The Claiming //Under Revision//

<< CHAPTER II >>

The morning stayed busy, as expected from a bagel shop, but as the day progressed I was bussing tables and letting my boss handle everything else.

"Good morning ladies!" A very familiar and very cheery voice called with the chimes of the door.

My head turned towards Emilio as she strutted through the door, fashionably late if you asked her. Emilio Agusto could be close to what some call a best friend.

"Emilio! If you are late one more time I will never give you free bagels ever again!" Her mother, my boss, shouted from behind the counter.

"Hola mama." The tall, olive skinned, chocolate haired woman greeted her mother warmly. "Ready Lil?" Her head swerved in my direction as she grabbed her food off the counter.

"Sure thing, let me hang my apron up." I rushed off towards the office.

"Em, Lillian has to be to school on time!" I heard Mrs. Agusto scold her daughter.

"But mama! Class doesn't start till noon."

"Aye, what am I going to do with you."

"At least she's passing all her classes." I cut in as I joined them in the store front.

"Sí sí. I'll see you girls for dinner?" Melanie pressed kisses to both our cheeks.

"Sí Señora." I shot Emilio a smirk as her mother praised me.

I left my car parked at the shop as usual and Emilio drove us in her hot pink Mini Cooper. It was basically a ritual, since high school, that I worked at with Mrs. Agusto in the mornings, Em drove us to school, and after school we went to our night jobs at Zanbino's Bar and Grill.

I had met Emilio sophomore year and although we hated each other at first, one accidental sleepover later we were best friends. This girl was my saving grace through the years, without her my social life would be hell.

"Ok, so Cody wanted to go out tonight, just the three of us, but I told him mom invited us to dinner." She spoke, referring to our college friend Cody.

"Okay?"

"'Okay?' What do you mean 'okay?'!" She groaned frustratedly. "Do you want to ditch my mom or what?"

"We skipped out on dinner last week, I'm beginning to miss your moms cooking." I pouted teasingly.

"Maybe you should live with her." She grumbled under her breath.

"... Fine we can skip but I want home made Mexican food soon."

"Fine!" She grinned as she pulled back onto the highway, in the direction of our school.

-----

We pulled into the parking lot of the Melburry Community College, the only indication to me being the rumbling of the car coming to a stop.

"Ready?" Em patted my thigh snapping me back into reality.

"Yep."

We walked into the nearly silent building, flashing our student IDs to the front desk, but they smiled not really looking to confirm who we were. It was the same school we had gone to in high school to take college classes. Though now it was our last year as actually college students and then we would actually have jobs that we wanted.

We walked into the classroom fifteen minutes to noon and by then all the nervous looking high schoolers had gathered in the front.

"Do you have the notes from Thursday?" Emilio asked as we took a seat four rows back.

"Maybe if you actually come to class." I teased handing her my notebook anyway.

"Uh, you sound like my mother." She groaned causing me to smile at the "compliment".

"Good morning class." Our teacher spoke as he came in, directing everyone's attention towards the front.

-----

Two hours of lecture later and I was free at last, but Em had another class so I was forced to wait around. I watched students come and go, are some snacks, and messed around on my phone while waiting for her to come rushing out of the double doors down the hall.

"Excuse me, mam?" I glanced up from my phone and met beautiful, sparkling, blue eyes.