waitress // lrh

08 // tongue

// cate //

Ever since Autumn had basically announced that she wanted her fired, Cate had been avoiding her. She tried her best to get to work early so she wouldn't have to run into her in the back room, which was difficult since Calum never was early. She even refused to look anywhere near Autumn when they were both in the actual restaurant.

Even after the management and the other people who had hired her had decided that Autumn's decision was personal and had no real basis, Cate avoided her. She was scared of her. In a different way than she was of Luke.

Luke was just quiet and intimidating at first glance. Autumn, however, was glaring at the girl every second, and if Cate ever said or did the wrong thing, it was like treading on eggshells for the next week.

But now she had just accidentally bumped into Autumn next to the kitchen window, and she was absolutely seething. Cate bit her lip, hoping she would just leave it at that and escape with her table's order.

However, the older girl seemed to have something else in mind.

"Cate," Autumn greeted her coldly. 

She assumed that this was how it was going to be since she hadn't gotten her way in the matter of Cate's employment.

"Hi, Autumn," she replied timidly, wishing her tables' refreshments would hurry up and get there.

She leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice. "Just because your parents are rich doesn't mean you'll always get every job you want. I know you probably think all of this is beneath you and this is charity work for you, but some of us actually need jobs like these to live."

She hated her because she thought she was some spoiled rich kid.

Cate wanted to tear her gaze away, but she knew Autumn would view this as 'winning', so she kept her eyes locked with the blonde's.

"I didn't get this position because of my parents." Who would want to work a service job if they didn't have to? How hard was it to even get a service job that you would need millionaires as parents to get in? That was insane.

Autumn just nodded patronizingly, clearly not believing her, before grabbing the tray of steaming dishes and pushing past her.

Cate sighed. She had figured something like this was going to happen with the older girl eventually, but she had been hoping to avoid it.

Picking up the platter of refreshments, Cate headed over to the table she was tending, plastering a fake happy expression on her face to not seem upset and moody.

She had found out that Harper was only working Saturdays anymore, when Cate wasn't working. It was disheartening, since Harper was so nice to her, but the other girls who worked during the week were alright. They weren't as rude as Autumn, thankfully.

"Hey, Cate," Leigh bumped her hip lightly against Cate's as she stood back at the kitchen window. "I was wondering,"

"Hm?"

"So I have to serve this really big table, but I also left my coffee in the break room and I'm feeling like I'll die of sleep deprivation at any second." Leigh was kind of an over-exaggerator, but Cate didn't mind much. "Could you pretty pretty please get for me?"

Cate offered a tiny smile. "Yeah, just let me fill up some glasses," she replied, taking the newly refilled pitcher of water to a different table she was tending.

On her way to the break room, Cate felt even more dismal than before. She had eaten at the restaurant here before when she was thirteen, with her grandparents, who were visiting. They weren't big on fancy restaurants that were more in her parents' usual dining out routine, which was a nice change. Autumn had served them all, and little Cate had looked up to her and thought about how pretty she was. But now, she hated Catelynn so much. And Autumn didn't have any justification as to why. She sighed, really just wanting to go home.