The Mafia's Butterfly (Rewriting)

[11]

Josephina

"Goodnight everyone! See you all tomorrow." 

We all say goodnight to the owner of the restaurant and wait till he's locked up the building and all part our separate ways. 

"You walking with me tonight?" I ask Ava as she starts walking beside me and she nods in confirmation and points to across the street at a night club. A group of guys are sitting outside the club drinking and smoking.

"Those guys seemed suspicious to me in the restaurant and I'd rather walk with you until I need to go my way." She says and walks a bit closer to me. 

I nod and silently thank her in my head. Those guys are the same men that were in the restaurant. They literally were at the restaurant for hours and even after they were asked to leave so we could start cleaning up, they refused. The owner asked the one of the staff members, who was their waiter, why they were still there and the person told us that they wanted me to be their waiter instead but because they were seated in a different area that was assigned to this specific staff member, it meant that the waiters wouldn't change. So instead they just kept watching and asking about me and by the time the place was starting to get cleaned up, they paid and left and went across the street to the night club and just came outside as all the staff was about to leave. 

I swear when I tell you that my heart sank into my stomach when I heard that they were asking me to replace their waiter and were asking and talking about me for a while after that. It is beyond creepy to have people constantly stare without you knowing and I didn't know that they were staring at me for that long. It's not a nice feeling finding out after it happened as well because I was working like normal not knowing that they were staring which makes me feel worse. 

"Thank you for walking with me." I appreciate having someone that'll care about my safety. 

While walking my phone goes off. I take it out of my pocket and see that Clara had sent me a message. It's after 1 in the morning right now so I'm not sure why she's even awake. 

Clara: Hey, Josey. Are you home safe yet? Just checking in. I finished my homework which I didn't finish earlier and that important thing that I had to be at wasn't so bad but only finished an hour ago.

I nod, that's probably why she's still awake because she had the homework to finish and only ended that important thing an hour ago. 

Me: I'm not home yet. We just locked up and I'm walking home now. I'm glad you didn't stay and went home.

I keep my phone out and in my hand as Ava and I walk. Ava doesn't live that close to me but she lives in the same direction as me from town so quite often she'll walk with me until she needs to go her own way home. Usually though she'll take the train home or the bus if she ends early but if we end late like tonight then she'll just walk with me. 

Clara: Did something happen during the night? Is that why it's a good thing I left early? I hope you're okay Josey. 

I smile and Ava asks who I'm talking too. I fill her in on the last week of school and tell her that I'm speaking to a friend named Clara. She answers with that she's happy I finally have some friends at school and that I'm not always alone anymore. I agree with Ava because it is nice knowing that when I go to school next week, I'll have a friend waiting for me. 

Me: There was just a group of creeps. Nothing serious though.

I switch my phone off and focus on walking again. We're closing in on the turn where Ava walks and that means soon I'll be walking alone. I can't be focusing on my phone but I do need it in hands reach in case something does happen.