The Piano Man

III. Impressions

"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people." Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

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III. Impressions

As soon as the night shift started, Sophie moved Maddie into the backroom with her schoolbag, and left her with some fish fingers and oven chips for dinner, and Sophie's phone for entertainment.

Sophie got changed into her night uniform, which basically consisted of a white singlet top with Pete's logo, and a black, denim skirt.

Holly and Amy, two of Pete's waitresses, arrived promptly for their shift at five. The minute they walked into the backroom, Sophie could see the questions on their faces.

"Babes, who's the spunk? Pete reckons he's got himself a piano man. Certainly, a lot better looking than the last one," Holly giggled. "Being forty years younger doesn't hurt either."

Aside from Sophie, Holly had worked at Pete's the longest. She was a perpetual student, completing her third degree, this time around in environmental studies.

Amy had got a job through Holly. They both shared a flat with two other people. Amy was Australian and was in London on a working holiday. Sophie could not even fathom having the sort of freedom and a lack of responsibility to pick up one's life and move to another country.

"I don't know," murmured Sophie. "I haven't spoken to him. I sort of put my foot in it and embarrassed myself in front of him, and so I've been successfully avoiding him ever since."

Holly and Amy hung up their bags on the hooks.

"I am so jealous. I wish I could sing," Amy complained, "then I could slip him my Snapchat." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Might do it overtly anyway. You only live once."

Sophie had spent the best part of the day deliberately avoiding any sort of eye contact with the new piano man, and so she hadn't really taken the time to appreciate whether or not he was good looking. Both Holly and Amy seemed to whole heartedly agree that he was.

Oh, what did it matter if he was? There was a huge reason as to why Sophie had not been paying attention to the piano man today, and she was sitting contently on the old sofa, munching on a fish finger.   

Holly seemed to read Sophie's mind as she noticed Maddie sitting quietly.

"You not at school again today, Mads?" Holly asked Maddie, placing her hands on her hips.

Maddie blinked, her large brown eyes a picture of innocence. "Nope. I hate school. I don't go anymore."

That was a new one, and it hit Sophie like a punch to the gut. God, when she was a kid, school was just where you went on a weekday! There was no debating! On the very rare occasion, she could successfully fake a stomach ache, but really, she would not have dreamed of simply refusing to go into school.

"Best get you an apron then," Holly said sternly. "Since waitressing is all you'll amount to with that attitude."

Sophie appreciated Holly trying to help, but Maddie would not grasp her meaning. Helping out at Pete's was a jolly holiday for Maddie. For Sophie, it was a terrifying glimpse into Maddie's future if she didn't find a solution to this refusal.

Sophie wanted so much more for Maddie than what she herself had managed to achieve.

"Holly, leave her," Sophie uttered.