Chapter 5
Hailey got home from school that night not all that excited to be starting her new "job". "Hailey Hun, is that you?" her mom called out from the kitchen. "Yeah, hi mom!" she replied, trying to sound excited. Her mom had been so happy about her getting a job, which Hailey didn't want to tell her that the reason she had one was to get out of being suspended. "Hello my little pumpkin princess" her dad said walking around the corner and squeezing her into a hug. "Hi daddy!" she said trying to squeeze out of his hug. "So is my little girl excited about starting her new job?" asked her dad. "Urr yeah" she said. Her mom and dad looked at each other curiously but then shrugged. Hailey went over to the fridge and got out a glass of apple juice. Her dad looked up from reading the paper in his arm chair and asked "Hailey, you don't seem too excited hunny, is something wrong?" "Yeah, sweetheart is there anything we should know?" her mom asked aswell. Hailey looked up "No, I guess I'm just nervous." She smiled. "Hunny, working at Danny's Diner is nothing to be scared of." Her dad explained. She had told her parents that she was working at the diner a few shops down from the biker bar. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm going to go get changed ok?" she asked. "Sure Hunny, be quick we'll leave in 5 minutes." Her mom tolled her. "Ok" she said and quickly ran up stairs to get changed.
She came back down wearing her jeans and a black t-shirt with her hair in a ponytail. "Ready, to go Hailey?" her mom asked, getting the keys off the hanger. "Yep" she replied. "Bye hunny, have fun, but remember you're a little too young for boys yet." Her dad said. "Ok daddy" she replied. "That's my girl." Her dad said giving her a hug. Her and her mom walked out the door to the car.
"Mum, do you mind dropping me off a few blocks away, I don't mind walking." Hailey said. "Ok hunny." Her mom said and pulled over into a car park. Hailey hopped out of the car and shut the door. "Bye dear, have fun and call me when your ready for me to pick you up ok?" her mom said, leaning out the window. "Yes mom, no problem, I'll be fine." She replied. She started walking down the street and looked to see her mom drive off. She walked around the corner and saw the bar up ahead with motorbikes out the front. She opened the door and walked inside. It was just as she imagined. A dump! A few pool tables around the room, pictures on the walls of bikes and women in bikinis. A few bikers were playing pool, and a couple drinking at the bar in the middle near the entrance. They all looked at her and she stared back. She felt weird and out of place, like last year in swim class when she was the only girl in her class wearing a one piece bathing suit. She walked up to the bar to see a man working there. "Urrr…hi" she said. He turned around and saw her standing there with her arms crossed. "Oh hello, I'm Andrew and you must be…" he started then gave a confused look. "Oh Hailey." She replied back. "Uh yes. Mr. Wilson told me about you. Sorry I didn't mean being forgetful it's just that it's a little hectic in here with only me running it." He replied. "Don't worry." She smiled. He smiled back. Funny, she thought. He only looked to be in his mid 30's and he wasn't fat or had tattoos like the other guys in here. "Great, here put this apron on and do you mind just putting these dishes away, I have some forms to fill out in my office in the back here." He asked. "Sure, no problem." She replied. Andrew smiled and walked into the back room. She put her apron on and walked around to the stack of dishes. "Urrr hello, I'm Bill and he's Joey." One of the older bikers said to her sitting at the bar. "Urr hi." She said drying a plate. "You seem pretty young, how old are ya kid?" he asked while taking a sip of his beer. "I'm 16." She replied. "Oh, your only a few years younger then my daughter." He said. "Oh really? Well nice to meet you I'm Hailey." She said. "Hailey some of the guys can be a bit rough at times, mainly when they've been drinking, if any of them bother you, let us know and we'll handle it?" The man next to Bill, Joey said. "Oh thank-you." She smiled. "Your welcome, we're just gonna play some pool ok?" he said. "Ok" she replied. They got off their stools and walked over to one of the pool tables. Hailey started drying the dishes again, when one of the cups slipped out of her hands and fell on the ground and broke, "Bummer!" she said as she bent over to pick up the pieces. Meanwhile Mark Callaway and his friends Peter and Ted walked in. Mark saw a figure at the bar bending over. "Hey get a load of that." He pointed towards Hailey at his friends. "That's why we thank god for things like that." He smiled. "Yep." His friends Peter and Todd replied as they walked over to see Bill and Joey. Mark saw Hailey stand up again to put the glass in the bin and he could almost slap himself as she looked like a kid. A kid? A kid working at his favorite bar? Was Andrew so desperate that he hired some weenie little kid? He didn't like it one bit and he'd be damned if he was gonna like her. He walked over to the jukebox and picked out a song and put some money in it. The song he picked started playing and he started jamming his head up and down. Hailey heard some really loud rock music which started giving her a head ache. She saw a really tall guy rocking around with Joey and Bill and some other guys. He had short auburn hair with a goatee and moustache, and was wearing a Harley shirt and jeans his arms were covered in tattoos. She guessed that it was him that put the music on. "Excuse me sir." She called out. But it seemed that he couldn't hear. In truth Mark could here but didn't want to respond to her. She walked over to him and reached up to tape him on the shoulder, he was very tall. He turned around and looked at her. "What?" he asked bluntly. "Urr do you mind turning it down a little?" she asked politely. "Urr No!" he said back sharply. "Excuse me?" she said. "Look, I paid 2 to listen to this song and I'm gonna listen to it the way I want, got it!" he yelled. She tooked a few steps back, he seemed scary and rude. "Sorry, I was just asking there was no need to yell" she replied back and walked back over to the bar. "Mark, that was rude." Joey said. "So, why do you care?" he said back. "She's only new here." Joey explained. "Yeah, I can see that, it's been like 5 years since a woman has been in this place." Mark replied. He looked at her again, Hailey was cleaning the bench. "How old is she?" Mark asked curiously. "She's 16." Bill replied. "What? 16! A 16 year old girl is working here!" Mark replied shocked. "Yeah, she is the new waitress." Joey explained. "Oh that is just fantastic, a little girl running the place when Andrew isn't around!" Mark said sarcastically. "She seems sweet Mark; I think you should go over and apologize for being rude to her." Bill asked. "Forget it Bill, I ain't gonna be apologizing to some kid, and I sure ain't gonna be nice" he replied blunt. "Whatever Mark." Joey said. "Look. I'm outta here ok?" Mark said and walked off. Hailey saw him walk out of the bar. Bill came over to her. "Sorry Hailey, about that." He said. "It's not your fault Bill, he's just a big jerk." She yelled. Bill laughed. "Yeah he sure is." He replied. "Is he always like that?" she asked. "No, he's usually alright, expect the last few months he's been a real asshole as he's getting over a bad divorce." Bill explained. "I see, no wonder his wife left him!" she said. Bill laughed again. "That's still no excuse to yell at me though." She said. "Your damn right it isn't!" Bill replied. Hailey smiled and went back to wiping the bench.
Mark was getting on his bike. "Yeah, apologize to a little girl, be nice to a little girl. I don't think so!" He laughed. And took off.
