Hi everyone! Just felt like writing this story, so please sit comfortably and I hope you'll enjoy it, cuz this is surely going to be a bumpy ride for Naomi and Emily;) Here's first chapter, not very long and really some kind of an intro! The story will always be on Emily's POV.
Let's go Emily. Two more hours and you're out of that place. At least for today that is. Jesus.
Plastering yet another fake smile on my face, I look up at the next customer, a muscled bloke wearing an outrageously tight pink shirt,
"Hi! Welcome to Cowboy Joe's Hamburger Heaven, what can I get you today?" My tone is overly happy, my cheeks hurting like bitches as I always have to smile like a fucking lunatic in this place.
The guy seems to hesitate, rubbing his chin with one of his hands, looking intently at the giant neon menu over my head. Jeez, if you don't know what you want, just don't go in the fucking queue yet. I look behind him, sighing at the line of people that never seems to lessen, then bring my eyes back to his confused face,
"Do you have any questions about the different meals we offer sir?"
He clears his throat, finally making his choice,
"I'll have the Sheriff Combo please."
Nodding enthusiastically towards him, I grab the mic I have in front of my cash register,
"One Sheriff Combo!"
"Coming right up Emzy-Pooh!" comes behind me the voice of Panda, my best friend who also happens to be one of the cook here at Cowboy Joe's. Not very safe leaving Panda in charge of all these ovens and machines full of boiling oil if you ask me.
Bringing back my attention to the pink shirt guy, I greet him with another smile,
"That will be three pounds please!"
He hands me a five pounds bill, muttering for me to keep the two left. Well, at least that's one good thing today, a fucking tip! People never tip in here; our majority of customers are students, the restaurant being only a five minutes' walk from Roundview College here in Bristol. And everybody knows that students are broke, therefore no tips.
The next hour goes by without anything particular and finally, it's time for my break. Making my way towards the staff room, I pass by JJ in the hallway. He's my other best friend apart from Panda; we've been all hired here at the same time last year, and we've been working our asses off since then, juggling with school and home works at the same time. At the moment, JJ seems pretty focussed, trying desperately to reach behind his neck to properly tie his red bandana. I sneak behind him, grabbing his hips. JJ lets out a rather feminine squeak, spinning around so fast I think he's going to fall on the floor. I look at him, laughing because I get him every fucking time, and soon he joins me too,
"Hey Em! I didn't know you were working today... I thought you didn't do Saturdays..."
Rolling my eyes to the ceiling, I let out a small giggle. I can't believe he forgot again.
"It's cause were Sunday Jay! It's not me that's not working, it's actually you!" I laugh again, taking in his sudden confusion.
"Oh bobbins... You're right Emily. This is weird because I was sure we were Saturday, and I usually am very accurate when my work is concerned, but I don't know, maybe I got distracted with that very interesting documentary I watched yesterday about polar bears and how they're-"
Holding myself from rolling my eyes again, I grab JJ's shoulder, bringing him back into the real world,
"There's no use getting locked on JJ, everything's fine. Just go back to your place or your mom will be worried and I'll see you tomorrow at school, right?"
JJ nods slowly, looking fixedly on the floor. Giving him a reassuring smack on the arm, I take the next few steps to the staff room and head directly towards the sink to wash my hands. Putting my hands on either side of the sink, I look at my reflection in the mirror. I really look exhausted; big blue rings under my eyes, my skin pale under the unforgiving neon lights of the room. Sighing loudly, I splash some water on my face, enjoying the coolness of it on my skin and the fact that it helps waking me up a bit. Jesus, I need some sleep. I've been working twenty hours a week for the past month, in addition to school and the exams that are coming much more faster than I'd wish them to, and I clearly will not be able to handle this more longer. But I need the money, so I'd better prepare myself to work like that at least until Christmas where I'd hopefully be able to get some kind of vacations. I'll sleep with the manager if I have to. Eww. Ok no, I take that back, he's totally gross. And a pervert. Looking back at my tired reflection, I smile a bit at how ridiculous I look with my work uniform. I've been wearing it for a year now and yet every time I put it on, I can't help to think about how they might have pushed the whole Far West concept a bit too far. I have a beige cowboy hat on, with a stupid blue bandana, tied in triangle like the "real" cowboys apparently used to do it, a red and white plaid shirt, beige pants and, of fucking course, brown cowboy boots. To complete the whole magnificence, I have a silver name tag, shaped as a star, that says "Hiha cowboy! I'm Emily!" I know, don't even get me started.
Opening my locker, I grab my cell and the almonds I brought as a snack and slump myself lazily on one of the plastic chairs, clearly determined to fully enjoy the eleven minutes I have left before I have to get back to work.
Flipping my cell open, I look distractedly at my inbox and, no surprise there; I've got no new messages. I don't know really why I keep looking at it every day. Panda and JJ don't have a cell phone anyway and the only person who sends me texts is my sister Katie, texts that I more than often delete before I even read them seeing they're usually about how her boyfriend is a total wanker or something that goes like "Where the FUCK are you Em?".
Taking my hat off, I put my head on my arms, closing my eyes just a bit because I really can't fight it.
Just as I'm about to drift off into a more than needed sleep, the door opens and I lift my head, cursing inwardly at whoever it is. Slowly turning my eyes, I meet the ones of our manager, Bradley, a guy who's probably not two years older than me but still acts as if he owned the whole restaurant. Plus, he always has bad breath even though he always keeps at least three chewing gums in his mouth and never looks at me when he talks, but rather at something right above my left ear.
"Emily! You're going to be at the drive in for your last hour, Samantha had another of her panic attacks when a customer asked her what was better between barbecue and far west sauce so you're going to have to replace her." Christ, this place is a big fucking joke.
"Ok Bradley, I'm coming in a minute!" I reply, smiling even though I hate it when I have a drive in shift. I've been kissing his ass for a year now; surely it's going to pay back one day.
"Not a minute, right now Fitch! The customers are certainly not going to wait for your precious little self to hurry her ass off" With that lovely comment, Bradley storms out of the room as if he was some kind of important person. You're just the manager of a pathetic little restaurant. Come down mate.
Getting up, I reluctantly make my way towards the back of the restaurant where is located the drive in counter and putting on the earphones with the little mic, I sit on the chair right next to the sliding window. Chipping on my old pink nail polish, I start to hum a random song, checking the time every two minutes and mentally making a study plan for the night to come.
After what seems like hours, the red light above my head lights up, indicating me there's a car in front of the menu outside the restaurant. Pushing on the green button allowing me to speak to the people in the car and hear them, my earphones are invaded by loud rap music, followed by some kind of howling. Christ. Clearing my throat, my voice comes out huskier than usual since I haven't been talking for thirty minutes now,
"Hi! Welcome to Cowboy Joe's Hamburger Heaven, what can I get you today?"
The answer doesn't come right away so I patiently wait for them to make their choices. I hear at least four different voices, not distinctively enough to get what they're saying but enough to conclude that there's two boys and two girls.
Finally, a cold voice comes into my speakers,
"It's going to be two Sheriff Combos, one Onion Lassos and one Far West Cola. In the first Sheriff Combo, no pickles, cheddar cheese, ketchup and onions-"
"Hum please can you slow down a bit I'm-"
"And in the second one, only mustard and tomatoes." Apparently, no slowing down here.
"Ok, I think I got it all. You can make your way to window number two please"
There's again no answer on the other end so I guess they got the message. Getting up, I bring my command to the kitchen and hands it to Panda, who gives me a warm smile and starts to prepare what was requested. Finally, she hands me a big brown bag and I staple the receipt to it, making my way back to the window. Looking distractedly at my cash register, I slide the window open, not really looking at the customers until I lean in a bit, handing the brown bag,
"So here we go! Two Sheriff Combos, one-"
"Emilio man! What the fuck, you're working here?" I snap my head up, instantly recognizing the voice. Fucking Cook. And if Cook's there, it probably means that... Yep. Cook is sitting at the back of a shiny red convertible. Next to him, Freddie McClair and at the front, Effy Stonem, I think it's her car actually, and in the passenger seat there's her best friend, Naomi Campbell.
Fucking hell. Just what I needed.
Those four are probably by far the most popular and noticeable students at Roundview. Always hanging out together, allowing no one else into their tight group, they really make the rules in our college. Every boys want to get into Effy's pants and you can be sure that Cook and Freddie probably shagged everything that has a skirt in that establishment. Except for me, obviously. As for Naomi, I never heard about her shagging anyone but she's always with those three, smoking silently or skipping classes to go get trashed at Keith's pub in town. I used to have kind of a crush on Naomi when we were younger, much much younger, but I never got to talk to her in five years and anyway, rumours are that she's a total bitch. A gorgeous bitch that is.
Snapping me out of my thoughts, Cook shouts my name again, laughing his typical crazy laugh while Effy looks at me, an unreadable expression on her face. As for Naomi, she's not even acknowledging my presence, texting on her iPhone.
Smiling a bit to Cook, I nod, answering his previous question,
"Yes, I, well I do work here yes..." But Cook is not even listening anymore, he's turned the other way to talk to Freddie, leaving me to deal with the mysterious Effy Stonem. The music is still blasting through the speakers, a now aggressive song playing, and I can't help to think about how lame and pathetic they must all find me now seeing all their parents are rich and they probably won't even have to work until their fucking thirties.
Effy hands me a twenty pounds bill with a smirk, grabbing the brown bag that I was still holding.
"You can keep the rest" Her voice is expressionless, her cold blue eyes piercing through me, making me slightly uncomfortable.
"But I didn't even tell you how much it was..."
"Whatever" replies Effy, that strange smirk back on her face.
At that moment, Naomi looks up from her phone and our eyes lock for a second before she looks me up and down and, suppressing an apparent laughter, she leans towards Effy's ear and whispers something that makes them laugh both. God, this is so humiliating.
Naomi looks at me again, giggling,
"Nice outfit Emily"
I feel myself getting red, my face burning under their mocking gazes, but before I even have time to reply something, anything, they're gone, Effy's car making a loud and powerful noise until it disappears in the night.
Slowly closing the window, I sit back on the chair, suddenly invaded by anger. Who the fuck do you think you are Naomi Campbell?
I'll update soon! Hope you enjoyed and review if you have a minute;) Mucho love!