Princess
Drowning Lessons
“I need you upfront.” my boss said to me as I signed into work and crammed my bag into a tiny locker. “No one else has shown up.” the owner told me. She was watching me carefully as I lugged myself over to the till and signed onto it. “Are you ok? You look exhausted.” she said, placing her hand on my shoulder and flashing me a quick smile, so far the small coffee shop was empty. Soon it wouldn’t be.
“Bed dreams again.” I told her, self consciously rubbing the scar on my arm. Her face was full of sympathy.
“They’d be proud of you sweetie, maybe you should call Bob.” she smiled again and walked off. That was the usual reaction to any reference to my past. A quick mention of them and passing the problem onto someone else. Bob, her nephew was the only person I still spoke to from Chicago, he was also the one who had gotten me the job here. I smiled at the thought of him, he had been my best friend.
“Hi there, what can I get you?” I said, forcing a smile on my lips. I looked up at the man standing in front of me and felt my insides move. “Mikey.” I said, the gin on my lips somehow growing even more.
“Chelsea, right?” he said, he looked incredibly nervous. I nodded and pointed at my name tag. He laughed nervously. “I’m sceptical about how happy you are at this time of the morning, even if you are surrounded by coffee.” he said, his voice sounding hazy.
“Don’t be, I’m paid to smile.” I told him. He nodded and gave me his order. We continued on in silence as I made him his two drinks and handed them over to him, I wondered who the other one could be for? Maybe Frank? Or Assface? I handed him the drinks and took the money off him.
“Keep the change, and I’m sorry, for what Gerard said. He’s not normally like that.” he said, nodding his head and walking out of the shop. I wasn’t sure if I’d of known what to have said if he had stayed. I put the change in the tip jar and waited for the next customer. In my head, id of thrown coffee over Gerard the next time I saw him but he wasn’t worth loosing his job over. And Frankie? That was after all his boyfriends brother.
The next few hours dragged, even when the shop was full it still seemed as though time had slowed down. Finally the clock struck half 8 and it was time to leave, I grabbed myself a coffee and basically ran to my locker, I was nearly there when the owner stopped me. She was pretty, cheerleader pretty with big green eyes and long blonde hair and great boobs.
“That guy apologised, why?” she asked me, she was throwing out the trash as I was getting my things. I sighed and looked up at her.
“His brother called me names.” I told her, placing the coffee to my lips and trying not to laugh at how childish I sounded. “He did it in front of Ray and Frank and things got weird.” I told her, I see her own face was beginning to smile now as well. “Oh, they asked me if you would put this up.” I said, digging through my bag for the fliers asking about a drummer. I handed them to her, they were creased but readable. “And before you say Bob, they need one a little closer than Chicago.” she smiled at me knowingly.
“Sure, I’ll pop one up on the floor and one in the notice bored. Now go, before your late.” she said. I nodded and ran to my car, taking my keys out of my pocket as I did. I sat in my car and messed with the radio, I had ten minutes to get myself to school or I’d be late again. I didn’t rush though, I drank down my coffee and started the engine, Smashing Pumpkins filled my car and I smiled as I began the drive.
I sung along badly as I pulled up on the school car park. It was pretty much empty except a few stoners standing around the car park. I parked up and got out my car, not rushing as I was already late. I grabbed my books and camera out of the trunk of my car and walked into school. The corridors were empty so I went straight to my locker. I was putting the things I didn’t need in it when I felt eyes ripping into my skin.
“Well, this isn’t good.” I spun round to see Assface leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, smirking at me. “I wonder how many detentions this will get you?” he asked me. I ignored him and headed towards my class. “Ignoring a member of staff, that’s a few more right there.” I spun round and glared at him.
“I don’t know what your problem is…”
“You’re my problem, I’m fed up of seeing your fucking face everywhere I go. I come to work, you’re here, I go to band practice, you’re there, I go to get my coffee, you’re there. What next you gonna start following me home?” he snapped. He was right in my face, practically snarling at me, I could smell the coffee and something else on his breathe, whiskey maybe?
I turned away from him and ran. I ran back to my car and jammed my keys in the ignition just before my eyes began to leak.
“Bed dreams again.” I told her, self consciously rubbing the scar on my arm. Her face was full of sympathy.
“They’d be proud of you sweetie, maybe you should call Bob.” she smiled again and walked off. That was the usual reaction to any reference to my past. A quick mention of them and passing the problem onto someone else. Bob, her nephew was the only person I still spoke to from Chicago, he was also the one who had gotten me the job here. I smiled at the thought of him, he had been my best friend.
“Hi there, what can I get you?” I said, forcing a smile on my lips. I looked up at the man standing in front of me and felt my insides move. “Mikey.” I said, the gin on my lips somehow growing even more.
“Chelsea, right?” he said, he looked incredibly nervous. I nodded and pointed at my name tag. He laughed nervously. “I’m sceptical about how happy you are at this time of the morning, even if you are surrounded by coffee.” he said, his voice sounding hazy.
“Don’t be, I’m paid to smile.” I told him. He nodded and gave me his order. We continued on in silence as I made him his two drinks and handed them over to him, I wondered who the other one could be for? Maybe Frank? Or Assface? I handed him the drinks and took the money off him.
“Keep the change, and I’m sorry, for what Gerard said. He’s not normally like that.” he said, nodding his head and walking out of the shop. I wasn’t sure if I’d of known what to have said if he had stayed. I put the change in the tip jar and waited for the next customer. In my head, id of thrown coffee over Gerard the next time I saw him but he wasn’t worth loosing his job over. And Frankie? That was after all his boyfriends brother.
The next few hours dragged, even when the shop was full it still seemed as though time had slowed down. Finally the clock struck half 8 and it was time to leave, I grabbed myself a coffee and basically ran to my locker, I was nearly there when the owner stopped me. She was pretty, cheerleader pretty with big green eyes and long blonde hair and great boobs.
“That guy apologised, why?” she asked me, she was throwing out the trash as I was getting my things. I sighed and looked up at her.
“His brother called me names.” I told her, placing the coffee to my lips and trying not to laugh at how childish I sounded. “He did it in front of Ray and Frank and things got weird.” I told her, I see her own face was beginning to smile now as well. “Oh, they asked me if you would put this up.” I said, digging through my bag for the fliers asking about a drummer. I handed them to her, they were creased but readable. “And before you say Bob, they need one a little closer than Chicago.” she smiled at me knowingly.
“Sure, I’ll pop one up on the floor and one in the notice bored. Now go, before your late.” she said. I nodded and ran to my car, taking my keys out of my pocket as I did. I sat in my car and messed with the radio, I had ten minutes to get myself to school or I’d be late again. I didn’t rush though, I drank down my coffee and started the engine, Smashing Pumpkins filled my car and I smiled as I began the drive.
I sung along badly as I pulled up on the school car park. It was pretty much empty except a few stoners standing around the car park. I parked up and got out my car, not rushing as I was already late. I grabbed my books and camera out of the trunk of my car and walked into school. The corridors were empty so I went straight to my locker. I was putting the things I didn’t need in it when I felt eyes ripping into my skin.
“Well, this isn’t good.” I spun round to see Assface leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, smirking at me. “I wonder how many detentions this will get you?” he asked me. I ignored him and headed towards my class. “Ignoring a member of staff, that’s a few more right there.” I spun round and glared at him.
“I don’t know what your problem is…”
“You’re my problem, I’m fed up of seeing your fucking face everywhere I go. I come to work, you’re here, I go to band practice, you’re there, I go to get my coffee, you’re there. What next you gonna start following me home?” he snapped. He was right in my face, practically snarling at me, I could smell the coffee and something else on his breathe, whiskey maybe?
I turned away from him and ran. I ran back to my car and jammed my keys in the ignition just before my eyes began to leak.