waitress // lrh

01 // impatience

// cate //

Nervousness. One of the most debilitating but oh-so-human experiences of life, yet it was impossible not to hate the feeling. It happened all the time, and to just about everyone, including tiny Catelynn Hood. Especially Catelynn Hood.

She hated being nervous, but it clearly was a given for someone starting their first day of work.

The uniform seemed nice enough. The collar of the grey starched shirt was a bit itchy, though, and the dark tones of the whole outfit made her feel almost gloomy. She had to have Calum help her with the tie, since she had no idea what end made what loop and what end went with what. He had grudgingly agreed to help her and had done a nice enough job that she wasn't fretting over it anymore.

That didn't mean she wasn't anxious, though.

Her nerves were jittering through her like when your leg finally wakes up after sitting on it for an hour. She didn't want to leave the air-conditioned car sitting in the parking lot, but she knew if she didn't get out soon, Calum would get frustrated and drive off, and she would miss her first day of waitressing.

Taking a deep breath, she reached her clammy hand out to the door handle, letting the car door swing open and hot, summer air rush in.

"Thanks for driving me," she told Calum, voice shaking as she glanced back in at him resting his forehead on the steering wheel.

"I would say 'anytime', but I really don't mean that," he replied jokingly, still leaning over the wheel with fatigue. He'd been helping his girlfriend move things around her apartment the past few days and hadn't seemed half awake since.

She rolled her eyes, suppressing a giggle, before swinging the door shut and thanking God it didn't shut on the seatbelt. She was too nervous to even think about little things properly.

Calum waved goodbye, before slowly pulling away, and she was left in the parking space, still staring up at the hotel looming ahead of her. This was it. The first day of her first job, ever, despite being seventeen.

She was so protected by her family. Cate had this aura of utmost innocence surrounding her, and they wanted to protect it as best as they could. It's not like she hated it. It was very difficult for her to despise something. Her pureness and feminine ways made her assume everything was good until proved to be otherwise. 

But she wanted to see the real world. And if working as a part-time waitress at the Crowne Plaza hotel ten minutes from her house would let her even see a glimpse of it, Cate was going to take that chance. She wanted the taste of freedom that this would give her. She wasn't a prisoner, but she was getting a little sick of the sheltering.

Sighing, she took one last glance around her at the gleeful June day. Exhaling shakily, she started to make her way to the entrance.

Inside, she was immediately greeted by a manager, or desk clerk or something, who looked as stressed as anyone could be. After being shown to the back room where the other waiters and restaurant staff kept their belongings, she was introduced to a girl named Harper. She seemed a little surprised that Cate had been personally escorted but was quick to ignore it.

Harper had the same uniform on as Cate, except for an apron that Cate was missing around her waist.

"No worries," Harper told her after their brief introduction, "there should be one hanging up for you by the door."

Cate nodded wordlessly, following Harper's gaze to see several hooks beside each other, all empty, exempt from one. It was also bleakly colored, but Cate wasn't sure why she had expected otherwise.