Being Me

Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I hope that y'all enjoy where this story takes you. Thank you for the alerts, reviews, and favorites. And as always, thank you so very much for reading.

The story idea is mine but the characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

Now, on to the next chapter.

Thanks for waiting around while I showered and get ready for my new job at Fangtasia. I really appreciate it. I know that it had to have been a little boring sitting around here waiting for me to get ready but I'm back. It's going to be a long ride to Shreveport so sit back and enjoy the ride. I'm going to begin at the beginning. I'm going to tell you about the night I'd decided I wanted a little more out of life. It was on a Tuesday as a matter of fact.

I'd been serving your usual bar snacks and drinks. I was dealing with the same people. I'd been listening to the same jokes night after night after night. I laughed even though the jokes weren't funny and I smiled even when I didn't want to. It had become a habit for me … pretending to be content with a dead end job. I was tired of pretending.

That night after getting off of work, I went home to my grandparents' house (I'll explain that in just a few minutes. Just in hang in there.). I'd decided to look through the want ads to see what I could find. I was so excited at the idea of finding something new. I'd never been excited about getting a job until that night. I just knew that this new chapter in my life was going to be a great one. I, Sookie Stackhouse, was never going to be the same. My world was going to broaden even more than I'd ever thought possible. And I couldn't wait for that to happen. I needed a change. I needed a new life. I needed something more.

And to prove that, I'd found the job that I wanted. I was going to apply for a job at a vampire bar called Fangtasia. Maybe you've heard of it. It's the most popular vampire bar in Louisiana. It's also in Shreveport. From what I've heard, people come from all over just to say that they've been in this bar. And guess what? I applied that day and I was called back that very same night to come in for an interview. How wonderful was that? I was finally going to get the new life that I wanted.

As I said previously, I applied because I need something different; something better and exciting. Don't get me wrong. I'm not unemployed and I'm not desperate for the money; well I do need the money but I'll explain that later on. I have a job at a bar called Merlotte's as a waitress.

Silly me; you were just with me when Pam practically kidnapped me … my bad.

Anyway, Merlotte's was a lot more convenient for me because it's close to my home and I liked it there at the bar. Sam is a great boss and the pay was fairly decent. How many waitresses can say that they earn $15 an hour plus tips? Great, huh? I especially love some of the customers. I'd grown up with and around most of them. Some of them are old family friends and some of them are family. They are some of the best people you'll ever meet in your life … my friends and family, I mean. The problem for me was that I don't love it at Merlotte's or all of the people.

My differences have made it hard for some of the people of Bon Temps and some of the customers of Merlotte's Bar and Grill to accept me. You see, I've never been one to bite my tongue. I've never been the type to roll with the punches, to go with the flow. That just isn't my style. I speak my mind and that sometimes causes problems. The reason is because I'm telepathic. I'm telepathic and proud. I've never hidden my gift. I'm not saying that I'm rude with my gift and just invade the minds of others. I'm saying that if something is wrong or if something bad is going to happen, I do say something. I feel that I should. I can't sit by and let other people get hurt. That's just not my style. Some people appreciate it. Others don't.

Take my parents for instance. They believe that I should keep it quiet. They call it a curse. Pointless to say, I don't agree with them. I call it a blessing. This curse, as they see it, has saved my sweet, southern behind quite a few times.

For instance, one night after I was getting off work at Merlotte's, this guy was going to rob me. He'd noticed the tips that I'd gotten that night and he'd decided that he wanted a piece of the pie. He figured that since he didn't know me, I possibly wouldn't be eager to share so he was going to take my money from me.

Or so he'd assumed.

Because I knew ahead of time that he'd intended on robbing me, I was able to defend myself. As soon as I turned my back to him to open my car door, that jerk thought that I had my keys in my hand. Well, I didn't. I had my pepper spray in one hand and my taser gun in the other and I got him but good. I gave him a few extra sprays in his eyes and gaping mouth and a few extra shocks for good measure and I did all of this before I called the cops. He was in a lot of pain and he'd lost his sight for a couple of days but that was okay. I was cool with it. He'd tried to rob me of my hard, earned money. As far as I'm concerned, he got his just desserts.

Well, back to my telepathy and my parents. They hate it. They particularly hate it because I've decided to use my gift to my advantage. I've decided that I don't want to be a waitress for the rest of my life. I don't want to work around a town full of rednecks that are afraid of me. I want a better life. I want to move ahead. I want to walk on that yellow brick road for once. I think that I should have the chance to do just that. And if things don't work out as planned then that's on me. Let me try it just so that I can find out.

Do you get what I'm telling you?

Mama and daddy recommended that I go to college and get a real profession. I believe that if I can get work in the supe world, I'll make a lot more money than I would if I was a surgeon or a plumber. My parents didn't agree. They pitched a hissy fit when I told them of my plans. I mean it. My mama was screaming and yelling. My daddy just stood off to the side shaking his balding head in shame. My brother, Jason, told me that I needed to think about the family instead of myself. He was running his hands through his hair; looking as if he was deep in thought when he'd never been deep in thought in his entire life.

Me?

What was I doing?

I'll tell you what I was doing. I was smiling and standing my ground. "I'm going to see if I can find work in the supernatural world and that's that. It's not about any of you. I'm doing this for me. Can't you just be happy for me?"

They ignored my entire statement altogether.

Daddy asked if realized what I was doing.

Yes.

Mama asked if I was trying to humiliate the family.

No.

Jason asked why I was doing it.

"Because I have to," I replied. "Did either of you hear a word that I said? This is something that I've got to do … for me. It's not about you guys. It's about giving me a chance to live my life the way that I want to. I want my turn at bat and if I strike out, the least that I can do is say that I gave it a try. Let me have this."

Mama wouldn't hear of it. She said that she had a plan. She decided to call Gran and told her to hurry over. She had a Sookie problem that needed to be settled. She figured that she could use the fact that Gran and I are exceptionally close as a way to get me to change my mind. She said that if anyone could talk some sense into my fool head, Gran could.

She was wrong.

She was so wrong.

Gran and Fintan, my grandpa, were proud of me. They've supported me in everything that I've ever wanted to do. Gran told mama that they should let me be me. They should let me discover the world that is waiting for a girl with my special talents. Gran and Fintan flanked on either side of me and put their arms around me. A united front, they said. It was a united front that angered my mama to her very core. She and daddy told me that if I do this foolish thing that they will cut me off financially. They would not help me under any circumstances. I needed to drop this foolish notion.

"Your father's career would suffer because of your actions," mama said. "His superiors are going to think that you may have had a hand in solving some of his hardest cases. He's a cop. You can't do this, Sookie. Think of someone other than yourself and your selfish needs. Let these foolish notions go."

Now that angered me. I'm always thinking of others and I've never been selfish a day in my life. My telepathy isn't a foolish notion. It's a part of who I am. It's me. It's my gift. It's what makes me special. And I told them as much. I also told them to keep their money because I didn't need it. It's not like they're wealthy or anything. They need every dime that they can get their hands on; just like everyone else in Bon Temps. And I told them that I didn't need anyone in my life that couldn't accept me for me. I told them that I love them but I have to live for me.

"I'm sorry to hear that," mama said. "I think that it's best that you leave."

I looked at daddy to see if he'd say anything but he didn't utter a word. He didn't like what she'd said but he didn't go against her either. I wasn't too surprised. When it comes to mama, daddy's always on her side … even when she's wrong.

I looked at them both with tears in my and eyes and said, "I'm sorry that you feel that way."

After packing my clothes, I stormed out of their house and went home with Gran and Fintan.

And I've been there ever since.

That was two months ago and my mama won't accept my calls. My daddy sneaks and calls me while he's at work. We have lunch once a week; every Friday at 12:30 at Merlotte's.

Anyway, I've applied for the job at the vampire bar because I want to move to Shreveport. There's more to offer … better job opportunities for one. A lot more vampires live there too. Plus, I need to get out of my Gran's house. I can't stand another night of hearing her and Fintan having 'relations'. It's quite mind numbing and quite insulting since I've never done it. My Gran's getting more sex than I am and I'm 25 years old. How ludicrous is that?

Well, Merlotte's was a great place to work at first but I wanted more. And I was about to get it. I was getting a job at a vampire bar … Fangtasia … the vampire bar in Shreveport … surrounded by vampires and fangbangers. And I was on my way there for my interview.

How freaking cool was that?