Fish and Chips

New beginnings 《Chapter 2》

Madeline’s mother was lean and tall, unlike Madeline who was short but still thin. Madeline had inherited more of her father’s features. Compared to her mom’s softer complexion she had more generous eyebrows but a lovely lip shape. Her mom’s blonde hair fell down her back but only reaching waist height cascading like a shimmering waterfall. Madeline had grown hers slightly longer so that it gave her a nicer length than her mother, it was a more rough look. With the edges chopped harshly in a desperate teenage hope that it would look cool. Madeline had no intentions of looking exactly like her mom. No matter her pleads that a daughter must take after her mother. However, they both still had a lovely relationship that grew every day.

But. Today would not be one of those days.

Madeline was taken aback by her mom’s surprising appearance at her bedroom door. It was the first day of summer holidays, what was her mom doing up this early? Surely, she would have also preferred to lay asleep in her bed until much later morning, Madeline thought to herself. Madeline’s mom walked past the still surprised Madeline with a cheerful smile plastered over her face. Clearly her mom had thought of something girly to do together, she thought as she gave her mom a warm smile back.

“Maddy, I see you have woken up early!” Her mom explained loudly as she sat down on Madeline’s bed and beckoning Madeline to come sit down next to her. Madeline smiled at her mother and stood still for a moment.

“Well yeah, I’m planning to go to the beach today with my friends and some other kids from my class.” Madeline informed her mother before taking a place on the bed next to her. She was suspicious on what her mom had been planning the night before. She decided to hear her mother out.

“But Maddy!” Her mother shouted quietly as to not wake up her dad or brother. “I have a special surprise for you! You remember those new trainers you were nagging your dad for? Well, I have managed to find you a small job near the seaside where you will work at a small fish and chips stand, so know you can work for them yourself.” Her tone was sharp as to remind Maddy that they were not just a bank that she could take money out from all the time. She had to earn her own cash.

Maddy huffed as her mom sprung from the bed and headed towards the door. Then, turning around she said,

“The job starts in an hour Maddy, so be ready!” She heard her mom chuckling as she realized what her mom had signed her up for. A whole summer of work! No going to the beach with friends or camping off far into the deep woods. She would be stuck at a stall, serving stinky fish and salty chips, to families and travellers that would stare her down as she gave it to them. Urgh! What if her friends saw her at this small job? They would surely think she was weird and not want to hang out with her anymore!

Maddy stormed out of her room, fuming that her mom had done this behind her back! There was no way she would cancel all her fun summer plans for this boring useless job. What gain would she have by slaving away all day at this stand. She rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door loudly. She growled in frustration at her mother’s scheming before reaching for her toothbrush and quickly giving her teeth a good brushing before reaching out to grab her new hairbrush from one of her friends.

“Guess we won’t be friends anymore if you see me at this mangy fish and chip place.” She grumbled to herself before dragging the hairbrush through her bed hair.

After Maddy had finished in the bathroom she stalked back to her room and found a pastel yellow t-shirt with grey shorts on her bed, topped with an ugly red visor hat that she would not be wearing to the beach. She threw on the clothes and added some natural makeup to her face. She let out a long sigh before trudging down the stairs towards her awaiting mom, who would surely want to embarrass Maddy for making her wear this uniform and taking lots of pictures to show dad and her friends. It was all so annoying. Why couldn’t she just go out with her friends this summer? Did her mom just want to torture her own lovely daughter? Or make her slave in the hot heat with everyone staring at her and wondering why this pretty girl was doing all this stupid work at the fish and chip place. Or that she had messed up their order. She sighed and got to the bottom of the stairs and grabbed her jacket.