So admittedly…starting this towards the end of the semester was a pretty bad idea. And then after that whole shebang, I was just really tired and didn't want to THINK of plots and character development and writing in general…so…that was kind of not cool. So here we are, and I've taken what I hope was enough of a break to give this better attention. My sincerest apologies folks. I'll try to do better.
Applying the last of her mascara, Lacey then teased her loose curls one more time before grabbing her stuff and heading out. She took a careful sip of green tea from her favorite purple thermos, walking out to her car. Getting in and starting up, she hooked up her phone to her car, calling her mother. Checking twice before pulling out of her spot, the phone rang three times until her mom finally picked up.
"Hey mommy."
'Lacey baby, how are you?' Judy replied.
Lacey frowned. "Woah, mommy, you sound hoarse. Are you okay?"
'I think I'm coming down with a little something. It's nothing serious though.'
"Well, you could take a day off work, just to relax." Lacey suggested, making a careful turn.
'Certainly not. It's just a little sore throat Lacey.'
"Hm." Lacey muttered in return, and there was a beat of silence before Lacey changed the subject. "How's Clara?"
'She's fine.'
"And?" Lacey asked, her frown deepening.
'She's fine, Lacey. She doesn't tell me much about her day, but you know how young teens can be.'
Lacey didn't really know what to say about that, because her sister was normally very talkative and forthcoming.
"Okay…" she said, the word a little drawn out, before continuing, "I was thinking maybe she could get a phone for her birthday. It'd be a nice gift."
'I don't know about that.'
"Well, why not? She's going to be thirteen. I got one for my thirteenth birthday."
'Oh, I doubt she'll remember that.'
"Mom, she was what, five going on six? She asked to play with it everyday. I'm sure she remembers, and she'll ask about it too, if she hasn't already."
'I'll think about it.' was all her mother said in reply, and Lacey sighed.
"Alright. Well, how's daddy?"
'You know, on another business trip.'
Lacey blinked, pulling onto campus. "How long has he been gone?"
'A while. You know how it is.'
"How long is a while?"
'A few weeks.'
Lacey was glad she'd just parked, otherwise she might have done something stupid.
"A few weeks, mom. That's not a while, that's a lifetime."
'Yes, well, that's Samuel for you. Listen, I need to head out, I'll talk to you later?'
"Oh, uh, yea, sure. Love you."
'Love you too.'
The call cut off, and Lacey stared at the car parked across from her for a while, put off by the abrupt ending of the call, no, put off by the entire conversation in general. She got out of the car, deciding to dial her father as she walked. He answered almost immediately.
'Hey baby girl.'
"Hi Daddy." Lacey answered with a soft smile. "Mom told me that you've been gone for a while."
There was a bout of silence from the other end, and Lacey slowed down from her brisk walk to a stroll.
'It's been a busy few weeks at work. I stopped by for a bit last week, but it was only for about an hour.'
Lacey bit her lip. "Oh. Did you see Clara?"
'Of course.' he answered.
Lacey nodded, feeling comforted. "Well, mom seemed a bit annoyed."
'You know how she is.' he replied, 'I'm sure I'd be a little put out too if she was gone for this long. But I'll be back as soon as I close this deal.'
"And you'll make sure that whatever business you have later won't interfere with Clara's party, right?"
'You have my word.'
Lacey nodded, adjusting her back from where it slipped from her shoulder, careful not to drop her thermos.
"Alright. I'm almost at class. See you in a bit, daddy. Love you."
'Love you too baby girl.'
She hung up, thoughts immediately drifting back to Clara. She needed to get in contact with her. Knowing her sister, she definitely wouldn't check her email. Her mother's phone was out of the question, as she was constantly using it. The house phone was a no, because it didn't have a video chat app and she wanted to see her sister's face as they talked. Expressions made a huge difference, and with her so far away, she wanted to be as involved as possible.
Lacey arrived to her class, and with a sigh, walked in.
As soon as Jo spotted Lacey walk in, she frantically signaled for her to hurry up. Lacey maintained her pace instead, getting to Jo's seat and sitting next to her gracefully.
"Did you complete the lab due today? I forgot to do it."
Lacey smirked. "One, hi Lacey, how are you. Oh, I'm fin, thanks for asking. Two, how unlike you. And three, of course I did."
Her smirk widened as she caught the blush on Jo's cheeks. "IwaswithRico." she mumbled.
Lacey leaned closer. "I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't quite catch it."
Jo's blush deepened. "I. Was. With. Rico."
"Oh, were you really?" Lacey asked with a laugh, rummaging through her bag and pulling out their lab homework. "Here."
Jo took it gratefully and immediately began to copy it.
"So what did you guys do?" Lacey asked, scrolling through her phone, answering some texts, and deleting some unwanted ones.
Jo kept her face angled towards the papers so her blush wouldn't be as obvious. It didn't work very well.
"We um, we talked a bit. A kissed some."
"Hm." Lacey said with a smirk.
Jo finished up just in time as their professor walked in a moment later.
"Homework up front please, and textbooks open to page 357."
Lacey let whatever was in her mind drift off and focused.
When Lacey arrived at the café, she was glad she'd decided to bring a pair of flats. Her feet were tired. She said hi to everyone without really looking, heading into the back room to change. She slipped of her boots and stepped into a pair of black flats, putting her hair up and slipping on her work apron. Slipping her phone into her apron pocket, she walked outside and right into someone.
"Oh, sor-
Her apology died on her lips as she looked up to recognize the boy from last night.
In a work apron.
She blinked in confusion.
"Hello Lacey."
Sarita popped up, standing beside them. "You too know each other?" she asked, eyes lingering on Lacey.
"Nametag." they both answered simultaneously, and Lacey looked away with a small blush, stepping away from them both to check in with Jenna.
"Hey Jenna. I'm in. Need anything done immediately?"
Jenna looked up from the books. "Yea, new guy is here. Sarita was showing him the ropes but she makes better scones than you and we're low."
Lacey nodded, heading back out. The mystery boy was leaned against the counter, messing with his phone. She walked over.
"Hey, um…"
"Danny." he answered, putting his phone away.
"Right. First let's get you a nametag."
She walked into the back room again, grabbing a tag and a marker, handing them to Danny. He scribbled his name, pinning to his apron.
"So what's next?" he asked, and Lacey signaled for him to follow.
She felt his eyes on her back as she maneuvered around the area, showing him how to work the espresso machine, the toaster oven, how to line up the pastries, the kitchens…
"You bake?"
He shrugged. "A little. Show me instructions and I can handle my own."
"Okay. You can just shadow for today. I think Jenna will put you to work your next shift. But anything, you can clean tables and all."
He nodded.
Lacey stared at him for a moment. "And, um, you should put your hair up."
He blinked, looking at his empty wrist before Lacey grabbed an extra hair tie off her own, handing it to him.
"Don't worry. My hair's clean." she said, walking off.
"I didn't doubt it." he called out to her back, and she met Sarita's eyes as she walked back into the kitchens.
Sarita followed her in.
"So, you guys seem chummy."
Lacey rolled her eyes, washing her hands. "Please, Sarita."
Sarita smirked. "Okay. He is cute though. I didn't expect to see him this morning."
"I know. He was the last one out yesterday. Maybe he'd filled out an application before. A little weird though."
"Maybe he liked what he saw." Sarita muttered, and Lacey threw her used paper towel at her as she laughed her way out.
Lacey was just putting the finishing touches on her triple chocolate cupcakes when Jo walked in.
"Hey." Lacey mumbled, biting her lips in concentration.
"Hey. Who's the new guy? He's cute."
Lacey rolled her eyes. "That seems to be the general opinion around here."
"He is though." Jo replied, pulling her apron on and hair up.
"Are we low on anything else you want me to start on?"
"Yea the turkey sandwiches."
Jo nodded, washing her hands and getting to work.
"Sarita says you too get along well." Jo said, and Lacey glanced up.
"Who?"
"You and the new guy."
"Oh my God. His name is Danny, and no, I don't even know him. We spoke like, twice."
Jo held up her hands in surrender.
"My bad."
Lacey didn't say anything to that, instead bringing out the fresh batch of pastries out to the counter, setting them up. After, she glanced around, seeing Sarita at the resister and Danny brining dirty plates to the back.
She took that moment to grab her phone, and again, sifting through unwanted messages from Archie.
Archie: Hey babe
Archie: Babe?
Archie: Baaaabbeee. I'm throwing a party dis weekend. Come thru? Pretty please?
"You alright?"
Lacey jumped and turned to see Danny leaning in the counter beside her.
"Yeah?" she answered.
Danny shrugged. "You have that 'unwanted texts' look on your face. I know it pretty well."
Lacey smirked. "Oh, lots of girls throwing themselves at you?" she asked, and looked away.
"Just one in particular."
Lacey looked away as well. "I'd say tell them to leave you alone, but that hasn't worked so well for me either."
Danny grabbed his phone, frowning down at it.
"It almost never does." he muttered, turning his phone off instead and throwing it back in the apron pocket.
"Got the sandwiches." Jo called out, walking out of the kitchen.
"Great, can you take two to the table with the girl with purple hair and one to the guy with the red fitted cap."
Jo nodded, setting the tray down and bringing the food out.
"Sarita." Lacey called. "Archie's throwing a party Friday?"
"Yup. Regina was telling me. It's supposed to be a pretty big deal."
Lacey nodded. "I think I'm gonna go. I have an exam earlier and it'd be nice to wind down."
"I wouldn't call a frat party a 'winding down' experience." Jo laughed, walking back behind the counter.
Lacey stuck her tongue out. "Okay-
"Knowing Archie, it'll be a grinding down experience." Sartia joked, and Lacey snorted.
"Ugh, now I'm not sure anymore." Lacey whined, "He doesn't even have good rhythm."
"That white boy rhythm."
"Don't be mean Sarita." Lacey chastised jokingly, and Sarita smiled her way.
"We should make it a group thing, if I do go. Jo, you down?"
Jo bit her lip. "The party scene isn't really my thing."
"Don't we know it." Sarita snorted, and Lacey sent her a mean side-eye.
"I know babe, but it could be fun. Bring Rico."
Sarita laughed and Lacey shoved her.
"Please? You'll have someone to talk to, and you know I never leave you for long."
"You're not her babysitter, Lacey."
"Sarita, go bake scones or something." Lacey said, and Sarita gave her the finger with a smile as she went to the kitchen.
"'I'll go." Jo finally agreed. "If anything to prove to Sarita that I can hold my own at a party." she said with a frown.
"You don't need t prove anything to her. She's just being mean."
"All the time." Jo muttered, taking Sarita's spot at the register.
Lacey sighed, looking back down at her phone.
Lacey: I'll be there. But I'm not your babe, Archie.
Archie: You won't regret it, babe.
"Ugh." Lacey muttered, putting her phone away in annoyance.
The door to the café opened and in came Regina, and surprisingly, Rico beside her. Rico's face was tomato red, and Lacey was at least 98% positive that Regina had grilled him about Jo.
"Hello, lovely ladies." Regina said as she continued her grand entrance. She stopped and looked Danny up and down. "And fine gentleman."
Danny blinked.
"I'm sure you're all aware by now that our frat king Archie Yates is throwing a bombtastic party, yes? And I assume you're going."
"Actually, yea, we are."
"Marvelous. " she said, clapping her hands together. "In that case, we should go shopping."
Lacey could feel a headache coming on. "Regina, we all have more than enough dresses to choose from for this party."
Regina pouted, before zeroing in on Jo. "You said everybody was going, right? Then, I doubt Jo has a dress.
Jo's mouth dropped open, and her cheeks heated up.
"Regina!" Lacey started angrily, and Regina held her hand up. "No no, really, Jo never parties, right? So we can't have her in some GAP dress-
"Regina, honestly-
"I'm being real here." Regina said.
"You're being rude." Lacey spat.
"I actually find this entertaining." Sarita laughed, and Lacey clenched her fists.
That uncoming headache grew into the actual thing, and Lacey seethed. She had just told them yesterday that she wouldn't stand for this sort of thing.
"You guys can honestly be some of the meanest people when you really feel like it. Not the best qualities to have." Lacey said, signaling for Jo to head to the kitchen. Jo left without a word, and Lacey gave Rico a long look until he got the hint and followed after her.
"Why doesn't she just defend herself then?"
"She really shouldn't have to with a group of people who are supposed to be her friends."
She ignored them for a moment as a customer came in, taking their order. When she was done, she turned to them angrily. "I told you yesterday I wouldn't put up with it."
They both looked away.
"If it really bothered her, she'd say something." Regina complained, never the one to want to admit her wrongs."
"Oh, I assure you, that's not always the case." Lacey replied, thinking back to her younger years, and all the crap she'd taken silently, too afraid to fight back.
"Everything alright out there?" asked Jenna, the manager, peaking out from her office.
"Perfect." Lacey answered. "Sarita and Regina were just headed back to apologize to Jo. There was a little thing but we've got it handled." she finished, not even looking their way as she worked on the order.
Danny watched from where he'd been cleaning the floor and Sarita and Regina walked into the room where Jo was, assumedly to apologize. He walked over to Lacey, taking the food she made to the customer who was now seated, before making his way back.
"Thanks." she muttered, adjusting her apron.
"You uh, really seem to know how to handle things."
Lacey looked up at him, eyebrow raised. "I'm the fixer-upper. Handling everyone else's problems since I was around ten."
Danny was silent for a while, before he looked over at her. "She's right though, you know. She's not your responsibility."
They stared at each other for a moment, before Lacey looked away, shrugging softly.
He didn't know her.
But… the words did strike a bit of a chord.
Regina and Sarita returned a few moments later.
"We apologized." Regina said with a pout and Lacey nodded, still a little upset.
Regina then looked over at Danny, once again sweeping over him appreciatively.
"You should come with us," she paused, squinting to ake out his name tag, "Danny."
Lacey's head lurched in Regina's direction.
What was she doing?
"Uh-
"You looked like a pretty cool person to hang with. C'mon. Party with us." Regina pushed on, walking a little closer.
Lacey rolled her eyes.
"Sure, I guess. I mean, I'm not really a party person either."
"You'll be fine. I'll text you the details." she said, holding her hand out for his phone.
He reluctantly handed it over, meeting Lacey's eyes for a moment.
Lacey looked away, hiding her smile. He looked more than a little horrified.
"Great. Sounds like a plan. I'll see you all later. Class, unfortunately."
Lacey nodded, waving goodbye as she strut out. She then turned to Danny.
"Unwanted texts indeed." she said, laughing at the look on his face before going back to the register.
Later that night, Lacey before her laptop again, frowning deeply at the offline symbol on her sister's video chat profile.
This was becoming a familiar routine that left her extremely uncomfortable. She reached over, grabbing her phone and dialing home.
It rang for a bit, and her mother picked up.
"Hey mom-
'Lacey honey, honestly, it's a bit late don't you think?'
The annoyance in her mother's tone shocked her for a moment.
"Wow, okay mom, sorry. It's only 9:30."
'Hm. Did you need anything?'
"Yea, is Clara up."
"No, she went to bed a while ago."
What? Clara was a night owl. There was no way.
"Are you sure-
'Yes Lacey. Is there anything else you need?'
Lacey bit her lip. "Uh, no, I'll call you another time. Love you."
'Love you too.'
The call ended and Lacey slowly placed it on her nightstand.
What was going on?
Welp.
Hopefully this fic gets better. Thanks for reading.