Say you love me

Two

TRIGGER WARNING

POV TIVELLY

Chapter two: blunt force

"Ok, my break is over. I don't want the boss lady to yell at me" Saanvi tightens her ponytail, standing up and immediately leaving the kitchen. "Remember those tests I took for college?" Akira adjusts herself in her seat. I nod, picking at my salad, not eating anything from it.

I feel Tony's eyes on me as he glances at me for the millionth time. "I made that salad just for you. Are you not going to eat it?" He asks, sounding slightly disappointed. Pheobe and Mary say I'm a little too big for my height, so I'm trying to cut back on my food intake.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not very hungry," I respond, feeling a little guilty that I barely even took a bite.

Saanvi and Akira, my coworkers, are my only friends at this job aside from Tony, who works in the kitchen. We work at a restaurant that makes us wear button-up shirts and black skirts. The worst uniform anyone could've picked out.

"I failed to get into Harvard, so I have to go with my second option, Yale. My parents are going to be so mad at me." She lays her head down on the table in defeat. She's only nineteen, but her parents put an enormous amount of stress on her. She isn't already in college because after she graduated high school, they shipped her off to China to live with her aunt. She got back two months ago, in August. 

"I think Yale is still impressive," I tell her, adjusting my skirt so it will stop riding up. "I'm a huge disappointment to them, Tive." She lifts her head back up, resting her head on her hand. 

Tony takes the salad from in front of me and places it on the counter to be thrown away. "Where are you going to go for college?" Akira questions, taking a sip of her tea. "I don't know yet," I respond. It's not like I'm smart enough to get into college anyway. Of course, I can make good grades, but Presley has told me several times that I'll never amount to anything.

"Tivelly, it's time for you to get off of your break." Saanvi pops her head in to remind me. She always reminds me when it's time because I'm often forgetful.

I step out of the kitchen, leaving Akira to her lonesome. I immediately grab a notepad and walk towards the nearest table. My eyes grow wide as I stand in front of Kaiden and his friend group. 

"You look stunned." One of his friends, Jayce, teases, giving me a playful smile. "I... what would you like to drink?" I ask, collecting myself.

They order their drinks, and I'm immediately back into the kitchen. I walk around the spill on the floor to the drink machine. "Do you know them?" Tony questions, helping me grab the cups off the shelf. "I just go to school with them," I respond, piling ice into a cup. 

"I guess it would be pretty bad if you were friends with them." Tony mumbles. Before I can ask him to repeat his statement, Saanvi rushes in. Her face is twisted in disgust. "Is everything alright?" I turn my attention towards her, pressing a button to fill the drinks.

She shakes her head no, obviously frustrated. "Will you please take the orders of those guys out there? It's the big group of guys; one has blue hair. They are just insulting. I can take over the drinks for your table." Her voice is desperate. I nod, telling her the drinks as I switch out, walking to the table of crude college boys.

"Hey, gorgeous." A smirk appears on the face of one of the idiots. "Can I take your orders?" I ask, seeing that they already have their drinks. They look at each other, nudging the guy closest to me. "Well, I really want you. How about you be my order?" The guy asks, touching my arm, pulling me towards him.