A warning in the newspaper might have been nice.
Nothing in the article prepared Alani for the look of the bar. It was a run-down barn looking building with chipped paint, and a crooked sign. The barn in question could have seen better days. If the paint was not chipped it had scratch marks all over the fading brown and red color. The wood surrounding the window had so much nails sticking up in different directions Alani knew it must have been replaced more often than it should. The parking lot had old paint marks for parking spaces, and the sidewalk had cracks everywhere.
She sighed once before heading to the door that looked as if she could rip it off. Knowing of her anger issues the door might stand as a problem for her later. She flipped her bangs off to the side pointlessly before walking through the loud creaking door, making her flinch. She preferred to be quieter; she didn't like the attention, which loud unruly doors brought her.
She snapped her head back to glare at the horrible object. It closed annoyingly slow, erasing the last bit of patience Alani held, as she tugged on the handle to snap it close with an ear splitting bang. She felt quiet good for a split second, happy that the door didn't come busting off its hinges until a surprised cough echoed the air. Sheepishly she turned around to catch the gaze of an older man standing behind the bar.
Alani wanted to give an apologetic look, something to signal she was sorry for the rude interruption of what-ever the man was doing, but her emotionless face just couldn't make such an expression. Instead she looked at the man, wearing her normal bored look that she couldn't get off her face. Thankfully, her curly black bangs slipped down her head into her eyes to block half her view.
"Did we speak on the phone?" A deep voice rumbled across the bar at her. She simply nodded at his invading eyes. Even though he had every right to evaluate her, she couldn't help but hate the feeling of being stared at, but she pushed the thought of snapping at the older man to the back of her head and stood up straight, almost military like.
"I'm Alani Townsend sir, I called about your article in the newspaper" she finished, crossing the room in long strides and stuck out her tanned hand. The man seemed bewildered by her voice, most don't think Alani was capable of being so kind, but that was based off her appearance. He recovered quickly shaking her hand firmly. From close up Alani could see the laugh lines, and the small spark of happiness in the man's eyes.
He nodded his head, dismissing her small comment. He grabbed a dirty towel off of the counter and walked around the counter to see her properly. She stood still, imagining what she should do. She was never social, her last boss understood this, and let her be. She was always able to get her work done on time, and respecting him, therefore he had no problem with her.
The man, she presumed to be Tommy Lone, the only name she was able to find in the article, sat down slowly in a chair. She decided after racking her brain, that the kind thing to do would be sit with him, after fearing the cons of her actions she choose against them as she seated slowly waiting for him to oppose.
Alani kept her stiff pose, while Tommy looked at her. He didn't say anything as he stared; he seemed to search through his head for the right thing to say, which did a lot more comforting then the smile he gave her.
Tommy seemed to be care-free, which never sat right with Alani. She preferred working for her happiness, but so far with that life-style it never gave her a great attitude. His attire confirmed his personality, loose jeans and a beer-gut worthy t-shirt. His long white pony tail completed his outfit.
Mr. Lone seemed content with the silence that floated between the two. But it put Alani on edge, as if she should fill it with meaningless talk, she could tell this interview was slowly going down the drain, and she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.
"Tell me about yourself," was the question he decided on, that was the one she had feared. Such a common one too, but her answerers that rammed through her head never seemed sufficient enough to her.
She coughed uncomfortably, "Can you rephrase the question, sir?"
"I was wondering your hobbies, family, schooling," he gave off examples, still Alani felt uneasy about answering the question. It seemed pointless to her, but also foreign. To her, bosses didn't need to know too much detail about their employees, now that statement might have some faults in it, but it was something she firmly believed in.
"Nothing much sir, I just do what needs to be done to get my family through the week." The minute it was off her tongue she wanted that sentence back, and not just because of the surprised look on Tommy's face. It just wasn't the answer that he saw coming.
"I-I uh, mean to say, that I don't do much oth-other than working" she mumbled trying to work out the mistake, now it seemed like she couldn't decipher words correctly. She slumped back defeated into the chair. This was a record. The first question and she already seemed to mess it up.
Tommy set down Alani's résumé on the table, now looking at her with questions in his pitch black eyes. "How many do you have in your family?"
"Two younger siblings sir" She mumbled, he smiled a bit. As if her answer seemed to make her open up the slightest bit.
"Tell me about them"
"Kat's 16 and Noah is a year old." She replied with the bare minimum, which still made Tommy look happier.
"Where did you move from?" The thought of her space being invaded flashed in her head, but Alani needed this job. Bar-tending was the only experience she had, and any other job probably wouldn't put up with her standoffish ways, and bored facial expression.
"Southern California" she muttered, "Sir" she added quietly before staring down at her hands in her lap.
"What hours are you asking for again?" He asked folding his hands in his lap and smiling, the résumé left unnoticed in front of him.
"Nights to early mornings, more on the weekends sir" She reminded him from their call this morning. He nodded his head looking pleased. Before standing up abruptly, Alani followed suit, shaking his outstretched hand.
"Okay I'll see you tomorrow at 5 Alani!" He sounded so pleased; it was different then what Alani was accustomed to. She nodded slowly showing she understood, but inside she was completely confused. The interview was less than ten minutes and he gave her a job. Tommy stood up happily, his old withered face showing nothing but happiness and he walked back around to the bar.
Alani took this a sign to leave; she stood up slowly, giving Tommy the chance to take his offer back. She dodged around the tables and was to the door with still no word. With a quick look around, the old man in question was cleaning glasses watching her go; she sheepishly turned back around, ignoring the black bangs in her face as she scurried out the door. Only giving the door a small kick, before climbing into her old truck and peeling out of the parking lot.
The short ride to her new house gave her the time to think. The job interview did not go as planned, and as usual Alani became socially awkward the minute a person looked at her, but the questions he asked, the odd look he gave her résumé, his wonder in her family was completely different then the small town she used to live in.
Her old home was full of thieves, crooks, and liars, if you wanted a job you received a full background check, she was pretty sure Tommy forgot her last name by the end of the interview. The differences between these two small towns were weird. But she couldn't help but like the plangent disregard everyone that lived here had, it showed trust, which was something Alani was not used too.
Trust may not have been something Alani was used too but being relied on was. Alani was met at the door by Kat who had a screaming baby in her arms; she stuck him out with a disgusted look on her face. She said nothing, only passing the screaming child to her older sister before running back to her room.
Alani didn't have the heart to be mad at her. Kat already had a bad childhood, even though it was much better than the one Alani had, she refused to point that out. She would let Kat throw this temper tantrum, the sad, depressed feeling she radiated off her like a heater. Alani never had the chance to do that, she always had to be strong, or just be there for either her mother or her sister, and now for Noah. But if this was Kat's way of coping, she would let her. Now that Alani was her legal Guardian she tried to be fair, in any way possible to make up for the years that Kat may have been hurt because of their parents.
Alani wished she didn't let Kat get away with everything, and there was a nagging in her head that wanted to scream at the 16 year old brat sometimes. But that was Alani's anger talking, and she refused to be an unsuited guardian like her parents tried to make her out to be in court.
It was Alani's third time in court, this week. She was exhausted and had rims under her eyes from the endless calls her parents were making to her small apartment, and the screaming child that was feet away from her bed in a crib. At one point she threw the cordless phone out the two story balcony, and held the baby under the air-conditioning unit for two hours just to get him to be quiet. To say she was in a shitty mood would be an understatement.
But now she had to sit at a two hour meeting in a courtroom with her parents, the only thing keeping her from murdering them and any witnesses was the judge that was evaluating her every move.
"My daughter," her mother stretched the word, making it sound more like a disease then a name, "has had anger issues since she was seven. I cannot trust her, nor allow her to take care of my baby."
Alani tried not to gag. Her hands were shaking, and she had to keep them clamped on her chair to stop from standing up.
"I care for my children. My firstborn did not grow into the woman I raised her, and she has no right to take my children away from me. She cannot give them the love and nurturing that a mother can." The blond bitch standing on the other side of the courtroom wanted her to snap, the small comments that she knew was digging into Alani's skin were planned out. It took every Anger management tactic that Alani knew not to, and by the facial expression on her mother, she was surprised.
The judge did not seem pleased by her mother trying to mentally tare her down. He banged his gravel, staring pointedly at Laloni, She received the message but shrugged and sat down, and making sure she looked like a lady pulling her skirt under her before crossing her legs and folding her hands.
Alani stood up, her black slacks and matching suit shirt looked nice with her tanned skin. She straightened her shirt out, and tried to stop her shacking fists before speaking.
"Your honor," She paused thinking of how she could do this, the words she wanted to use were frowned upon in a courthouse, but she sighed and tried again, "Sir, I have had anger issues. Had, as in past-tense. I don't expect my mother to trust me, and the thought it neutral."
"I do not wish to tear Laloni down, but I do hope that everyone can remember the love and nurture my mother gave me. " My throat seemed to be stuck, but I didn't mind the croak that came out next, "The bruises, cuts, and scars toughened me. But I do not wish my sister and newborn brother to be forced to be strong. The way I learned, has scared me, mentally and physically. My parent's excuse was it was a lesson, and sir, I won't stand by and let my younger siblings be taught a lesson."