Melody 5 - Rising Stars

4 (iii) - Kat

Kat

Kat was rushed off her feet and utterly exhausted.  She’d been up four times in the night seeing to Lucas, who kept waking up screaming from nightmares.  Then she’d got up at 5am to finish an English essay that was due in today, then shower and get ready for College before the rest of the house got up.  Then she’d made them all breakfast, cleared up, taken Lucas and Stefan to school and then sat through a whole morning of classes at College before starting her lunchtime shift at her Auntie Vi’s café.

It was full of office workers, students and builders all wanting their greasy fry-ups and chip butties - NOW!  As Kat dashed from table to table she could barely keep up with all the orders.  She’d already complained to her Auntie that she should employ more staff at lunchtime, but Vi had just waved her complaints away, saying that Kat and the other waitress, Maria, just needed to work faster.

The bell above the door rang yet again as another group of students ambled into the café and took the last remaining table – number 15.  Kat sighed when she saw that was that it was a group of girls from her Drama class – headed up by possibly the bitchiest girl at College, Millie Ravens.  Kat quickly cleared some plates from another table and headed to the dishwash area, deliberating avoiding them.

“Katya!” yelled Vi.  “Take Table 15’s order, and be quick about it.”

Kat kept her head done and pretended not to hear.

“Katya!  Przyśpieszają!  Hurry up!”

Kat dumped the plates by the sink, wiped her ketchup stained fingers on her apron and reluctantly headed over.  She gave a half-hearted smile as she reached the table – she knew what was coming.

Millie looked her up and down for a couple of seconds before finally deigning to speak.  “Don’t we know you from somewhere?”

They others all laughed along – they all knew where this was going.

“I know,” said Millie, playing to her little crowd.  “Are you one of the cleaners from College?”

Again, lots of sniggering from the other girls.

“What would you like to order?” said Kat, stony-faced.

“No, wait!  I’ve got it!” cackled Mille.  “Aren’t you part of the lesbian hockey team?”

The other girls all burst into fits of laughter and Kat bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself crying. 

“Don’t you mean lesbian drama club?” corrected another one of the girls.

“Oh of course,” scoffed Millie.  “You’re one of lesbo Johnson’s faves aren’t you?  Has she cast you in any of her lezza short films yet?”

Kat flinched at the mention Ms Johnson.  There were constant whispers about their drama teacher’s, sexuality circulating amongst the students.  And rumour had it, last year Ms Johnson had almost been fired because she’d made some supposedly ‘arty’ films featuring some actress friends of hers. 

What did that matter, as long as she was a good teacher?  She was a lone supportive presence for Kat at College, and until recently Kat had always looked forward to her classes.  Not that Ms Johnson had done anything inappropriate recently.  Far from it.  Kat felt uncomfortable because over the past few weeks she’d started having dreams about Ms Johnson – some of them sexual.

Kat looked down at her pad and hoped Millie Ravens couldn’t read her thoughts.

“Awww, hasn’t she invited you round to her place yet?” sneered Millie.  “Don’t worry.  I’m sure Ms Rug-Munch will cast you in one of her little films soon.”