Fall Away
Reconnecting
I jumped when my phone rang. “Hello?” I asked, picking it up and turning away from the mirror.
“Hey Ellie. It’s Cassandra.”
“Oh, hey,” I replied. “I was-”
“Look, I know you had finals this week, but is there any chance you could work tonight?” My manager cut off the end of my sentence, but I let it slide. She sounded completely overwhelmed. “I know you have Friday’s off, but Diane’s out sick and Gina’s on vacation and-”
“That would be perfect,” I interrupted. “I was going to call and ask if you had any openings. I could use some extra hours.”
“Oh good.” Cass let out a sigh of relief. “If you could work the 5–10 shift, that would be awesome. And I can check and see if there’s any openings… maybe you could take more of Gina’s shifts…”
By the end of the sentence, she was talking to herself. I waited until something clicked in her head and she resumed talking with me. “Well, I’ll see you tonight and we can get everything worked out.”
As soon as I had hung up, my phone rang again. I saw Soren’s number flashing across the screen and immediately picked it back up. “Hey.”
“Ellie? Where have you been?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You haven’t been answering your phone, or replying to messages, or even working at the café.”
“I had finals,” I replied. ‘And cram time. What’s the big deal?”
He ignored my question. “Look, can you come over tonight?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I’m working.”
“But Friday’s your night off,” he protested.
“I need to make up for the lost hours. We don’t all have mansions and platinum credit cards,” I retored snidely.
“Yeah, well, money builds up,” he replied distractedly. “Can I pick you up after your shift?”
“It’ll be late,” I warned. “A lot of people are out so I’ll probably work overtime.”
“I’ll wait,” he promised.
I shook my head, all of my questions disappearing with his urgency. “Why is it so important that I come over?”
“It’s nothing,” he protested.
“What?” I pushed.
“It’s just… I mean… I…”
“Soren,” I said sternly. “Just tell me.”
He let out a long sigh. “It’s Kirian.”
“Hey Ellie. It’s Cassandra.”
“Oh, hey,” I replied. “I was-”
“Look, I know you had finals this week, but is there any chance you could work tonight?” My manager cut off the end of my sentence, but I let it slide. She sounded completely overwhelmed. “I know you have Friday’s off, but Diane’s out sick and Gina’s on vacation and-”
“That would be perfect,” I interrupted. “I was going to call and ask if you had any openings. I could use some extra hours.”
“Oh good.” Cass let out a sigh of relief. “If you could work the 5–10 shift, that would be awesome. And I can check and see if there’s any openings… maybe you could take more of Gina’s shifts…”
By the end of the sentence, she was talking to herself. I waited until something clicked in her head and she resumed talking with me. “Well, I’ll see you tonight and we can get everything worked out.”
As soon as I had hung up, my phone rang again. I saw Soren’s number flashing across the screen and immediately picked it back up. “Hey.”
“Ellie? Where have you been?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You haven’t been answering your phone, or replying to messages, or even working at the café.”
“I had finals,” I replied. ‘And cram time. What’s the big deal?”
He ignored my question. “Look, can you come over tonight?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I’m working.”
“But Friday’s your night off,” he protested.
“I need to make up for the lost hours. We don’t all have mansions and platinum credit cards,” I retored snidely.
“Yeah, well, money builds up,” he replied distractedly. “Can I pick you up after your shift?”
“It’ll be late,” I warned. “A lot of people are out so I’ll probably work overtime.”
“I’ll wait,” he promised.
I shook my head, all of my questions disappearing with his urgency. “Why is it so important that I come over?”
“It’s nothing,” he protested.
“What?” I pushed.
“It’s just… I mean… I…”
“Soren,” I said sternly. “Just tell me.”
He let out a long sigh. “It’s Kirian.”
♠ ♠ ♠
I'm sorry. It's been a long time. Over a week.Life is really kicking my butt right now.
But.
I have the next chapter all written, I just need to type it and edit it. So hopefully tomorrow, and if not definitely Friday.
By the way, I feel the need to say that this chapter was done Friday, it just didn't get typed up. But none of you really care because you didn't get to read it until today.
Anyways. I will get the next update out soon, and will reply to all the lovely people who left me comments when I don't have a splitting headache.