Partners

11.

Another day, another 4 hours of lessons, another 5-hour shift coming along. Fall is the season off the coffee shop, so I hope that I could get extra tips from the customers.

All my money seems to go to the art supplies, forcing me to use the money that I took from 'home'. I spend most of it in the small apartment. I hoped that I wouldn't need the rest of it.

Yet here I am, thinking about spending it on more art supplies.

I walked inside the café and made my way behind the counter. Lexi whose shift is ending in 3 minutes, waved at me before making her way towards the customers.

"What's up, Livy?" Lexi said as she gave me the order. Cappuccino and Americano.  "Same old stuff, college, work, college, work." Sneaking around with mafia people, kind of liking one off the mafia people, you know? Same old stuff.

Lexi rolled her eyes and took the coffees from me. "Isn't there really anything, or anyone? I am really bored just entertain me." It was my turn to roll my eyes at her.

Why does my sex life interest everyone?

She took orders to the couple sitting in the booth and came back with a smile. "They are really cute together."  I nodded without paying that much attention to them. Lexi found everyone cute.

"Don't you have anything else to do? Your shift is already over." I pointed to the clock, and Lexi shrugged. "I asked for an overtime today, I have another hour until my shift is over."

Great, really great.

Don't get me wrong, Lexi is a good person but I like working in peace and quiet, but she likes talking and disturbing that peace.  It is going to be the longest hour off my life.

"Don't you think there are unusually many people here today?" She asked halfway through her shift. I glanced around the café just now noticing that most of the tables were full.

"It's cold outside, and today is Friday, so the only place to go is the nearest café," I said and looked around again. A guy was raising his hand, asking for more coffee.

Lexi attended the customers and my quiet and peace were restored, I readied few more orders and even cleaned around the working area. I noticed that straws, plastic cups, and some other stuff was running low.

I texted the manager, Joan, telling her about this, and she told me to look for it in the storage room.  I was looking for extra sugar and straws in the storage room when a sudden noise startled me.

I heard the back door, which was supposed to be locked, open. I peeked from the storage room and saw a shadow moving towards here. Lexi and I were the only ones working today, she was in the main room with customers. I was here. So, who is there?

"Olivia? You here?" I heard before seeing Elyssa. I let out a sigh and went towards her. "Jeez, you scared me there for a second. The back door is usually locked, I didn't expect someone coming in from there." I explained to Elyssa as I made my way towards her.

"Yeah, it was locked. But I don't think that it can ever be locked again. I think I messed up the locking system" She said with a satisfied smile.

I rolled my eyes at her and excited to the cafe's lobby, after putting in straws and sugar, I glanced around the room to see if anyone needed anything. Lexi gave me a thumbs up so I stepped back inside, towards Elyssa.

"What's up? Got tired of sitting in your car all day?" I asked her. I spotted Elyssa's car right outside of the coffee shop when I just started my shift. Even though windows were blacked, from the model of the car it was obvious that the car was hers.

"What car? I have been on my bike the whole day." Elyssa shrugged. "Then why your car is outside of the shop right now?" I asked her.

Elyssa went serious for a moment and looked concerned. "How long has it been standing there?"

"Since I got here to start my shift, so maybe around an hour and half?" I checked the clock and answered.

"Shit." Elyssa moved towards the door and opened it a little bit, looking at the customers sitting in the cafe. "Shit. Shit. Shit" She closed the door and turned towards me. "We need to leave. Right now." She said with concern.

I looked at her with questioning looks. She just shrugged me off. "I will explain later. We need to go. Now"

She tried to push me towards the back exit and but I moved away from her. "No, no, no. I am not going anywhere until you explain to me what's going on. I need to know what's happening, stop trying to hide all this stuff." I moved my hands around.

Elyssa moved her hand through her hair. "They are after you okay? These people sitting around there, the car, all of them are here to get you. Headquarters want you in. But I don't want you to be in so we have to run." She said and started to walk again.

"What the fuck?? Are all of them really after me? Do they want to kill me? Or is it something else?? Why do they want me in? What even is in?" I asked Elyssa.

If they all were here to kidnap me that would really explain why they kept ordering that horrible coffee.

"Agh, we don't have time for this, just go." She sounded angrier than before. But I am not giving up just yet. "I don't care, I am tired of this Elyssa, I run and I run and you never fucking explain to me what the fuck am I running from. It is always just 'I'll explain later'. I need all explanations now." I demanded

Elyssa looked at me and groaned. "It is really not a good time for this Olivia. And what difference doesn't make for you? The less you know the better of you are. Just let's get this over with I am getting really tired from all this bullshit." She said impatiently.

"I am fucking petrified of this okay? And it is not bullshit. I don't want to die or think about this but it is always around I worry about it all day long. I just need answers so I can calm the fuck down." I said louder than usual, I could feel tears building up in the corner of my eyes.

"Fucking stop this" Elyssa turned to look at me, she moved closer and spoke.  "There were others too, you know? You are not the first one I had to babysit because you got yourself dragged into this shit. There were many before you and there will be many after you. So, stop acting like a fucking baby and get over yourself." Her eyes were burning, I didn't know sea could be this violent.

I felt a pang on my chest but didn't say anything.  Get over yourself go to fucking hell.

If I continue with this, Elyssa is going to drag me out forcefully.

I peeked from the back door to the lobby. More than half of the tables were full of people who are out there to get me. So, leaving this place is my best chance to survive tonight. Even though I have to leave with The Queen of Evil.

I got free of my apron and looked at Elyssa. She avoided making eye contact with me and just signaled to follow her.

I texted the manager, telling that there was a family emergency and I had to leave. Luckily, she didn't fire me, because Lexi was still there to work, though she said she will cut this shift out of my paycheck.

Great, now I am not even getting paid, and it's not even my fault,

I need to scream, or cry or both.