SAVAGE

16.

June

The weather grew slightly warmer, which caused the residents of Manhattan to shed out of their thick coats and trade them in for hoodies and thin jackets. However, the temperature would drop at night, but the New Yorkers didn't seem to mind.

Jersey padded down the sidewalk as she held on to her bag tightly. She tried her best to stay calm, but the nervousness and excitement overwhelmed her. Her heart drummed expeditiously as she bit down on her bottom lip.

Instead of going on home, she decided to reward herself with a treat. Jersey walked inside this small greasy spoon and took a seat at one of the empty booths, located by the window.

She sat there and looked around, capturing her surroundings. The greasy spoon was like any other diner. The place had affordable prices, booths, tables with chairs, and it was overly decorated. The diner held the smell of fried food, which wasn't too bad.

Jersey sunk into her booth while covering her face with the large, laminated menu. She was trying to decide on what would be good for her to eat. However, she had to be cautious since she almost had a closed throat from eating at Patruno's Pizzeria.

Today was a great day for Jersey, surprisingly. After suffering from her period and spending most of her time lounging around the apartment, she decided to get out and get some fresh air.

Jersey contemplated heavily on her decision to enroll in college. She wanted to obtain a degree while young, but she had her doubts. The twenty-two-year old woman wasn't exactly financially sufficient, so she didn't want to be buried in student loans. However, she figured she could at least setup a payment plan after graduating college.

Instead of enrolling in a four-year college, Jersey decided to settle for a two-year community college. She made sure to Google some colleges nearby and examine each and every one thoroughly. After narrowing down her search, she picked one community college that stood out to her-Manhattan Community College. It was affordable, had great reviews, and many programs to choose from.

Before enrolling, Jersey scheduled a campus tour. She wanted to make sure the college was right for her. She was filled with excitement because she knew that this would be a big step for her. She planned on enrolling in legal studies and pursing her dream of becoming a paralegal.

After registering for the college tour, Jersey took a quick shower, threw on some clothes, moisturized her hair, and grabbed her bag that contained her phone, money, and keys. She jumped on the next available bus and stayed on until she was at her stop. Jersey spent most of her time walking around and window shopping. Eventually, she stopped at the nearest diner for a bite to eat.

"Can't decide on what you want?"

Jersey frowned in suspense as her fingers tighten around the edges of the menu. The strange person interrupted her thoughts. Slowly, she pulled it down and peered over at the person before her.

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion as she parted her lips to speak. Before she could say anything, the waitress stopped by and asked to take both of their orders.

"I'll have a coke with the turkey bacon omelet-extra crispy with cheese."

Jersey frowned at the stranger but quickly straighten up when the waitress placed the attention on her.

"Uh-I'll have a root beer float with the steak and eggs meal. Can you make sure my steak is well done? I also want my eggs sunny side up-if that's not too much."

"Gotcha." The waitress chirped as she scribbled down the order.

"D-does the root beer come with cinnamon?"