Chapter 2 "New Town, New Problems" "Here it is. Bed, sink, kitchenette. The toilet doesn't work, so you'll have to use the public one for the floor. At the end of the hall. There's a 24 hour laundromat 4 blocks down. So what do you think?" The homely little woman asked. Looking blandly at her as she rounded the tiny room. Testing the bed, looking into the tiny closet with the bare lightbulb in it. At least it was clean, which was more than she could say about any of the other places she'd been to that day. "I'll take it." Buffy said, feeling vaugely like she was signing away her soul. "First and last months rent up front." Mrs. Brimlin, as she had introduced herself earlier, held an aged round little hand out. Counting out bills from the money she had "borrowed" from her mothers burrow, thoughts of home assailed her. What would Willow be doing right now? Giles? He mother? Would they be looking for her? "I'll bring the paperwork up for you to sign later." Mrs. Brimlin paused at the door. "Are you alright? You look a bit peeked." Shaking away the reveries and regrets, it was too late for that, she thought, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "No, I'm fine. Uh, do you know any place around here that might be hiring?" "One of the girls said the diner she works in is looking for another waitress. It's walking distance from here, plenty of the guests eat there." "Could you give me directions?" "Just go down Market for 2 blocks, turn right on 8th and it's right there. Can't miss that big pink sign." Buffy could see concern in her eyes, but she didn't know whether it was for her, or the possiblity of an unpaying tenant should she not find a job. "Thanks. Well I guess that's it then." "Sure hon. You can pick up the keys at the front desk when you come down." She closed the door behind her. Looking around the room again Buffy plopped down on the bed next to her suitcase. she thought dispassionately. as the rooms temperature dropped several degrees. Shivering despite her usual resistance to the cold, she continued to stare at the room that would hold her future, at least for now. *********** "The Pink Caboose," read the big pink flourecent sign hung over the restaurant. It had a very false front in the shape of a pink rail-way caboose. Sure enough there was help wanted sign in the front window. Buffy opened the door and the smell of greesy burgers, cigarette smoke, and coffee asailed her. A sudden wave of nausea hit her with full-force. Could she do this? Killing vampires sure, but juggling 5 plates at once, while in a poodle skirt? The owner was behind the register, a fairly greesy looking balding man in his late 50's. He was nursing a cigarette while ringing up a bill. She gulped in a breath before diving into the halo of smoke surrounding the man. "Hello, I saw the sign in the window." Her voice was surprisingly even. "Yah? Well I don't suppose you have any exprience at waitressing?" He eyed her uninthusiaticly. "No but I'm willing to learn." Oh god, she had to get this job. "It's minimum wage 6 days a week, Tuesdays are off. And you have to buy your own uniform." "Sounds good to me, when would you like me to start?" Nausea hit again as he blew a puff of smoke into her face. "Hey, if you want, you can start tonight. You could borrow one of the other girls extra uniforms." She looked around at the crowded diner and sighed. What was she getting into? "I'll do it." "Fine your hired." He turned away and called acrossed the diner to a waitress busily filling coffee cups. "Hey Cindy, come here." Cindy, a bleeched blond with heavy mascara quickly covered the ground between them, dodging tables and customers with a practiced ease. "Yah?" She ignore Buffy and looked impatiently at the owner. "This is the new waitress....." He waited for her to fill in with her name. "Buffy." "She'll be filling in for Naome tonight. Could you lend her your extra uniform until she gets her own." "Sure." Cindy turned to look at Buffy for the first time. Her face softening into a smile when she saw the unease in the younger girls face. "Come on, we'll get you all fixed up. Stick by me kid, and I'll show ya the ropes." She continued to talk companionably at Buffy as she led her into the back of the the diner. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. ********* "Hey lookin good Buff. You look like waitress now." Buffy looked in the mirror at the waitresses uniform. Though that wasn't saying much, she felt like she was wearing a potato sack. "I'll get my own as soon as I can." "Oh don't worry about it, they take 3 weeks to arrive anyway. You can use mine until then." Cindy gave her a encouraging smile. "Thanks." She looked back at the image in front of her, and wrinkled her nose at the unflattering get-up. "Ah Kid, you'll get used to it." "Now what?" "Now you learn to be waitress. Hears an order pad. Just write down what they order, then pull off the white sheet and stick it here." Cindy had led her back into the diner and pointed to a contraption looking vaguely like a chandileer decked with clips and order slips. "Chuck'll take them off and make the food. When it's done, just take it out the table. Got it?" "I think so." She hoped that she didn't look as confused as she was. "It's OK Kid I'll help you out till you get it. Just watch me and then I'll let you take the next table." "Ok."
