Carmen's Voice | ONC 2020 (✔)

Chapter Sixteen

The layoff news John delivered transformed the rest of morning rehearsal into a very somber affair. The joy usually present in the group had been sucked out of the room and for her small part in that, Carmen would always be sorry.

As soon as rehearsal ended, Carmen didn't waste any time making her way towards the dressing rooms. Amy was at her side in seconds and, even when they normally would have parted ways, Amy followed Carmen and closed the door behind them.

Amy sat down on a chair as Carmen searched all the drawers until she found a bag.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked as Carmen started throwing all of her things into the bag.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Amy's eyes went wide. "Right now? They haven't even fired you yet!"

Carmen laughed at Amy's use of the word yet. Even Amy wasn't pretending it wouldn't happen.

"I know they haven't, but if John has anything to say about it, they will," Carmen shrugged as she put some sweaters into the bag. "I don't want to wait around while they do. I'm tired of taking abuse from him and I've always felt like that was my only choice, but now. . ."

Carmen trailed off and looked at Amy, willing her to understand.

"Now," Carmen continued after a deep breath, "I have a way out. And I'm sorry I can't take all of you with me, but I need to leave this. Will you forgive me?"

Amy laughed and hugged Carmen, "Like I'm not the one who's been telling you to leave for a year now? There's nothing to forgive. John's a pig and he deserves to be fired, but what can we do?"

Carmen thought about her friend's words. "We never could do anything, could we?"

Amy nodded her assent as she helped Carmen pack up her things.

"But now, I won't be working for him anymore, so what's stopping me from filing a complaint?"

Realization dawned on Amy's face as she understood what Carmen was thinking. "No way!"

"Yes way," Carmen double checked that she had packed all of her things. Satisfied that she hadn't forgotten anything, she picked up her two bags, threw the door open, and walked out of the room. Probably for the last time.

"Carmen!" Amy was chasing after Carmen as she left the building, "Slow down."

"I have to go, Amy," Carmen was smiling as she walked. "Don't worry about me, I'm gonna be fine."

"Yeah, like that's going to help," Amy huffed, running after Carmen, "I don't really believe you won't blow up your whole life right now."

Carmen laughed as she crossed the street towards home, "I'm not going to do anything! My life is blowing up and I'm choosing to make the best of it, that's all."

Amy narrowly dodged a car following Carmen, "You just yelled at John. Not normal behaviour for you."

"But it should be," Carmen stopped suddenly, causing Amy to crash into her back.

"It should be normal. I shouldn't have just sat around while he treated me, and everyone else, like he did."

Amy could only nod. Carmen had a point.

"He'll fire me. When I file the complaint. And for the longest time, that was enough to stop me from doing it. But today..." Carmen trailed off as she thought, "Today I have an offer from Beaksmith and I'm going to take it. If I do this right, I'll be free of him and he might even stop bothering all of you. At the very least, I'll have tried my best. That's all I can do."

"Okay," Amy agreed as she offered to take her friend's bags. "But can you at least let me take these home for you?"

Carmen raised her eyebrow in question, "Why do I need help carrying bags full of sweaters and lipstick?"

Amy pointed at the door they were standing in front of. "Something tells me you want to talk to Owen, maybe." She took the bags from Carmen. "I'll take these home to your apartment and wait for you in the lobby, okay?"

Somehow, despite her worries, Carmen's feet carried her into the cafe as her eyes scanned the counter for Owen. I'm not sure I really want to talk to him. What will I say?

"What can I get ya?" the woman asked from behind the counter.

Carmen approached the woman, intending to ask where Owen was. Instead, her mouth betrayed her, "I'll have a hot chocolate and a piece of pie, please."

"Yeah, take a seat. I'll bring it over," she wasn't as polite as Owen, but she wasn't rude either, so Carmen found a table and sat down.

It was only after she sat down that Carmen realized she hadn't paid for her food. She got up and approached the counter to tell the woman she hadn't paid.

When she got there, though, she saw Owen walking out of the back door to the kitchen.

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him. "I forgot to pay," she stumbled on her words once or twice before getting it out clearly.

"No, you didn't," he shook his head. "I told Doreen not to charge you if you ever came back."

"Oh, right," Carmen resisted the urge to look at her shoes. "Because you own the cafe."

He nodded, "Yes. Because I own the cafe."

They stood there staring at each other until another customer exited the store, causing the bell to ring. "Uh, would you still like your order?" he asked Carmen. "I can bring it over."

Carmen couldn't think of what to say so she only nodded, "Yeah, that's good."

He smiled and got her hot chocolate before making his way over to the table where she was sitting.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to an empty seat at the table.

"Yeah, go ahead," Carmen nodded.

He put her hot chocolate down in front of her and sat down across from her before he began eating one of the pieces of pie. They sat in silence for quite some time.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," he smiled sadly at his plate. "I'm not used to people being upset when they find out who I am."

Carmen's voice was so low when she answered that it was almost impossible for anyone to hear, "I wasn't sure you'd see me again, either."

"I'm glad you changed your mind," he smiled. "I'm glad to see you."

"I'm happy to see you, too," Carmen smiled into her hot chocolate. Maybe standing up for herself wouldn't blow up all of her relationships. Maybe it would only explode the bad ones.