Girl Next Door (Complete)

Chapter 8: Sang

After Owen's relatively easy departure, I decide to have a small snack before starting on the living room. I head to the kitchen intent on making a grilled cheese with apples, but end up curing myself when I remember that I didn't pick any up this morning. Making a mental note to pick up some fruits tomorrow, I grab the butter and cheese that I did remember, and start making my sandwich.

After I finish eating and cleaning my dishes, I start on the living room. Opening up the sliding doors that I had closed after my first interaction with the Dark Knight and Steely Eyes, I think about where to start.

There's a long couch in the center, facing the doors as if whoever was in front of them were putting on a show. It's in decent shape thanks to the sheet that previously covered it.

I think I'll put it back to while I'm working in here. No need to get a new couch because of paint stains.

After covering both the piano and the couch, I examine the walls to see if they'll need to be scrapped before painting. The upper portions of the walls and the weiling seem fine, but the bottom half is heavily chipped, cracked and peeling. This is the only room in the house that has this problem, so the previous owners were probably in here the most.

Grabbing my scrapper, I get started on removing the flaking paint. I sweep up my mess after I'm done, and decide to start by painting the ceiling since it's the most taxing. By the time I finish the ceiling, my arms are killing me and the sun has long since set.

Deciding that starting my new job bone tired probably isn't a good idea, I call it a night and head to my bathroom to wash up. I'm so tired that the normal panic I usually feel whenever I'm near a shower, doesn't even surface. This is the only way I can take one, if I'm too tired to think about it. As soon as I give my brain the time to think, and over think, my mind goes back to that day when I was sixteen.

Purposely avoiding where my raging thoughts were trying to take me, I wash quickly and get out. Wrapping a towel around myself, I walk into my closet and choose an outfit for tomorrow.

My boss was dressed casually, so I decide that a skirt and polo top would probably be good. After pulling out my favorite pleated black skirt, and a hunter green short sleeved polo, I get dressed for bed in my pink sleep shorts and white tank top. Sleep comes easy as I wonder what my first official job will be like.

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The next morning, I'm up earlier than I should be. I many have fallen asleep easy, but staying asleep was the tough part. My mind kept waking me with thoughts of what today might be like.

I manage to make a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast, but barely manage to eat half of it because of the stupid butterflies in my stomach. I'm so nervous about starting at the bookstore, my stomach is threatening a revolt.

I manage to wash down my breakfast with half a bottle of water before I wrap it up with the aluminum foil Owen had wrapped his plate in, and place both in the fridge for later. After washing out the pan, I head to my bathroom to brush my teeth before getting dressed. After slipping on my black flats, I throw my hair in a high ponytail and put some money and keys in my pockets.

Gotta love skirts with pockets.

Locking up the house behind me, I look over to Owen's and see that his car isn't in the driveway. Feeling thankful that he's already gone, i walk to the bus stop and wait patiently for it's arrival. When the bus stops at the shopping center, only one other person gets off and heads in the direction of the supermarket, while I take the path to the bookstore.

The bell chimes overhead as I walk in and my new boss calls out from the back of the store.

"Sang? Is that you? If so, come back here. If not, please return in an hour when we officially open."