College wasn't for everyone. Or so I had come to find out after I made the biggest choice of my life. Well when we all made our choices. I was curious about what this fall would bring other than homework. Maybe adventure? Happiness? Or sheer pressur...
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We all got back home safe and sound and I went straight back to our dorm. It was time to get back to my reality again and work the next day. I had already traded shifts with one of the girls so I could get away for as long as I had. I had never been able to say no to showing up at the bakery. Jobs were very fixed in Huntswood probably for the lack of millions of people living in the same place. So this was one of the many beauties of living in New York City.
"Hi, can I get cup of your dark chocolate please," James asked me at the cash register.
"Marshmallows too?" I asked him back.
"Always," he gave me his card and I smiled back.
"So when does your shift end?"
"8pm."
"Anyway I could get you to come out earlier?"
"I'll see you later," I shook my head at his suggestion finding it funny he would ask as if it was a possibility. There was no way I was jeopardizing my part time job over something so trivial.
"Fine I'll wait for you. All alone. Over at my place, or yours?"
"I'll call you when I'm in the dorm. Now go," I said as my coworkers were looking at all the chatting and I got nervous.
"Fine here's your tip," he tried to give me money and I stopped him before he did it.
"No, are you crazy?" I looked around afraid someone would see the amount he was trying to tip me.
"But I always tip."
"Great, please continue to be an upstanding citizen of society. But don't tip me, it's weird since I'm well, we're, you know."
"What do I know?" He smiled at me.
"Ugh..."
"Together. And you're obviously my girlfriend, and my girlfriend is always right. So do I tip you in kisses?" He tried to reach over the counter.
"You are certifiable," I backed off nervously.
"Ah I love to see you panic," he laughed at me. "See you later girlfriend."
"See you," I shook my head as he went to go pick up his drink.
It was the first time I had heard the word being uttered by a boy. I was someone's girlfriend? Me? Was I the girlfriend type? When I thought of girlfriends someone like me did not came to mind. Something more pink, more bold, but I saw myself in placid background colors. People who couldn't stop their thoughts like me were usually alone so how did this happen? Wasn't I too grey to be pink? And yet maybe the blush on my cheeks as James stared at me was enough to see myself in a new light or was I telling myself a lie I couldn't live up to?
At the end of the shift we gathered around with the tip jar as our manager counted it and divided it up equally for everyone. It wasn't super fair since some worked more than others but I didn't care so much about it like others. Still it was nice to get paid a little extra at the end of everyday. I was finally going to start saving up again after Christmas and our trip so I didn't have to ask grandma for help.
