot' to call ahead and happened to need a double digit order. I tried not to sound aggravated as the woman ordering repeated herself twice over than asked if I heard. Believe me, I heard. 

"Fifteen burgers, no mayo on any of them," she pauses, "did you get the no mayo?"

"Yes ma'am!" I repeated for the second time and rolled my eyes at my coworker, Jonathan, who was making the drinks for the order. Our headsets were connected, so he can hear every word she said. 

"Three of the diet cokes have ice, the other ones have are diet coke cut in half with regular..." 

"Yes Ma'am, cut in half with regular coke." I sighed.

"I also want four orders of large onion rings."

"Ma'am, we don't have onion rings." Jonathan had just finished the drinks and I saw his head fall into his hands as if knowing what she would say. He smirked at me and went about putting the burgers in the appropriate bags.

"Yes you do, I got them last week at a Burger Kingdom in Chicago."

"I guess you should go back to Chicago." I say flatly. Our store was in Atlanta GA. I did not even have a moment to realize what I said when screams echoed into Jon and I's ears. I saw him rip his headset off and rub his ears, where as I turned down the volume with the work worn buttons and make out through the noise the words 'speak' and 'manager'. 

"Ill get my manager right away." I said as I ran my hand over my pink face and went to find Mr. Jin. Mr. Jin was a reactionary person. He was a nice guy, but I once dropped an order of fires, once, and he threatened to fire me!

I left the order computer and make my way to the back of the run down store. My job was not the best, but it is a job. I smoothed down my naturally red curly hair and took a deep breath. I was so fired. My throat constricted and I could barely breath, I needed this job to pay for school.

"I am sorry ma'am, I heard from my employee that there was a problem?"

I froze with my hand on the door knob to the manager room. I hear the distinctive voice of Jonathan make up a lame excuse for why I behaved in the way I did. My hands were uncontrollably shaking.

"-and we have  a special needs hiring program, that is why she acted so erratically, she is Bi-polar." He said the last part quietly.

"Oh I see, it's wonderful to know that Burger Kingdom does so much for the needy." the woman says, changing to a genuinely concerned tone,"but I would appreciate if you spoke to her about her attitude.

"Absolutely, oh and if you could pull up to the next window, Ill give you your food."

I turned on my heals and stormed up to Jonathan who just had just handed the food to the now content woman. "I am not Bipolar." I say fuming.

"But," he chuckled, "you still have job."

I took a deep breath and laughed too, but mainly from relief. "Hey, after work, do you want to go to RJ's?"

"Yeah sure, but you are buying, you owe me." he said scrunching his nose and pointing at me.He had an aura of comfort that surrounded him. He was, in appearance, the exact opposite of me. I had always found it funny that we got along so well. Dark skin, mine was fare, dark brown eyes, mine were green. And my hair was bright red, where as his was brown. It proved to me that appearance meant nothing when it came to friendship or compatibility. 

"I'm only buying the drinks." I said, putting my hands on my hips. 

8 pm could not come fast enough. Unlike most day, we were blessed with a fast closing and no customers after 7:30. Jonathan and I walked across the busy street and sat down for coffee. I held up my end of the bargain and bought us both drinks, I got an iced coffee and and he got a black coffee with cream. 

We cracked some jokes, but the longer we sat, the, the heavier the weight in my stomach grew. I knew he would ask.

"How have you been, you know, since the accident." He asked with his eyes examining his shoes. "Your outburst today was, well, not youish."

I sighed and shrugged. I heard my watch ticking, like a race for the minute hand to catch the hour hand. 

"I'm the best I can be."I looked at the wall and took a deep breath.

"You know you can tell me anything." he said so softly I almost missed it.

"I know." I whispered, but did not mean.

Hey Guys, hope you liked it! Please like and comment your thoughts!!!!!

-Elana

 PS. Any feedback is great!