loose cannon ◄ BATES MOTEL

3: THE BREAKFAST CLUB

CHAPTER THREE
The Breakfast Club

TAKE A BREATH, TAKE A STEP.
It was that simple. However simple and painless it would be, Olivia was having a hard time telling her body that. It was her first official day at work. She attempted to somewhat collect herself before walking into the diner. As soon as she walked in, she spotted Malia, who smiled and waved at her. She was brewing a pot of coffee while also cutting up a pan of coffee cake into squares. "Hey, Olivia!" Malia ushered her over. Was it weird? So far the two people she felt most comfortable with in White Pine Bay were a teenage girl and an elderly woman.

Malia had given her a tour of the diner that Wednesday, when they were closed. It was the only day of the week that they were. Malia explained that she had once asked Georgia why it was only Wednesday, such an odd day to choose. Georgia retorted back, "It's the day that the showy Christians force their families to go to Wednesday service. Nobody would come." Georgia, a faithful Christian herself, did not attend Wednesday service.

Her new friend explained to her how everything worked, Georgia's rules (the list was short), and all the ins and outs of working there. Olivia finally asked Malia how old she was, and the answer was somewhat surprising. She was eighteen, but could have just as easily passed for fourteen. Her doe eyes, small frame, and round, cherubic face had given off mixed signals. After the tour, they'd gone out to eat and gotten to know each other a bit better. Malia was the oldest of three, wanted to be an ophthalmologist, and had an irrational fear of dogs.

"Can you help me out here?" Malia's hands held four plates of coffee cake, two of which were dangerously close to the edge. Olivia quickly dropped her bag on the ground, ran over, and prevented the worst. "I've got you," she assured her. She took the two plates, opened the glass case, and pushed them inside. Her stomach grumbled, a constant reminder that she had never failed to not eat breakfast. "A bit loud, isn't it?" Malia chuckled and put the remaining sweets inside the case, and shut it. "Really, you can hear that?" Malia nodded and motioned behind her at the now full coffee pot. "I made that for us. We still have a half-hour until we open. Help yourself."

Perhaps greedily, Olivia grabbed a ceramic mug, filled it, and drank it black. It was hot, and burned her tongue. She didn't mind. It warmed her up inside. "Do you think we're going to be busy?"

Malia shrugged. "You never know with this town. If we are, it's good practice." She smiled reassuringly and tapped Olivia on the shoulder as she walked back to the kitchen. Olivia was left alone with her thoughts. She had a strange feeling about today. She wasn't sure if it was bad or good. Regardless, she had to shake it off and get to work. She set the cup down and picked up her purse that had been sloppily thrown on the ground. There were a set of hooks towards the back wall, so Olivia hung it on that. She silenced her phone for good measure. There were a list of things to do before opening. Malia had done a good chunk of it, but there was still plenty to be done. Olivia decided that she would start from the top and go down. Occasionally, she had to stop and ask how to do something, but there was a steady work rhythm between the girls. They chatted happily while brewing coffee and cleaning tables. At promptly nine o'clock, the time that Georgia's opened, a trio of older ladies greeted Malia as she unlocked the door and let them inside. Malia looked to Olivia, who raised an eyebrow, and mouthed, "Regulars." She nodded in understanding, and went back to plating pastries.

The rest of the day was steady, but not overwhelming. Nothing that they couldn't handle. Georgia finally stepped out of the back where she had been hiding a couple of hours after they had opened. She had been preparing and freezing some of tomorrow's sweets.