"Hi welcome to IHOP I'm Ella, May I start you off with anything to drink?"I said to this elderly couple
"Two coffees, black"the man spoke I nodded
"I'll be right back"I said sliding my notepad in my pocket and grabbing the hot coffee pitcher and two small coffee mugs
"Hey Ella your shift ended two hours ago why are you still here?"my co worker Nia asked
"I need extra money"I said walking away swiftly
"Thank you ma'am"the woman said as I poured their cups
"Would you like to order now?"I asked
"We just want the coffee"the man said I nodded and walked away and greeted the people coming in I checked my phone it was now going on to 2:30am and we were still busy
"Wassup, table for six"a guy said as I walked up
"Follow me"I said "I'm Ella, can I start you guys off with anything to drink"I asked as I handed out menus and grabbing my pen and pad
"Sweet tea.."
"Sprite.."
"Sweet tea.."
"Coke.."
"Raspberry lemonade.."
"A water.."
Once I wrote it all down I told them I would be back
"Girl Sandra just came in with the attitude from hell, be cool"she told me I nodded Sandra was this girl that we worked with and she just was mean and thought she can run over any and everybody, I let her get to me a lot but lately I been under so much stress I've been trying to avoid her , maybe I should give Nia this table and call it a night
I grabbed the tray of drinks and went to the table of boys
"I have a sweet tea, another sweet tea, a coke, a sprite , a water and a raspberry lemonade"I said putting the tray under my arm
"Why are you in my section"Sandra said walking up
"You just now coming in, late so they put me on this section"I said huffing
"Well I got it now so you can take ya ass home"Sandra said in front of our customers
"You don't have to curse at her"a guy said
"Man she used to it she a big girl now gone head and go home lil girl"Sandra said I rolled my eyes
"Well we want a new waiter if that's the case"he said
"I'm all you have for now so"she said
"Man come on y'all let's bounce"he said
"Go ya ass home look what you did"she said to me
"Fine"I said pushing the tray in her chest "have a good night"I said to the group of men that she embarrassed me in front of
"Ugh I'm clocking out G"I yelled out to our manager
"Okay have a good night"he yelled back I grabbed my purse and took my apron off
"Bye girl"Nia said as she was wiping down a table
"Bye boo, I'll talk to you later"I said walking out the door and began my walk to my house
"Where the hell you been it's almost 3:30 in the morning"my alcoholic dad asked as I walked in the door he didn't work, my mom worked , and my brother well he did something with himself and now he living large in California while we stuck down in Georgia , not that nothings wrong Georgia I love it but I just don't have the money or time to experience anything I'm trying to save up for a car and an apartment I'm 21 and I'm nothing at all , I do make really nice lace front wigs , I want to start my own hair line and my brother has offered to invest in it once I start up .. so I work on hair in my free time nothing to major though
"Hey girl can we hang out tonight?" My co worker Nia asked me and her really best friends honestly it's just she doing better than me right now she has a car and her own place, she's offered me to move in with her but I don't really wanna be a burden
"Yeah girl we can totally hang out what you got in mind?"I asked as I was wiping a table off
"Club 12"she said
"Oh isn't there some artist dude that's gonna be there tonight?"I asked
"Yesss girl my husband performing"she squealed as she thought about the night we were about to have
"Girl you a mess, who is it anyway"I asked I don't really like rap music I'm more of an usher and Jodeci type gal haha
"Dave East!? You ain't never heard of him"she screamed I laughed
"No"I said she pulled out her phone and showed me a photo of him "he was just here last night"I said "he and a group"I said pointing she looked at me crazy
"And you didn't know"she asked
"Nope he defended me against Sandra last night"I said taking my apron off
"Girl the Dave East defended yo ass?"Nia said as we were clocking out
"Girl yes"I said laughing
"Well, you trying to go to the mall?"she asked me
"I don't have any money"I said honestly
"I got you , my dad gave me a credit card for a reason let's go"she said dragging me and that guy Dave East was at the door looking around
"Omg he here"Nia whispered in my ear
"I see him, come on now"I said she rolled her eyes and followed me to the door
"Hey, Ella right?"he asked as we walked closer
"Yeah"I said lowly
"Here's your tip from last night, don't let nobody get that pretty smile of yours turned upside down"he said handing me a 100 dollar bill and walking out I was in shock and I looked over at Nia and she squealed jumping up and down
"Let's go get us some shoes and shit girl come on now"she said pushing me out the door to her red bmw suv and took us to the mall
