Chapter one: "Monday Morning" blues
Ally turned up the radio attempting to block out the pounding of rain and the constant squeaking of her windshield wipers. She moaned at her rear view mirror attempting to fix the worst of her mass of dark hair, which with it being the morning looked virtually uncontrollable.
"Heavy rain, heavy traffic and heavily late, typical working morning," Ally muttered.
The red light was taunting Ally; she willed it to change as she watched the time creep later and later, still nothing.
"Come on!" she yelled at the traffic light.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of an elderly lady at the wheel of a bright yellow car. The old lady leaned closer to the wheel narrowing her eyes at Ally.
"No offence lady but I'm already late and I'm not about to get cut in front of by a senior citizen." gripping the steering wheel harder. She changed radio stations preparing for a fight.
That's just how you live, oh
Take take take it all but you never give
Should've known you was trouble from the first-
She flicked through the stations again
Her hair, hair her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful and I tell her-
Flick
When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
"That's more like it," Ally mused.
The red light flashed green and both Ally and the old lady floored the gas. The old lady came from an angle planning to cut in front, her thick glasses magnifying her narrowed eyes. Ally drove viciously positively fleeing from grand theft auto psycho granny. Suddenly, the car engine stalled.
"No, no, no!" Ally begged her car, she was usually fond of old people but she prayed this once to kick the old lady's ass.
The psycho granny sped towards her she was in danger of smacking into Ally in her haste to cut for the next light.
Ally could read the old women's number plate, she was getting so close.
With one almighty stroke of luck Ally hit the gas and moved this time. Just missing the old lady's collision and sailing through the green light. Ally fist pumped the air leaving the little yellow car caught in a lengthy queue behind her. She glanced in her right mirror just to get a better view.
"Oh shit!" she hissed the right mirror was no longer attached to her car after psycho granny attacked. "Just what I need," she sighed. What a wonderful start to the day.
She pulled the now "One eared" car into the dreary parking space and silenced the pounding radio. At least the rain had stopped she smiled. She took her new liquid eyeliner out of her make up bag focusing the mirror.
"If I'm going to be late to work with my rear view mirror taken out by psycho granny may as well look slightly presentable," She continued muttering as she applied the black lines across her lids.
"Smells unusual..." she trailed off, "must just be what they use in these pricier liners…"
Ally blinked, her eyes began watering.
"ow..Ow… OW OW OW!" she began shrieking slightly as her eyes began to burn.
"What the hell?" she smelt the thing again. Ally tried to make out the tiny white font with partially blinded eyes.
"Black wink"
Nail varnish
"What kind of nail varnish is this small and calls itself black wink! Is it trying to get in people's eyes or something!" Ally threw it to the back seat frantically wiping her streaming eyes until she could make out shapes again.
She slammed her odd looking car door with no mirror in a fume. Her blackberry vibrated loudly; no doubt it was her manager demanding where she was.
"You have a nice phone,"
Ally glanced up (or should I say down) to see rather podgy redheaded kid staring at her blackberry.
"Thank you?" she replied confused.
-"Can I see it?" he asked.
-"Not really," she relied again confused.
-"I just want to see it," he held out his hand.
-"No,"
-"I want to see your phone!"
-"Look, I have to get to work,"
-"Look it's give me your phone or let me feel your boob,"
Ally was ready to give the kid some pre learned women's defence moves. He was just a kid though…
-"No way!" she tried to push past him.
-"Give me your phone or I shoot," he muttered his hand in his pocket. Yes, there was no way he had a real gun his acting lets just say wasn't great.
-"Look, I-"
Before she even finished he snatched the phone and legged it the other direction. She shouted after him but he was gone, far enough to not be caught by her anyway. Phone less she sighed and finally make her way to work. The shop was open beside a coffee shop; although she usually picked up coffee before her shift she was far too late now. A large balding man in a poorly fitting suit with a cold cup of coffee raced across Ally's path.
*SMACK *
The man's coffee went all over Ally. He apologised while still moving backing off and increasing the length of his strides. She looked down at her stained clothes in shock and ill belief. A little voice in her head said "At least it wasn't hot," seriously not helping.
Completely emotionally drained Ally trudged into the shop. Hannah, the manager, approached her she was shuffling her feet uncomfortablely.
"I'm so sorry I'm late. See first my pipe leaked onto my alarm clock and killed it so I over slept then a psycho auto theft granny tried to over take me and nearly crashed into me-"
"Ally-" Hannah tried to cut in awkwardly.
"And then this little ginger kid stole my blackberry and legged it-"
"But Ally-"
"And just as I got here some man walked right into me and poured coffee all over me!" Ally finished almost breathless.
"What happened to your face?" Hannah asked, puzzled.
"Oh yeah, I used nail varnish instead of eyeliner."
"Ok.."
"But it's ok because I'm here now and I promise I'll sell twice as much today to make up for it," Ally smiled through it all. She went to go get her name tag and t shirt to cover up her coffee stain when Hannah put her palm against her shoulder.
"Ally, I'm sorry, but you're cut."
She looked up in shock.
"What? I've only been late… once?" she replied slowly.
"It's not you, it's this time. There's just no money and we have to make cuts. I am very sorry."
"Oh. I see." She stood rooted for a moment in shock; then turned to the door.
"Ally," Hannah called.
She turned back with a glimmer of hope that it was all a joke.
"I need your shirt and tag back."