Chapter 3
Monday came and went. The usual routine of a school day in June shifted by. Biology first, then English, then Math with loads of summer-minded kids stuffed in between. By the time history rolled around, my mind was completely gone. I sat at my desk fiddling with a pencil while the teacher droned on about the populist movement. The last bell of the day couldn't come fast enough. The thought of waitressing at the House of Mouse hadn't lost any of its excitement. At last, when I thought I'd snap at the group of jerks just to my left, the sound of harsh ringing filled the room. I jumped up and bolted to my locker. Out of desperation my stuff had been packed at least ten minutes before. After pulling out the book that waited inside I ran down the hall.
I shifted my books to my other arm and reached for my phone. The heavy textbooks balanced haphazardly on my elbow. It was only 2:45, but if I wanted to get my homework done AND make it to the club on time, I had to fly. Everything felt like such a rush, I had to remind myself to breathe.
Take it easy, deep breath, that's it. Climb down the stairs, through the double doors. Outside, warm sunshine. One more deep breath, two blocks then turn left...
That was the only way to calm my mind. I had to narrate everything, every little thing. Whatever minuscule action my body took my mind explained. Anything to keep me distracted from 5 'o clock. Pick up pencil, now solve. 3X times 5Y, until my homework was complete. I rechecked the time. 4:30. Perfect.
I packed up my stuff and shoved it into my bag and left my room. The stairs would take too much time so I slid down the banister and tumbled into the kitchen. My mother stood at the foot of the steps shaking her head. She wore a rumpled sweater and her hair was pinned up, a few loose strands hung down in waves. Her reading glasses were on and I spotted the neon yellow of a highlighter tucked between her fingers. She'd been studying.
A few months ago she decided it was time to go back to school. Now, she was working on her masters degree in God knows what. I always ask, and I always get the same complicated answer.
"Honestly, mi'ja, how many times-" she started to say before I turned and started for the door.
"I know, mom. Sorry. But I'm in a hurry! I have to be there by five," I explained, my hand was already turning the front doorknob.
"But what about dinner? You haven't eaten," she scolded.
"It's fine, I'll eat when I get back. Tell dad I said bye!" I was gone. Just as before, I made it to the archway of the bridge and used my hand to guide me the short distance to the other side. I opened my eyes and say the sky was tinged orange-y-pink with the setting sun. A car horn snapped me to attention and I found an annoyed anthropomorphic dog glaring at me through his windshield.
"Move it already!" he yelled and I dashed out of his way with a brief apology. Clearly this middle-of-the-street thing would take some getting used to.
I put the experience out of mind and jogged down the sidewalk until I came to the building. There were already tell-tale signs of the staff getting ready. Outside I caught sight of Max hooking up massive lights that would dance back and forth against the darkening sky. Max looked up from plugging a cable and waved. I waved back and dashed inside. We'd have time to get acquainted later.
"There you are!"said Donald as I walked through the double doors. He was looking up at the stage as Horace adjusted the lights from the projection booth.
"Yep! I'm here! Where do I need to go?" I asked.
Donald pointed backstage with out looking away, "Over there. Minnie's got your uniform."
I turned and walked in the direction he pointed, then heard him holler up at the booth, "No, no, no! Brighter!"
Backstage was another story. Brooms shuffled in and out of rooms carrying anything and everything through the halls. Napkins, plates, chairs, silver ware, pieces of fabric and much more was being carted by faceless walking brooms. In the middle of it all Minnie was holding a clip board and having a conversation over an ear piece.
"Yes, yes, that's great...uh-huh! That'll be 12 dozen..." she looked over at me and waved. I waved back and mouthed the word "uniform". Minnie gave me a thumbs up and motioned over to a green door just at the other side of the hall. I took the hint and opened the door. Inside, there were racks of slacks, shirts, and burgundy vests of every size. It took some digging, but at last I found one of each that fit perfectly and hurriedly pulled them on. I folded my school clothes and stuffed them into a nearby red locker.
Once dressed, I headed over to the Kitchens. Goofy was already there with Gus gathering ingredients to be ready for the rush. More brooms marched around readying everything.
"Well, hey there Riley!" said Goofy, "Been lookin' for ya. Mickey wants me ta show ya the ropes before the guests get here. Ya ready?"
"Sure am!" I said.
"Great! Let's get started," Goofy led me out of the kitchen and to the main dining room. The seats were all ready and waiting for the first patrons to arrive. Whitewashed table cloths covered each table all the way down to the ground. We stopped at one and Goofy produced two large menus from behind his back. He began to teach me the basics. Smile, hand the menus over and give the night's specials. Then give them a few minutes, don't hover, etc., etc., etc.
Then came food handling. He showed me the right way to hold the trays and different tips and tricks to keep the food from spilling. I listened and copied his every move. Well, every move that didn't involving stumbling. After about twenty minutes, my training was complete. And just in time, too. Daisy walked through the dining room.
"It's five minutes to opening," she announced, "People are already waiting outside. Get ready." She turned around to walk back to the front desk, then looked back, "Good luck by the way." I nodded thanks as she left.
This was it! In only a matter of minutes I'd officially start as the newest waitress at the House of Mouse. I looked around the club. Everything was perfectly set up, not a thing out of place. All of the hustle and bustle had ceased and the staff was taking their places. The giant cartoon screen wriggled with static with the club logo standing out from the tv snow in smooth gray.
Then all at once, the serenity of the dining room was broken with the sound of voicing coming through from the lobby. Max had opened the doors and led in a rush of characters. From the Kitchen doors I saw the first few guests trickle through to the tables. That trickle quickly turned into a stream, then a mass. Everyone from the seven dwarves to the hitch hiking ghosts made their way to a table. They sat as both couples and clumps. Wherever you looked, characters sat and talked or found different ways to entertain themselves. Baloo and Little John called to each other from separate tables as Tinkerbell flew between them. Lilo, Alice, and Skippy ran through the tables as Clopin went around chasing them. Ariel sat along with Sebastian and Flounder, pulling a fork through her long hair.
I gulped. Suddenly, the prospect of going out there turned into something nerve wracking. Goofy must have seen the worry in my face. He put a hand on my shoulder and smiled.
"Now, you just go on out there and everthing'll be fine," he said, "You'll see. It'll be a snap."
I gave a grin, "Thanks."
"Gawrsh! Looks like everyone's settled," he said, "It's show time!"
He pushed open the door and slipped through. I grabbed a tray and was right behind him. Goofy ambled off to the left and stopped at a very long table which seated all 101 dalmatians. With one last deep breath I started to the right.
I felt eyes on my back as I made my way to a table, but decided not to pay mind. Finally, I settled on a table.
"Hello," I said and handed over a menu. My voice sounded too timid, "Welcome to the House of Mouse. Is there anything I can get you to drink?" Mulan looked up from the table and accepted the menu.
"Yes, thank you," she said, "I don't think I've seen you here before. Are you new?"
"Yeah. Today's my first day," I smiled.
"In that case, hello! I'm Mulan. How about some tea to start?" she said.
"I'm Riley. One hot tea coming right up!" I said and jotted the order down, "I'll be right back."
With that I turned and made my way to the next table. Most of the cartoons were genuinely nice. It seemed that they all came often enough to spot a new face when they saw one because everywhere I went I got asked questions. After getting about ten orders or so, I walked to the kitchen and dropped off the papers. Then I filled up the drink orders and served them to their respective tables.
A system seemed to have worked itself out in the course of the night. Collect around ten orders, go to the kitchens, return to the dining room and drop the past orders off. It was all much simpler than I'd thought it would be. Simple, that is, not easy.
I had just finished handing some orders over to Robin Hood and Maid Marian when-
"Whoa!" I cried as I was lifted into the air. Something had wrapped around my waist! I looked down and saw nothing but gray smoke carrying me up until it plopped me down in front of a table. My rump made contacted with the hard floor and the impacted rattled my head. As I rubbed my forehead, I looked at who the heck had just hoisted me over. My eyes widened. I had landed at table thirteen.
Table thirteen was the one place I had tried to avoid, hoping that maybe Goofy would take it. Apparently, he hadn't.
"So," said Hades in a casual, mocking manner. His smoky arm reformed at his side, "This is the rookie wait staff. How nice of you to drop by." Dark chuckles came from the other's places.
Oh great, I thought as I got to my feet, puns.
"Not much of a talker, is she?" cackled Ursula, "What's the matter, dear? Catfish got your tongue?" The table started on a new round of laughs.
Better that than a sea witch, I thought.
"Well?" Scar's stony voice came from the end of the table. His killer gaze was locked on me, "We're waiting."
I gulped. Not knowing what else to do, I fell back on the basics of waitressing. Through gritted teeth I recited, "Hello. Welcome to the House of Mouse. What would you like to order? Tonight's specials are-"
"Ooh! Ooh! Lemme guess," Banzai howled, "potatoes, with a side of fresh meat!"
"-Cleo's Clam chowder-"
"Oh, I got one, I got one!" said Shenzi, "How 'bout a tender-foot steak!"
"-Herc's hundred-pound burger-"
Banzai bounced up again, "Ooh! Do you have any-"
"Are you gonna let me finish? " I pleaded. This was my first night and I had to keep up efficiency, I didn't need this. Something curled back around my shoulder.
"Ccccertainly there's no need to be ssso sssstresssed," I turned my head and found myself inches from Kaa. I cringed. "Jussst relaxx," his eyes started to spiral. That was the final straw. I shoved his head away.
"Stop it!" I snapped and faced the table, "Look. If you're going to order, then do it already. I don't have time to put up with twisted little games. Now, I'm gonna go and take some more orders. If you haven't decided anything by the time I get back, looks like you're going hungry." I was about to duck away when I was hoisted up and thrown back against the ground yet again. Jafar loomed over me, his staff was glowing dangerously.
"You forget your place you insubordinate brat!" he snarled.
Standing to my feet I met his glare with a sober expression. Not angry, but serious.
"I'm a waitress," I said, "not a slave," and walked away without looking back.
It got to me, the way the villains had acted. Not that I expected anything different, mind you, but still. I didn't think anyone had that kind of audacity, to treat others that way. Most of the other guests and dishes didn't even register. The experiences passed through me the way a ghost passes through a wall. Next thing I knew, I arrived at the table that sat Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. My face must have betrayed some sort of emotion because once I had finished with her order, she patted my arm.
"Don't worry, dear," she gave me a knowing smile, "Just keep your chin up. It's not so bad."
"Thanks," I said, " I needed that. One slice of Bibbidi-bobbidi-blueberry pie coming right up."
As I exited the kitchen for the umpteenth time a feeling of dread sank into my stomach. After I dropped these orders off, I would have to go back and face table 13. When the last of the entrees made contact with the table top, I took a deep breath, stood up straight, and made my way back to the villains with as much dignity as I could muster.
The mood of the table had changed drastically while I was away. It had gone from sadistically jovial to utterly lethal. Everyone was silent. Everyone was glaring at me.
"Are you ready to order?" I asked politely. One by one they spat their orders at me and one by one I wrote them down. Once they finished, I nodded, said, "They'll be right out," and left. But not before Hades could pull me back by the collar of my uniform. He held his face an inch from mine. The heat of his flaming hair scorched my face.
"Look, newbie," If looks could kill, I'd have died seven times over, "That was some tough stuff you pulled a while ago. You got guts. But you listen and listen good, you have no idea who you're messing with, kid."
I suppressed the urge to gulp and simply left, looking unfazed. Back in the kitchens I dropped off the order pad on my sheet and waited for the meals to be served. With the amount of bad guys sitting at the same table, there were more than ten orders. I considered that my break. Goofy ambled in a few minutes later.
"Hey there!" he said in his usual manner, "How's everything goin'?"
I forced a smile, "Great. Ju-ust great."
"Swell," Goofy said, "Ya need any help with anything?"
I was about to say no when I realized I couldn't go back to that table.
"Well, since you asked, do you mind dropping off this order for me? I'll take care of yours," I handed him the sheet from my little notebook. Goofy looked it over and his eyes grew just slightly.
"You served table 13? Gawrsh, Riley, I woulda done it!" he said.
"I didn't exactly have a choice," I said, "but it doesn't matter. I handled it." There was no way in hell I was going into detail. I didn't need Mickey finding out about this crap. In the end he agreed to the trade. He moved over to the villains, and I walked over to the seven dwarves.
The rest of the night was uneventful. Eventually, everyone was served and the cartoons played until the show came to a close. Finally, Mickey stood up at the stage and wished the patrons a good night. The guests all rose and made their way out the front doors. Some of the younger ones had fallen asleep and were carried out. I smiled, they were honestly cute. Clean up came after, and Gus kindly let me take some leftovers home.
Outside, the animated sky was littered with more stars than I thought possible. A tiny, sliver of a moon shone in the sky, reminding me of the smile of the Cheshire Cat. That very same smile was the same one I had worn not a day before. I stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the night sky. After the mess I'd just gotten into, I wondered if taking this job really was as great as I thought.
"Hey," someone walked over to me on the curb. I turned. Max Goof looked down at me and settled onto the curb next to me.
"Hey," I said back.
"So how'd you're first day go?" he asked, "Sorry we couldn't talk earlier. I'm Max. I think you know my dad. He's-"
"Goofy," I smiled, "There's definitely a resemblance. It went well I guess."
Max laughed, "You guess? Well did or didn't it?"
"It did. It's just..." I trailed off.
"You didn't expect it to be like this," he finished, "Yeah, day one's always the hardest."
"How do you know?" I asked, "You're Max Goof!"
"Exactly," he said.
I looked him in the face with a confused expression, then we both started laughing.
"You got a point there," I said, "Well, I better get home. See you Wednesday!"
"See ya!" he waved and walked back inside.
I sighed and took one last look up at the sky before starting for home. Thinking back on everything I realized it wasn't so bad. Minus the villains, everyone had been nothing but nice to me from the moment I started work. I had nothing to complain about. As long as I focused on the positive, maybe working here wouldn't be so bad after all...
Yay! Finished with chapter three! And it's nice and long. What did you think? Good? Bad? So-so? Leave a review and let me know!
And on a different note...the rest of the story is going to be mainly episodic, meaning, there won't be some complex plot line. It'll be like reading an episode of the series with each new chapter or so. That's not to say there won't be any story arcs, but they won't be complete stories. Anyways, till next time! Cya!
-Daydreamer
