Britney hummed as she wiped away at the bar at her café.
"Hm, school's back in today," she hummed "The students will be flooding in soon. And with my new star employee, we'll be raking in the boys today!"
She giggled and looked up when she heard the door open.
"Eek!" she exclaimed at the bloody and soaked schoolgirl on the welcome mat, wiping her feet "What a sight!"
The girl rolled her shoulder tiredly, flicking a mass of wet, black hair out of her face as the customers in the café gave her a long, awkward stare. She then made her way past Britney and into the changing rooms at the back of the café.
"You look like something the cat dragged in," Zack, the janitor, commented.
"What are you doing in the girl's changing room?" Anne asked gloomily with a death glare.
"Who do you think has to clean up after you girls?" Zack raised an eyebrow "Don't worry, I'm leaving to clear the mess you've probably left."
He walked past her with his mop and bucket and exited the changing rooms. Anne heaved a sigh as she made her way to the showers, leaving her clothes strewn about the place as the other waitresses didn't start their shift for another half hour. She winced as the warm water landed on her cold body and washed away the blood, mud and grass. Twenty minutes later had her in front of the mirror, tying up the ribbon to her uniform of the day.
"Red today, huh?" she commented dully "I see, the white ribbons are a nice touch. I wonder how many uniforms Britney has."
Today was the start of her second month at this café and not once had she worn the same uniform twice. She stepped away after running her fingers through her blown-dried hair and took a deep breath.
"Cute smile," she murmured as she began practicing her smiles "Adorable smile. Perfect smile. Shy smile. Sweet smile. Childish smile. Charming smile. Enthusiastic smile. Eager smile. Tired smile. Bright smile. Big smile. Small smile."
She rubbed her cheeks afterwards and sighed again.
"Cute pout," she murmured as she began practicing her pouts "Adorable pout. Perfect pout. Shy pout. Sweet pout. Childish pout. Charming pout. Enthusiastic pout. Eager pout. Tired pout. Bright pout. Big pout. Small pout."
With another sigh and nod, she smiled another fake smile at her reflection.
"Today, my name is Ruby and I recommend our strawberry cheesecake!" she said with a wink.
Fake smile still plastered on, Anne took a deep breath as she came in front of the door and nodded.
"Sorry, I'm late everyone!" she cheered as she came out.
She then noticed that there were more customers than usual now that students were coming after school ended. All eyes were laid on her and inside, Anne wanted to die. She sauntered over to the bar where she collected her notepad, pen and tray which she tucked under her arm then went to the nearest table.
"May I take your order?" she asked in the cheeriest voice she could muster.
"You look familiar," one of the boys with an eyebrow piercing said suspiciously.
"She does, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, I've seen her somewhere."
"Today, I highly recommend our strawberry cheesecake!" Anne said with a light giggle, keeping up her act.
"We'll take that and two frappes then," the boy with spiky red hair smiled politely.
"Aren't you Anne?"
"Not today!" Anne exclaimed a bit too hastily as she scribbled down their order "Today, my name is Ruby!"
She turned, taking the note off and placing it on the kitchen counter. The door chimed and Anne sighed softly in relief when she saw Vicky come in and go into the changing rooms. The door chimed once more and an uneasy chill went down her spine when she saw her Drama teacher.
"Does he come often?" she asked Britney warily.
"Oh yeah, he's a regular apart from the summer when he goes on holidays," Britney nodded.
"Ah, that's why he knew about this place," Anne murmured mostly to herself before clearing her throat and wandering over to him "Table for one?"
"Ah, you took my suggestion!" Cross exclaimed with a surprised yet pleased twinkle in his eye.
"Sir, you're my teacher, please stop ogling me in this," Anne hissed whilst clutching her tray to her chest.
"I'd say with this outfit, you're quite the jackpot, aren't you?" Cross grinned "Finally, we can see you in a beautiful light."
"You know, I can just leave you to one of the other girls," Anne sighed and turned away from him.
"Excuse me, miss," Cross raised his voice which had Anne freeze to the spot "I would like a table for one please!"
Anne sighed in frustration and turned sharply on her heel, giving him a dirty look.
"Follow me, please, sir," she said with a sudden cute smile, accompanied with a sweet voice and led him to one of the spare tables then handed him a menu.
"No need," her Drama teacher pushed it away "I'll have you with a sundae."
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't serve minors to our customers," Anne heaved an exaggerated and disappointed sigh to mock him "So I'll just get you our Strawberry Sundae Surprise, OK?"
She winked and scribbled down his order before marching off to place it on the kitchen counter. She collected the cheesecakes and frappes that were ready and placed them neatly on her tray.
"That guy with the red hair looks like a pervert," Zack murmured near her.
"He is a pervert, he is my Drama teacher and he is the one who fully recommended this job to me," Anne sighed "This job does help with my acting skills after all."
Zack shrugged as she delivered the orders to the boys.
"Please, enjoy," she said with her brightest smile.
"Thanks," the boys said collectively before digging into the strawberry cheesecake.
Anne walked back to the kitchen where Zack whispered again:
"He's eyeing you up…"
Anne turned and glared sharply at her teacher who looked away innocently, feet on the table.
"Pig," she grumbled under her breath.
The door opened and Anne walked over when she saw the other waitresses occupied with other customers.
"Skinn!" she greeted happily "Usual order today or would you like to try something different?"
"Usual, please," the larger man said as he was led to his usual table.
"Alright, it will be ready in just a moment."
Anne scribbled Skinn's name on the notepad before placing it on the kitchen counter then collecting Cross's sundae. After delivering it and avoiding a grope from Cross's wandering hand, Anne took Skinn's usual order of ice cream and cookies.
"Thank you," he smiled warmly as she laid them out in front of him.
If Anne had learned and achieved anything after working at this café for a month, it was to blush on cue. And blush she did, smiling back happily.
"Anne, another order has come up and Vicky isn't taking it!"
Anne blinked as she put three black coffees onto the tray.
"Who ordered three black coffees?" she called.
A hand raised up and Anne stared at Tyki in shock.
"Damn it," she murmured as she plastered a charming smile on and walked over "Here you go, sirs."
"You look lovely," Tyki commented with a smirk, his friends nodding in agreement.
"Thank you, sir," Anne bowed to him with that smile still on.
The shift continued like that for about fifteen minutes until an exhausted looking Anne was at the bar, fanning herself with her tray.
"Where did Vicky disappear off to?" she asked "I'm working my ass off here and she's nowhere to be seen!"
"Oh, I fired her," Britney said dismissively as she served a couple of customers their drinks.
"What?! When?!" Anne exclaimed with wide eyes.
"About fifteen minutes ago."
"But she barely got here fifteen minutes ago!"
"She was very rude to some of our female customers," Britney placed her hands on her hips "Now, we may bring in much more male customers than female customers but we value each and every customer that comes through that door! Since her boob job, Vicky has been vile and condescending towards the girls with smaller boobs and today was the last straw after I warned her throughout the week."
"But…I need help…with all of these…" Anne panted as she gestured to the crowding café.
"You're doing fine, honey," Britney grinned and slapped her on the back "And think of it this way, now Vicky is gone, you're going to be earning double tips today!"
Anne glanced at the jars, her name being on Vicky's jar as well as her own. She sighed and took another deep breath.
"I work too hard for you," she mumbled before looking up at the new customers.
Her breath left her as she saw Lenalee looking around the café with Kanda next to her, looking around with her. Anne took another deep breath as her heart pounded in her ribcage.
"Hello, my name is Ruby, welcome to Café Paradise, table for two?" she murmured under her breath before plastering a smile and walking over to the couple "Hello! My name is Ruby and welcome to Café Paradise! Table for two?"
"Anne?" Lenalee and Kanda said at the same time with rather astonished looks.
"Ruby!" Anne said with a small bounce "So, shall I show you to your table?"
She set them down at a table, setting two menus in front of them with a rather dark look under her bangs.
"Take your time, please," she said with a small smile and walked over to a drunk looking Cross "Oi, you, you've been slipping vodka into your coffee again, haven't you?"
"Hnnh?" Cross looked up at her with a dull look.
Anne placed the bill in front of him and he sighed dramatically, pouring some change and notes onto the small tray.
"Keep the change, sweetheart," he winked as he staggered onto his feet and out of the café.
Anne counted the change and took it to Britney who placed it in the cash register. She took the change left over and tipped it into one of the jars. She then brought Skinn's bill over with a credit card machine. She watched with a dull look as he entered his pin into the machine then pressed a bill of money into her hand.
"Thank you, I'll see you tomorrow," he said with an expectant smile.
"Oh, sure!" Anne smiled weakly as he walked out.
She sighed and cleared up his table before taking the dirty dishes to the kitchen.
"I think he likes you," Zack said as she swabbed her forehead whilst placing the money bill into one of her jars.
"Who, Skinn?" Anne said and glanced at the figure who lingered at the café window briefly before leaving "Nah, he just likes the sweet things I bring him every day."
"Well, it's one way to a man's heart," Zack shrugged and Anne shoved him with a scowl.
Anne sighed as she stepped out of the café in her blood-stained school uniform after her three hour shift and glanced over her shoulder at where Kanda and Lenalee had spent their afternoon together. She clenched her fists with a pained look before storming off down the pavement.
"Fuck him," she grumbled under her breath "fuck her, fuck my life, fuck Cross, fuck Britney, fuck Zack, fuck Skinn, fuck school, fuck Tyki, fuck waitressing, fuck acting, fuck everyone, fuck everything!"
She choked before clutching her backpack tighter.
Assaulter Found Stabbed To Death
Early this morning, the body of criminal record holder, Joel Brice, was found in between Baker's Delight and Bianca's Blooms. Cause of death was most likely from the seventeen stab wounds found in his chest which may have caused excessive bleeding. There was no weapon found at the crime scene nor any DNA evidence. It is most likely he was either attacked and brutally killed or was killed out of self-defence given his criminal record. Police are still investigating the murder and are currently looking for any possible witnesses.