=Trayden's POV=
(Friday, 1/10/2020; 4:00 pm)
(Barbarchi City, Archipelago)
(Trayden's Job)

My mind was made up. I was absolutely looking for a new job. Unfortunately, I had to keep the one I have now until that time came. I've searched around, and put in some applications, but nothing so far. I am still holding onto Hunter's offer to work at Wild Fantasies as a bartender/server for Gregory, or Hunter's assistant for running the show. My main job would be managing the music, helping Hunter out if he needed a second set of hands. I'm just in search of a decent job that won't work me to death, or get me out at a crazy time. Aside from all that, we are now ten days into the new year, and I've mainly, as usual, been working. Going back to January 1st, I recall waking up on Hunter's couch around 12:30 pm. Everyone else, including Hunter, was up between the hours of 7:30 and 9 am. I guess I slept through them waking up, changing, eating, moving around, talking, and cleaning up. The reason I got up was because my alarm went off. It was a back up alert, to ensure I was always awake with enough time to get up, shower, maybe shave if needed, and eat something before work at 3 pm. Even though I didn't have work, I never shut the alarm off.

I felt embarrassed waking up as late as I did, but Hunter reassured me that it was completely fine. We hung out for a bit, he went over some more of my music and we talked. Hunter and I did make out a little around 3 pm and he asked if I wanted to have any fun, I was about to answer him when my parents called to invite me to dinner at 5 pm, and then my mood was killed when my boss messaged me to ask if I'd come in at 8 am to help open on the 2nd. Hunter must have sensed I was annoyed, all he did was smile and kiss me, then said we'd plan to get together and hang out uninterrupted when I knew what my schedule was. Since the 2nd, I haven't had a day off. It's been more coming in early to help open, then get called back later to work until close. More working doubles. More getting out later than I should. And that's the usual along with extra work drama. As it is, I'm working tomorrow and Sunday. I have no idea about next week.

I'm about at the end of my rope with it all. This is exactly why I wanted a new job, I'm sick of having a life around my work schedule. It's supposed to be balanced and it seems most of my last six months has been work and sleep. I am not having another year like the last one, I refuse to. Right now, I'm working. I've been here since 9:30 am and by the looks of it, I'm not going home until close. I sighed, leaning on the bar and looking out at how dead it was at the moment. I'm sure it won't last, but this makes the time drag on. I felt my cell phone vibrate and I pulled it out slightly to check the screen and found a text from Hunter.

Hunter's Cell, 4:05 pm
Hey handsome. I know it's been 9 days, but I miss ya and we haven't been able to talk much. I hope you're okay. Also, is luck on my side that maybe you're free tonight?

Gods, I wish I was free. Was it too late for me to try and play sick? I tapped the text box and started my reply.

In order…Hi, miss you too, I know and blame my job. I'm beyond tired and no, luck isn't on your side…Nor mine lately. I'm at work, probably until close.

Feeling the device vibrate, I expected that it wouldn't take Hunter long to respond. I glanced down and instantly saw the sad-face emoji.

Hunter's Cell, 4:06 pm
:( I will whole heartedly blame your job. Not so much for keeping you so busy that I can't see you tonight, but that you're being overworked again. That's what I'm assuming anyway for you to be busy, tired, saying luck isn't on your side, and also that you say you're probably there until close.

Your assumption is spot on…Haven't had a day off since the 1st, it's more of the same shit I've told you before. I'm scheduled until 9, but it's a Friday, and I know he's short staffed, so I'm just preparing myself to be asked if I'll stay when it inevitably gets busier around 6:30-7ish. And for the record…I've been here since 9:30 am…

The whole situation just had me mad as hell.

Hunter's Cell, 4:08 pm
If you're off at 9, leave at 9, Tray. Don't let your boss bully or guilt you into staying. It's his job to hire more employees to avoid short staffed shifts. Put your foot down, same as you did when he tried to make you stay over his typo. This isn't fair to you.

I knew Hunter was right, I guess I'm just torn on things. I don't want to walk out, and I also don't want to argue with my boss. I'm not in the mood to fight with him, I'm already tired and dealing with a massive headache. I saw people coming in and heading, of course, right for my section. I had worked bartender position earlier when we opened at 11 am and until 4 pm. Now, I'm serving tables with the other two servers. My boss is helping bartend with another guy. This would change again at 6 pm, one of the servers would be leaving because she had kids and her husband went to work at 7 pm. I sighed and quickly thumbed back a response to Hunter.

I know it's not fair…But it's still my job and nobody ever said life was fair. Getting busy, I'll TTYL.

I put my phone into my pocket, then plastered on my best fake happy smile and went over to greet and get orders.

. . .

(7:00 pm)

I spoke to soon saying it would be busy around 6:30-7 pm. It got crazy right after that group came in at 4 pm and now, it basically hasn't stopped. We just one of the servers, but thankfully, three others that the boss called at 4:30 pm came in for 5 pm. The help is nice, but it's not making a huge difference with the mad rush. I knew it wasn't fair that I was expected to stay later than my scheduled shifts, or that I prepared myself to be asked, but what was I supposed to do? Risk getting fired before I had another job? I mean, I do have Hunter's offer I'm sitting on, but I'd like to keep that as a last resort. Sadly, I'm getting dangerously close to that point with how tonight is, in addition to the last 8 days of bullshit.

"Dude, get in gear!" Tristan, one of the servers who had quit, but returned and begged for his job back, called to me.

"You do your job, and I'll do mine," I remarked.

. . .

(9:30 pm)

When 9:00 hit, I didn't even both trying to leave my position. I knew there was no point because my boss would just beg me not to leave along with some promise he had no intention of keeping to make it up to me. So officially, I've here for twelve hours, and likely wouldn't going home until close. Last call always got made at 12 am, then usually by 12:30 or 12:45 am, everyone would have paid their tabs and left. Doors would lock at 1 am, and then we'd clean and if there was nothing to hold us up, we'd be clocking out around 1:45-2 am. Despite having a good staff of myself, the boss, and four other employees; the rush hadn't stopped. Customers were between sitting at the bar, tables/booths, and then of course, just standing. There was hardly room to move around, but we did the best we could. There have already been a couple fights tonight, but no brawls. We definitely didn't need that.

"Trayden!" I almost groaned and turned to face my boss, Andrew Kingsley, but we all usually just call him Andrew, Andy, or Boss. "Take my place behind the bar. You're younger and faster than me," I didn't reply, I just moved where I was told to go. I was now working with the other bartender, thankfully, we got along and worked well together. With a lull in the madness and no one needed any drinks, most of us were taking the moment to relax.

"You weren't kidding when you said it was going to get busy," I heard a familiar voice as I turned from signing in on my register to see Hunter grabbing an open seat at the bar, with him was Devon, Thaxter, Bryan, Eli, Jason, Ethan, Alyssa, Addilyn, Hailey, Fisher, Shane, and Madison. It didn't appear Chelsea, Olivia, Oliver, or Nicole had come out. The question raised as to why they were here suddenly, at 9:30 at night. Now was not the time to ask, though.

"You look beat," Hailey mentioned.

"We were originally planning to come for drinks," Shane stated. "Every other place is busy, lines out the door and shit,"

"We invited Ethan, who was practicing at Hunter's, and it became a group hang out," Addilyn shrugged.

"It was my idea to come here, figured we could visit you," Alyssa said softly.

"But we can go," Hunter added quickly. "We can see you have your hands full,"

"Well, I'm not very well going to kick you out. If you came to drink, you're customers. Probably not gonna be able to chat much," I said. "What do you guys want? And if you want food, kitchen is open until 11," I informed.

The order was easy, drinks for all of them and some shared appetizers. I assumed that they did this to be able to hang around for a bit. I handled drinks and sent the food ticket back to the kitchen, then I went about handling the rest of the customers sitting at or coming to the bar to get their drinks to bring to the table. The bartender I had been working with was summoned by Andrew to help serve tables, leaving me to work the bar alone. At it went on 10:00 pm, I was managing the best I could. One might think that it getting later meant things would slow down, but that wasn't the case right now. I'm exhausted, hot, had a headache, and felt like I needed to sit down with water for a few minutes.

"Is it ever going to stop?" One of the servers complained while coming over.

"Oh, be quiet," I rolled my eyes. "Now, what do you need?"

"No need to be such a dick, Tray," Another mumbled. "It's been a long shift for all of us…"

"Says the guy who has only been here since 5 pm," I glared. "Don't fucking start with me about a long shift," I added. "Now, for the second time, what do you need?"

"Whatever drama going on your life doesn't need to come to work…Leave it at the door, man," The server remarked.

"The only drama in my life is the shit I put up with while I'm here. Have you come over here to tell me you need for your tables, or just to piss me off. I sincerely hope, for your sakes, it's the first one because I'm dangerously close to losing my shit tonight," I remarked.

"Alright, break it up you two," Our boss, Andrew Kingsley, came over and pushed us apart some. "What is the problem?"

"Tray has an attitude," Stated the male server who told me it had been a long shift. I listened to him summarize to Andrew what happened.

"Trayden, come on…It's not like you to be in a bad mood at work," Andrew sighed. "This is not the night for you guys to be not getting along…"

"Oh, I'm sorry…Is there a specific day or night for me be pissed off at work? Please, tell me, so I know the times I can freely show my annoyance when I have to hear people who have only been here for five hours whine," I folded my arms over one another. "My mood was fine until the children started complaining that it's been busy since they walked through the door at 5 pm after having two days off, and would have had another today if you didn't call them in, when on the other side of things, I've been here since 9:30 this morning working through opening, to now, and probably until closing because Odin knows you would have begged me to stay if I tried to leave half an hour ago when my shift was supposed to end," I growled out.

"You could have left at 9 pm," Andrew said.

"Did you seriously just say that to me with a straight face?" I asked. Andrew nervously grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, that's what I thought. If I had left my position at 9 pm, you would have asked and pleaded for me to stay on your usual reasoning of can't be down another person in all this. So I didn't bother trying to leave, and just kept working. But I would greatly appreciate not hearing the complaints from the employees who aren't pulling doubles every other day, have gotten days off, and also, don't get asked to come in way before their shift start and end up having to work all day and night!" I informed.

"Alright, in the back," Andrew stated firmly as I groaned and moved with him into the back, but I'm sure he gave someone the signal to keep working the bar and the rest to get back to work. "Now, what is all this about?"

"Were you not listening to everything I just said?" I was finally letting my aggravation of how things are with my job slip. "I'm mad as hell that I don't get the same thing the others get. Everyone else who works here gets normal hours and days off. I get nothing unless I request it off or it's a global holiday," I told him. "I rarely get to see my family or friends. I barely get to talk to them because I'm busy trying to catch up on sleep, handling shopping and cleaning for my apartment. I can't even make plans with them because I never know when you're going to call or text me being desperate for help! My dad is the mayor and even he has the ability to make plans with a couple friends, and his family."

I let that sit a moment, and then continued. "Ever since June of last year…You've had me working way more than anyone else. Me and like, two others. Weeks at time without a day off. Doubles. Working late one night and calling me the next morning to come in again. Having me open, I go home, and then you call me back just a couple hours later. The fact no one can work together some nights and we don't leave here until beyond 2 am…Should I go on? All this has been going on for months, and you keep promising me it will change or that you'll make it up to me, but it doesn't and you won't. I've been working for you way longer than most everyone here, maybe not the guards or cooks and perhaps three other workers…But for fuck's sake…" I sighed out. "I used to love this job, Andy, and now I can't stand it to the point all my smiling, cheer, and politeness is just an act…"

"Now, I'm sorry for snapping at you…But I'm exhausted. Okay?" Andrew gave me guilty and sympathetic eyes. "I'm tired, I'm mad, I have a killer headache, I haven't had break since 3:30 and the only reason I'm probably still functioning is because I sucked back an energy drink at 8:30 pm when I realized I wasn't going home until close. It's hot, loud, I feel lightheaded and sick to my stomach. Yet here I am, pushing through for you as I always have because I know I'm your strongest bartender. I can maintain my good employee demeanor fine and not let my mood interfere with work, but I refuse to hear the kids complain, when they haven't worked the shit I've had to deal with for the last six months! So I kindly request that you have them keep it to themselves when around me…"

I went to leave and get back to work, but Andrew stopped me. "No, no. You sit down and take a break with some water. Alright? There's aspirin in the first-aid kit, water bottles in the mini-fridge. Just relax for bit and I'll come check to see how you're doing soon," Andrew informed. I sighed, nodding. It's not like I could argue with him. "Good…Just rest," He offered a smile and then headed out of the room. It was a space behind the bar, acting as Andrew's office and also a break room for employees. Big table, fridge, chairs, microwave, even a couch and half-bathroom. We held meetings in this room too. I sighed heavily before grabbing two aspirins, then a bottle of water. I took the pills and plopped down on the couch, I used my arm to cover my eyes and prayed that a small break would help.