Beauty and The Pandemic

ONE

This is completely something that I created for my creative writing class. Something about it is making me think that this might be the start of more work. I have really been struggling with focus and my complicated life. I still want to write, honestly, I just have not been able to really sit down and crunch out words like I used to. This came about due to an assignment. LOL. So I had to do something, but I truly think this might be something. This is also my first time writing in the third person. You guys know I've never done this, so this is very brand new to me as well. Please let me know what you think :) 

Grace waited six feet away from the gentleman in front of her. That was what the sticker said on the floor under her feet. STAY SIX FEET APART. She sighed, patiently waiting, but anxious as well. She had a million things she needed to do at this moment. She had to finish class notes, read over a paper and edit it, reply to emails, and find a new book to read. Grace has completed two degrees and was on her way to another one. Going to high school was easier than this, and Grace hated her high school. She hated the people there so much that when she got the chance she moved. She packed up her things after school and used her smart brain to get a scholarship to a college out of state. Sixty degrees in Boston wasn't ideal for her, but she could handle it. Sixty degrees in her small town of Oklahoma felt like a blizzard.

"I can help the next person."

Grace stepped up and touched her face. She almost towered over the short sheet of plexiglass in front of her. Her tall height was a gift from heaven, but also a curse from hell. She could reach the shelves in her apartment but could never find clothes that fit perfectly. She struggled with pants shopping, trying not to make a scene when each pair fit her figure, but not her length. If she didn't resemble her beautiful grandmother, she would be worried about her genes. Grace stood at 5'7 with a slim figure and a cute butt. Her figure wasn't the issue. It was her curls and hazel eyes that caught the attention. Her wavy curls took no effort in the morning to tame. It was easy and rewarding to manage when she felt like it. Her eyes were nice and round, sometimes hidden behind glasses, but only when she got tired of poking her eyes with contacts. Being four-eyed didn't bother her much, but it did make her feel a little bit more confident without the frames. Her brown skin stood out too, smooth, and clean. She wanted to get some tattoos but could never find something that screamed permanent sticker. She had an exotic look and knew it. Everyone always asked if she was a model, even at her younger age. Grace was no model. She didn't have the courage to be a model. She had the courage to wake up in the morning and attend her classes on time.

"Whenever you're ready." Said the barista.

Grace snapped out of her self-criticism and looked at the menu. She contemplated whether to get something new or stick to her usual order. The feeling of getting something new and not liking it weighed on her more than trying something else. "Let's get a large maple harvest latte." Grace wondered why she ordered a large when she knew she would regret it later. The barista repeated back her order and she paid. She watched as the baristas worked around each other, shuffling and rustling to get the ingredients. She doubted they were social distancing. Those were the requirements. People were reminded everywhere they went, in the grocery stores, the coffee shops, and even at school. Masks were required in the stores too, but people didn't always follow that rule. Grace did. She respected the pandemic because she didn't want to get sick. She didn't want to put other people in danger either, so she sucked it up and wore the damn thing. It was cute when people wore the fashionable mask to match their outfits. It showed that they cared a little bit about their appearance. She watched the man behind her step up to the counter. He pulled his mask down and spoke over the plexiglass, "Can I have an Americano." The whole café could hear his order. "What size sir?" He looked at the cup sizes they had displayed and touched the largest one. "Let's go for a large." He shouted again. The barista touched her mask to make sure it covered her nose. "Okay, your total is five dollars." Grace turned around to return to her little table in the corner. She opened her laptop and welcomed the mass of work.