Thank you for waiting.

Chapter Thirteen

Leaving the room through the kitchen, her head was swimming. She felt like she was trapped in a tube that was being squeezed tighter and tighter, yet paradoxically able to breathe with no issues. Several times for periods of two seconds apiece, she decided to breathe in, breathe out, and calm herself down. She was here for a reason, and she was going to hold onto that.

Flor returned to the Nicholson's table, smiling and in uniform.

"That offer didn't last long..." laughed Will.

Flor bowed. "I am sorry, I just... she seemed so sad, and... I didn't want her to have to feel like I did."

"You can quit whenever you want, alright?" Will reminded her. "That's how these kinds of places work. We were talking, and one of us will come to pick you up after your shift is over and we can show you where you'll be staying."

She bowed. "T-Thank you so much for your kindness."

"No problem. We'll talk payment and all that stuff later."

Once again, she bowed, making her way to the back. She wasn't sure how to feel, so she did her best not to.

Training didn't seem to last too long. It wasn't too much to remember; and after all, she was a joshu, she felt wired for repetitive tasks. It was only a dozen tables before she was taking orders perfectly, as if she had been working there for weeks. The customers ranged, as this was a generic hole-in-the-wall eatery that specialized in a few plate meals and had no core market. She received a lot of attention from male patrons, being a new face and one who seemed more motivated than the other two waitresses.

Lunch passed by, and as it did, time seemed to speed up. She made up her mind to enjoy every face she came across, asking about their stories as she refilled their drinks and delivered them plates. And this investment paid off. A few families had immigrated from other planets and were rough in their Chitotzish; those people Flor took care to be extra considerate towards. She came across the same girls from the Magic Penguin Train, giggling lightly to herself as she asked questions about their thoughts on Ryo's performance. She even came across a gentleman who seemed confused, and upon talking to him, learned that his brother had recently passed away. She didn't have long to speak, but she found excuses to come by his table and listen as best as she could.

But her shift had more than a few terrible moments. She was responsible for cleaning the tables afterwards, and though her uniform seemed to be specifically designed to stay perpetually clean, a particularly unruly customer splashed her with tea. Of course, this customer had to leave, but the tea was present under her clothes and stayed there for the duration of the shift. Several men seemed a tad bit too interested in her and she felt uncomfortable watching them stare off and on for the duration of their stays. She couldn't decide if the staring or the tea was more uncomfortable. And then there was the smiling. Her face felt exhausted and sick. She wanted to take a break for the first hour, though after a while she had started to forget about it.

The sky had begun to turn from a dark blue to a consistent black, signifying that the day was ending. Denden was staying behind, but Flor was getting ready to leave. It couldn't have soon sooner, and when it finally did come, she completed her tables and headed into the back closet. As if on cue, her smile drooped, the medication kicking off. Her face stung at first, but warmth slowly lapped at her cheeks like waves on a seashore and her whole body felt full of relief. She turned around to the stack of clothes on the shelf. She noticed little markers over each one except for hers. She'd likely get one, she thought.

As she reached up to grab her clothes, however, she paused. Denden's looked a little unusual, like a plastic tarp that had been folded up. So instead of picking her own up, she grabbed Denden's, holding them out in her hands. In a moment, she was wearing Denden's outfit, while her work uniform was in front of her in her arms. She discovered it was a bit difficult to move, and turning to face herself in the mirror, she learned why. Her clothes were unusually cutesy – a white, printed dress with snail symbols in purple, as well as a cute, well-sized backpack shaped and decorated like a snail's shell.