Returning to Life

Chapter Three

It couldn't be worse...

Leelah looked towards the door of the Mexican restraunt.  It was only like twelve feet away.  She glanced at her mom, who wasn't looking at her at the moment but talking to her new 'friend'. 

She turned her gaze away from her mom in disgust.  It wasn't that she judged her mom for meeting a new man.  She was a grown woman who had every right to see or date or befriend anybody she chose.

No, it wasn't her mom's new friend that irritated her.  She gazed at the man sitting in front of her.  No, what irritated her was that her mom had felt the need to bring one for Leelah too. 

She looked longingly back at the exit.  Would it be too rude to make an excuse to leave early?  Did she even care if it was rude? Probably not.

"So your mom says you are a teacher."

"Was."

"I'm sorry?"

She looked back at Bob.  She was fairly certain his name wasn't bob.  But since she couldn't remember his name at the moment, Bob did him just fine. 

He kind of looked like a bob.  He looked to be in his late 30s.  Maybe about seven or eight years older than her own twenty nine years.

"I use to teach.  I don't anymore."

He stared for a moment before deciding that revelation was okay and laughed.  "I guess I don't blame you. Kids can be horrible." 

She frowned at him. "Yeah..."

He paused to take a drink of his beer before continuing. "Not that I'm not a kid person.  How about you? Still planning on having kids of your own even after teaching."

She took a deep breath, aware that her family had ceased talking and were looking at her like she might grow a second head.

Bob took no notice, but looked a little worried.  "Or do you already have kids of your own?  Is that why you're not teaching?"

"Leelah is a bartender.  She actually has her liscense and actually went back to school for business.  She wants to open her own place."

Her mom rushed on to fill in the silence.  "She also sings.  Which is why I chose this restraunt."

Pointing to the small stage, she smiled at Leelah.

"Not tonight mom." She stood up and shrugged on her jacket.  "I had a VERY long shift today and I'm just exhausted.  Nice meeting you guys though.  But I'm gonna call it a night and head out . Mom I'll see you guys at home."

Her mom looked torn between following and not wanting to be rude to her company.

"Oh, you live with your mom?"

That actually made Leelah laugh a little.  "Nice meeting you Bob."

"Oh my name is actually--"

She grabbed the togo bag of street tacos and slice of cheese cake she had ordered to go and headed out, ignoring whatever else he had to say. Social wasn't her strongest trait.  And sometimes she didn't care.

"Leelah, want josh to go with you?"

She just waved off the question as she opened the door and walked into the night.

Pausing for a moment she put her earbuds into her ears and turned her playlist on to repeat and took a moment to figure out where she was and how to get back to the people mover.

She was almost to the entrance to it when she noticed an older man sitting against the stairs leading up to the platform.  He was thin and dirty.  Beside an equally thin and dirty dog laid on the ground.  She clenched her teeth before exhaling.  She turned and looked around the streets and the stores.  Spotting a walgreens about two lights down, she headed in that direction.

Twenty minutes later she was kneeling down beside the man.  The dog had stood up as she approached them and was watching her with a weary expression.

"Here."

She handed the bags to the man and set the bag of dog food down beside him before standing up to leave. 

The man reached out and grabbed her  hand.  She looked back at him.  He had tears on his face. "Thank you ma'am. Thank you."

She nodded, hesitated, and handed him the togo bag from the restraunt too.  "If you're ever by J and J's down on 5th, you can get a hot meal.  If you're looking for work, there might even be a part time job available. Not much, but it's something."

He shook his head and tapped his left leg.  "Nobody needs an old man with a busted leg."

She watched him.  "You ever want to try again, come see me."

***
She wondered if she had said too much.  She could have just given him the stuff she had bought and walked away.  And she had no business offering him a job.  She was just the bartender, not the owner or even a manager.

She closed her eyes and laid her head against the window of the moving cart of the people mover.  She mentally shook her head.  Tonight had been a total dud to be honest.  From Jonny coming into her work to Bob at the Mexican restraunt.

She forced herself to breathe.  She hated feeling so whiney but life just sucked sometimes.  Her muscles hurt.  She was probably pushing her limits and needed to slow down.  But hell, she felt like her whole life was in slow motion. 

She pushed the thought away,  knowing that way led to more darkness.  She grimaced.  Thankfully she only had one more stop before her own and she would finally be home after what seemed like an eternity of a day.

And then the universe did what it seemed to enjoy so much and threw another wrench into her plans.  Jonny Kyriakos stepped onto the cart. He saw her and smiled.

She barely stopped the groan that almost slipped out. Why?!

"Looks like this is my night after all. Here I thought I wouldn't get a shot and here you are.  And, even better,  none of your coworkers to interrupt."  The two guys with him laughed.

It sounded a little too close to being a threat to her.

She stood up as they approached her, not wanting to feel at a disadvantage by not being on her feet.  She didn't have too much to worry about.  There was a handful of people in the cart with them.

Surely he wouldn't do anything inappropriate while surrounded by people.

She moved closer to the doors.  They would be at her stop very soon. 

She bit her lip.  She had to think about this quickly.  She lived three blocks from the people mover.  It let off in the front of the dog park.  She had a bad feeling they would follow her off the cart and showing Jonny where she lived was the last thing she wanted to do.

The only other place she could go was back to the pub. She'd be safe and could call Josh and Jenny to pick her up. If she did that, she'd have to stay in the cart for another four stops.  He stepped closer to her, propping a hand on the cart behind her.