Chapter 2-False Impressions
Me: I have to throw this away.
Cool Garbage Boy: I can do that.
I handed him the garbage bags I felt safe hiding behind. He grabbed them, lifted the bags over my head and tossed them into the bin in one swift movement. For a minute I couldn't move. The sunglasses he wore kept me at a standstill, along with the leather jacket he had on.
Cool Garbage Boy: Well…?
Me: Don't you work here?
Cool Garbage Boy: Yeah, why?
Me: What do you do? Like, cashier, bathroom attendant, janitor.
Cool Garbage boy: I make the food.
Me: Oh.
Cool Garbage Boy: I'd better get back to work or I'll get fired again.
Me: Again?
Cool Garbage Boy: Again.
I remained silent until we entered the dreadful building. He was walking in front of me and I couldn't help it that I stared, so I didn't try not to. He took his sunglasses off when we got inside and I could finally see his eyes. They were different then any other pair of eyes I've ever seen. They were a deep shade of blue and they looked lie they told a story. If I had more time I could've concluded more, but then the manager came up to us and the Cool Garbage Boy paid all his attention to our boss.
Boss: You're in a violation.
Cool Garbage Boy: I don't care.
Boss: Take off the jacket and get back to work. if I was in the right state of mind I'd get a restriction order against you. Ahh, I would've expected you'd meet Cole sometime soon. Now get this in your thick heads, if you do anything as much as bend a fry I'll…
Cole walked away and I quickly followed him back to the fryers. I'd never seen the back of a Small Fry and it certainly wasn't what I expected. In one corner of the room there was a two hundred degree stove and in another corner there was frozen meat. Being as small as this building was it was cramped enough without the twelve employees and half-cooked food, but with me, not even having the smallest idea what I should intervene in or what I should stay clear of I stood as still as I could.
Cole: What are you doing?
Me:
Cole: Go outside and clean the tables.
I silently walked out to the back where all the tables were. No one ate out here so I didn't know why Cole told me to go out here, unless he wanted to get rid of me. At least I knew his name. Cole. I'd never met a Cole before. I remember hearing the name on TV, but that's different. I took a seat on the cold bench and couldn't help but remember his eyes. Then, I could hear music in the background. From the CD store across the street.
Let it goLet it roll right off your shoulderDon't you knowThe hardest part is overLet it inLet your clarity define you In the endYou will only just remember how it feelsOur lives are madeIn these small hours These little wondersThese twists and turns of fate Time falls away,But these small hoursThese small hours Still remainLet it slideLet your troubles fall behind youLet it shine,Till you feel it all around youAnd I don't mind If it's me you need to turn to We'll get byIt's the heart that really matters in the endOur lives are madeIn these small hours These little wondersThese twists and turns of fate Time falls awayBut these small hoursThese small hoursStill remainAll of my regretWill wash away somehowBut I cannot forgetthe way I feel right nowIn these small hoursThese little wonders These twists and turns of fateYeah, these twisted turns of fateTime falls awayYeah, but these small hours, These small hoursStill remainYeah, oh they still remainThese little wondersAll these twists and turns of fateTime falls away But these small hours These little wondersStill remain
Little Wonders-Rob Thomas
I remembered this song, it came out years ago, but I'd never listened to the whole song. As I listen to the lyrics I recognize a similarity to my life, but that was before. The past. I've moved on, I told people and everyone knows. The sun indicated that it was just about three o'clock so I went inside. The people for the next shift came in and the only one still here from my shift was Cole. I went up to him.
Me: Cole I jus-
Cole: Ok, look, obviously you're new here. I understand that, but your going to have to learn how to actually learn how to work. I'm sorry but I can't be the one to teach you.
Me: What?
He put his glasses on, grabbed a cigarette and drove away in his old truck. What. Just. Happened? I untucked my shirt and walked down the street in confusion. What was he talking about? Was he saying that he won't help me anymore? Maybe he was just implying that I'd better get a grip of myself. I couldn't think about it and soon I'd be too busy to think about it. I still had to call David back.
Dad: Thank god you're home!
Me: Hi dad.
The phone rang.
Dad: Not again! Mel, you're going to run this phone bill through the roof! People have been calling for you all day and-hello? She's not here right now, you can call back later. Goodbye.
Me: Really? People have been calling all day? For me?
Dad: Yes. Here, before it rings again.
He then handed me a cordless phone and five post-it notes. I looked through the names, they were all from kids I barely knew, my ex-friends and another call from David. I'd have to call David last, assuming that his call would take the longest. I randomly picked a name-Hannah Ruth-I dialed the number and waited for her to pick up. It took exactly half a ring.
Hannah: Hello?
Me: Hannah?
Hannah: Melinda! OMG I heard about what happened and just so you know, I'm here for you, I just dumped Gabe for trying to kiss me when I didn't want to and I completely understand your pain.
I was completely stunned, had all the people who called just wanted to make me feel better or maybe they just wanted me to forgive them for picking on me. Either way I wasn't that happy. The real time that I needed these calls of companionship was the last day of eighth grade. It was now that I realized when it happened, it was exactly a year ago when I came stumbling through the doors of my house and went to bed in my clothes and askew make-up. Yesterday was the anniversary of the incident. I couldn't think about it anymore, I said bye to Hannah and took a seat on my bed. When did I get in my room? If I didn't stop this now I'd probably have more then I could handle for the whole summer so I called each and every person, except David, and went through the same debate each and every time.
Me: Hello? This is Melinda, I'd like to say thank you for calling and I appreciate your time, but now I have other things to do, I have a job and I can't exactly run up the phone bill so I'd be very thankful if you could not call me again. Okay?
Just About Everyone Who Answered The Phone: Okay, bye, but if you ever need anyone to talk to about this, call me.
Now I had to call David, I noticed that it was just about six o'clock. Had I been on the phone for two and a half hours? Oh well. It needed to be done. I dialed the number and waited for David to answer. The phone rang three times then I heard his voice.
David: Melinda!
Me: Hi David.
David: I just found out, are you okay? If you want I can come over.
Me: David, I'm fine. Remember all this happened over a year ago.
David: Oh, sorry. Well, if you'd like I could still come over.
Me: Well, I'm going to be eating supper soon so maybe tomorrow, after I get off work?
David: Sure. I'll pick you up tomorrow. We can get something to eat. Bye Mel.
I hung up the phone. Wow. I couldn't remember what was for supper, but I remember I didn't eat. My mother got home when dad was doing the dishes. I ended up putting leftovers away.
Dad: What did David want?
Me: He just wanted to see how I was doing.
Mom: David? Who's David?
Me: David's a friend from school and he's going to pick me up from work tomorrow.
Dad: David can drive?
Me: Apparently.
The conversation ended abruptly and I was happy for that. For once our family ended up watching TV together. It was some type of reality show where celebrities are lost on some island without food or water. Well, something like that. It was only after the televised event was done that I figured out it was a movie. Now it was nine o'clock and despite the fact that I was not tired I went up to my room and changed into pajamas. I ended up getting started on the summer booklist. We were assigned to read twelve books of our choice, but each of the books had to be over two hundred pages and we'd have to finish a series over the summer. I looked through my books, sadly, the only reading material I had was children books from when I was little and a few art books that barely reached fifty pages. Maybe I could ask David to drop me off at the library. The library wasn't that far from my house, only twenty minutes of walking…
I grabbed a pen and a paper and got to work, lately I've been drawing before I fall asleep. Yesterday I started to draw the outdoors, things in general, like ponds and grassy hills. I liked it, especially when I could add trees in the background. Before I knew it I had finished a whole picture, I admired this one, I had done it with basic shading from an ordinary pencil. I taped it to my wall and admired it until I faded into unconsciousness.
When I woke up I could tell that I'd only slept a few hours, but that was fine with me, besides I didn't want to be late for work. Maybe I should just quit my job. Cole had basically told me to never ask him anything again and the pay was lousy, but I suppose it's still pay. I was dressed and ready by 6:00 I bet I wouldn't get yelled at for not being at work on time if I were an hour early. When I got to Small Fry there was one car in the parking lot. It was the truck. His truck. Cole. The truck almost pitch black has no passengers. I looked around for Cole. I couldn't see him, I walked to the large garbage bin, he wasn't there either. Then I could see a familiar puff of smoke just around the building. I dropped the bad of clothes I packed for after work and decided to talk to him.
Me: Cole?
Cole: Melinda.
Me: How do you know my name?
Cole: Who doesn't know your name?
Me: What are you doing here? It must be about 6:30.
Cole: What are you doing here?
Me: I got tired of being yelled at for being late.
Cole: Hmm.
Me: You haven't answered my question.
Cole: Sometimes I just have to escape.
I knew exactly how he felt. Last year I even had to ditch school because it was just too hard. Oddly, he sounded mellow and he seemed like he forgave me for whatever I did yesterday. I smiled at him, even though it was still pretty dark out, so he probably couldn't see me. He faced me completely and rapidly began to talk.
Cole: If he yells at you just ignore him and when he goes onto threats just walk away, but if he starts to get physical you'd better tune in.
I couldn't tell if he was talking about our boss or someone else.
Cole: When I was little my parents were nice, they'd do what was best for me. I'd get to have friends over and I'd have birthday parties and we'd celebrate Christmas.
Me: What are you saying Cole?
Cole: When Cynthia moved out it started. The hits and the scratches began. When Shay moved out it got worse. The belt and the cage started. I don't think I can do it anymore.
Me: Cole, you have to tell someone, the cops or a doctor. I'm so sorry.
Cole: We moved into a smaller house, Daniel never was into hard work or getting a job. Mom died when I was four, she was raped then, beaten to death. Cynthia was what Daniel found when mom died. Cynthia worked at a Hooters before, but when she left her small paychecks did too. Shay. Shay was the best sister, she'd take care of me and clean my wounds from when Daniel got mad. She left a few years ago. I've been working here to save up my money to get away, maybe move into a crappy hotel or maybe I'd be able to pay for a really small house. I have to get away.
I thought about Cole's mother, I was lucky.
Me: Daniel is your father isn't he?
Cole: Yes.
I sat with Cole until the sun came up, but when it did the sun revealed Cole, he had a black eye and he was cut. I tried not to stare, but apparently I didn't hide my glances well enough. His arms were cut everywhere, they looked like they came from something sharp, like the keen edge of a jagged piece of glass. I believed him, about his father doing that to him, I knew how it felt to have someone not believe you. It felt horrible, except unlike me, he had to get hurt everyday. I'd only had to deal with that one night.
Boss: Get to work!
I completely ignored his instructions and when Cole and I stood up I couldn't help myself, so I caught him in a full strong hug. If only somebody did that for me. Then, something unexplainable happened. He picked me up and set me on a nearby table. His eyes looked almost, happy, the first time I saw any emotion other then hate. Then, gently and quickly he placed his lips on mine. It was fast and tender. He leaned up with an expression saying did-I-hurt-you?
I looked up to him and I could see he wasn't hurting now. He was almost smiling. I didn't want to see the look on his face leave. He didn't just look happy. He was happy. This moment was different, the previous time I was kissed I felt fear, this time I was happy and I enjoyed it. I didn't know I'd done it until our boss came back outside.
Boss: Break it up and get to work!
Cole was smiling and it wasn't a glad-to-see-you smile, it was an I'm-so-happy-I'll-burst smile. The odd thing was, I was smiling too. I didn't even remember bringing in my extra clothes.
(Author note- I'd just like to say that I might post a few songs I listen to when I write, Little Wonders By Rob Thomas being one of them. Thanx for reading. Replies/reviews are always welcomed. Oh, and There'll definitely be more David in the next chapter. Thanx again…peace/\love\/see ya