The Peach Pits

Chapter 1

A/N: Welcome Welcome! Thank you for choosing this story. If you're here for crime, drama, sarcasm, and a bit of a thrill, you're in the right place!
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Mae pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen. For a moment, she considered banging her head on the wall since the customers couldn't see her. It was beyond her what sort of demon would enter a greasy spoon restaurant and expect five-star service. Pouring herself a glass of tea, Mae collapsed on a stack of crates and tried to enjoy two minutes of sweet peace.

"That old lady is giving me straight hell," Mae sighed, sipping her tea. "Would it be mean to pray she just kicked the bucket right at the table?"

"A tad." Walter could barely contain his laugh at Mae's comment. Two years, and he'd been the only coworker of Mae's that didn't make her job harder than it already was. She appreciated Walter's kindness, but Mae certainly didn't want to be the type of kind person who allowed herself to be walked all over in a dead end job for half her life.

All the noises in the kitchen floated on top of one another- the cooks yelling, spatulas scraping pans, dishes being thrown into the sink. Mae glanced at the new busboy. Jesse, he'd said his name was. He hardly spoke.

Mae stood with a sigh. She set her glass on the counter. "Back into the fray," she announced.

"Hey, at least you make tips," Walter said hopefully.

Mae fished a couple dollars out of the front of her apron and held them up. "Barely," she said. "If I play my cards right, I might be able to afford a pack of gum." Mae shook her head and pushed the door open. Old music played on the radio in the dining room. It was the middle of the day, a time when only ornery old people ate.

"Have you decided yet?" Mae put on her best smile as she stood in front of the table with the old couple. Both their faces were still in their menus.

"What?" the woman asked.

Mae cleared her throat. "Have you two decided what you'd like to eat?" she asked again. Mae couldn't figure out what was hard about deciding between chicken, eggs, or hamburgers.

"Give us a minute," the old man said.

"Sure thing. I'll be back in a second," Mae said. She had to remind herself to smile when on the inside, she wanted to stomp her feet and scream. Of course, her last table of her shift had to be difficult. As was normal, they'd take forever to decide, order what they probably got every single time, take all of eternity to eat, and then leave a measly couple of dollars as a tip, if they left one at all. Mae just wanted to hurry things along so she could get home.

Mae had only made it about ten steps away from the table before she heard fingers snap. She gritted her teeth and turned around to face the old couple, approaching the table again. She smiled so hard her teeth hurt.

"Have we decided?"

***

Nearly two hours later, Mae was home. As she'd suspected, the old couple had decided her stellar service was only worth a two-dollar tip. She tried to forget about it. She'd showered the day off of her, put the small amount of cash she'd earned in the box in her dresser, and collapsed in her bed with a book from English class. After missing the school day, Mae figured it would at least be appropriate to return caught up.

The bedroom door opened. Her cousin, Trina, walked in, bookbag over her shoulder and her hands full of envelopes.

"Hey, Mae," Trina smiled. Her wide eyes always gleamed with hope and excitement. Mae remembered years ago, when her eyes had looked the same.

Mae dog-eared the page of her book and sat up. "Hey. How was school?"

Trina dropped her bookbag into the corner of the room. She collapsed on her bed, directly opposite of Mae's. The tiny bedroom looked like a mirror image. Two old wooden beds, two old wooden nightstands, two old wooden dressers. But only one closet. Neither of them owned enough clothes to fill it anyway.

"It was fine," Trina shrugged. "The walk home was boring without you, though."

"I'm coming tomorrow."

Trina kicked off her shoes and reclined in her bed. "Did you make a lot of money today?" she asked.

"A good bit," Mae lied. She hated when Trina questioned her. She could never bring herself to tell the truth if the truth wasn't good.

"Sweet," Trina smiled. She rifled through the envelopes. "It's just bills mostly. But there's something else downstairs..."

Mae turned to look at Trina with alertness. "What else is downstairs?"

Trina shrugged calmly, but the corners of her lips turned upward in a sneaky smile. "Some letter from a college or something... who knows?"

In record speed, Mae threw down her book and rushed downstairs, Trina on her heels. The two girls stood in the kitchen, glaring at the large white envelope sitting in the middle of the table.

"Well, open it!" Trina urged her cousin.

Mae picked up the envelope, her fingers trembling. All she needed was one acceptance, and her life might change forever. The package felt thick, which was a good sign. A great sign. Mae tore the tab off the envelope and opened it. She dumped the contents onto the table and screamed as she saw the campus magazine, purple flag, and stickers. Screw the letter. Mae felt her face grow warm with pride and excitement.

"Oh God! Oh my God! You got in!" Trina screamed. Mae laughed as her cousin squeezed the life out of her. She tried to be happy in that moment and ignore the fact that being accepted to college in no way meant she could afford it. Besides, she'd purposely applied to schools that were known for great financial aid packages. Hopefully, they wouldn't break that reputation.

"I got in!" Mae echoed, hugging her cousin back.

"When our moms get home, we have to celebrate," Trina said, finally releasing Mae. "I'll cook dinner tonight. Oh my God- this is so crazy! I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks," Mae said sincerely. She looked around the old kitchen. At the dirty dishes in the sink. The old photographs and fruit magnets on an outdated fridge. Her aunt's paintings of flowers decorated the walls. The house looked ready to collapse at any moment. And to think, she might have just opened her ticket out.

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What did you think? Chapter 2 will be up soon!