• Chapter One •Ariel
The familiar sound of the bell above the door rings, letting me know that another customer is ready to be served.
"Hi! Welcome to Stevie's! My name is Ariel. How can I help you today?"
"I'd like an iced caramel macchiato."
I nod and write down his order. "And what size would you like that to be, sir?"
He doesn't look up from his phone when he replies, "Large." He continues to ignore me.
Sighing, I fill out the rest of the order and prepare to give him his receipt. "That'll be $4.45. What is your name, sir?"
He finally spares me a glance to hand me five dollars and mutters, "Cordon." He goes back to staring at his phone and waiting for his change.
I grab his cup and write his name down. "Okay, your change is fifty-five cents, and your drink will be ready soon. Please wait for your name to be called." He nods at me in acknowledgment and walks off to a table in the corner of the store.
I busy myself preparing his coffee, listening to the soft sounds of people talking and the music playing overhead.
I finish and head over to the counter again, yelling out, "Cordon!" on the way. The man comes back over and gets his coffee, mumbling a quick "Thank you" under his breath.
As people continue to come and go, I relax against the counter and simply take it all in. One thing I love doing is sitting here and watching people. Each person has their own life and their own problems. To think that I am only a part of so many people's lives, that there are so many others out there you don't even know, is just amazing to think about. So many different lives and so many different lifestyles; it keeps me busy to think about it all. It's why I try to smile at everyone. You never know what each person is going through and what effect you could have on their day, so why not try to make it a good one?
For example, I look at the man in the corner on his phone. He could be a very busy business man running a company, with some family issues that are making him feel a little sad and stressed. Or, he could just simply always be like that because that's the way he is. Nobody knows but the people in his life. Crazy, right? A happy smile slides back onto my face as I think about all the different possible lifestyles of this man, but it quickly fades away when I hear yelling coming from the back room. The manager's office.
For a while the other worker, Kelly, has been having some issues with her work ethic. To put it simply, she absolutely hates this job and everyone in it. She usually works nights, so I don't see her often. When I do, she never acknowledges that I exist, or she does and I just don't notice.
The yelling only gets louder and I can tell some of the customers are starting to hear it, too. The office door opens and slams against the wall. Kelly storms out and walks up to the counter. Steve, our manager, comes storming out behind her. Glaring daggers at her back as she grabs a coffee cup and starts making herself a drink.
"Put that down. You're no longer allowed to get free drinks!" Steve's glare intensifies.
Kelly smirks in his direction and finishes mixing up the drink. "Awe, that's too bad. Good thing I don't care then, right?" She rolls her eyes and takes a long sip from the drink, making Steve's face turn beet red with anger. Oh my gosh, the man looks like a tomato. If this wasn't so awkward for me, I'd probably be laughing along with the group of teens in the corner of the shop.
YOU ARE READING
Saving Ariel
Teen FictionPaperbacks, Hardcovers, and Ebooks are available on Amazon, my website authormollyk.com , and book stores near you! 📚✨ The link ⬇️✨📖 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TBWKJPM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_JKZ4PJH6YKP0KAT18X1V My website: authormollyk.com 📚✨ ...