Chapter 10

Muffy was unbelievably sore the next morning, so she bought some painkillers at the bookstore before studying in the cafeteria over breakfast. When she finished her math homework, or at least attempted to, she went home and changed into her uniform. When she got to the pizzeria at eleven, Mallory was swamped with customers. It was a Friday, so she also had deliveries. For the first time, Muffy was on her own.

After a long lunch rush, she ended up in the back with Mallory, who asked about her pizza from the night before. Muffy scoffed, "My roommates finished it off without even asking. I'm so sick of being here."

"So why are you here? I gather you're well-off if you had random pizza parties as a kid, so what happened?" Mallory asked, pausing and sighing, "Okay, that was blunt. I'm sorry, but that's just how I am."

"It's fine," Muffy said, explaining, "My parents are probably cutting me off. They put me here, but they aren't helping me with anything. They don't even want to, and I can't just go home if they don't even want me. I won't have the money now either. They gave me five hundred dollars for the entire semester, books included."

Mallory's eyes grew wide, "Wow, that's a low blow. The pre-med students have textbooks that cost more than that, one book."

"Exactly," Muffy said, sighing, "and I suck at math, so I'll need some kind of tutor to get through it. That's the main reason I knew to just get a job and see how it goes."

"Well you're doing okay for a spoiled rich girl, even if your parents have cut you loose. And I know someone can help you with math. Ian is our night delivery guy, the dude with the headphones," Mallory explained, adding, "He's a math major, so he might be willing to dumb it down for you. I make no promises, but if you make it worth his time, he might help you."

"I'll talk to him tonight," Muffy nodded, looking up as some customers entered. Muffy was mortified to see her dorm mates filling the dining area, picking a corner booth. Mallory saw her look and ordered her to wash dishes. Muffy obeyed, ignoring their overly loud laughter and jokes.

When they left, they didn't tip very well. Mallory scoffed at them, shaking her head as she delivered some of the dirty dishes from the table. Mallory sighed, "I think they wanted you to torture. You're welcome for that."

"I'm very grateful. I thought the one would be a friend, but I don't think any of them are very friendly. I can't believe they have a stupid apartment rule here."

"Only for kids like you who technically live outside the zone," Mallory corrected, "and that's standard at universities. You need a community college, plus you can pay your own way if you're okay with debt. You should think about it for next semester."

"I have to get through this one first," Muffy muttered as Mallory returned to the front counter to take a call-in order.

The dinner rush was insane after that, pulling every member of the team in every direction. Muffy was tired and frustrated by eight o'clock, but she stuck it out, even when an old woman came by in-person to complain about a delivery while Mallory was on break. She handled the incident gracefully, despite the woman's rudeness, and she had it worked out before Mallory returned.

By the end of the night, she was exhausted. But this night ended at one a.m., keeping them all there until one-thirty cleaning up. When they were done, Mallory introduced Ian to Muffy. Ian shook her hand, but he seemed more interested in his iPod than her, or so she thought:

"So you're having trouble with math?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just can't get through these basics without a refresher. Can we work on it some time? I can pay you something if your price is right," Muffy offered.

Ian shrugged, "So long as you feed me. How 'bout nine tomorrow in the caf?"

"Sure, thanks," Muffy replied.

That night when Mallory offered her a rejected good to take home, she took home a calzone. She ate it on the trail, tossing the trash in a bin near the dorms. When she got there, she did her laundry, using the wash and dry time to study some of her English. When her clothes were done, she went to bed, ignoring everyone in the dorm. Her night felt ten times better, and she knew it because she hadn't spoken to a single one of them.