With a loud groan, I put the cigarette out on the concrete at my feet and returned the hat to my head. “Just put on a smile and get the job done.”
As I stepped back into the pizzeria and made my way through the kitchen and to the dining area, I immediately regretted coming back inside. Tawny wasn’t kidding when she said we had an early dinner rush. Large groups and at least two packed birthday parties had flooded in. There were bodies all over the place filling nearly every table and chair.
“Hey kid!” Tawny shouted as she approached me with a large pizza. “I need you to take this over to that party seated outside the arcade. Go!” She handed the pizza off to me and rushed into the kitchen. “Where’s my next order?” Tawny shouted to the staff.
Oh, it’s going to be one of those nights. Great. It’s fine, you can do this, Crissa. Just put on that smile and focus.
The corners of my lips raised high as I stepped out into the dining area. Groups of kids and parents flooded Big Top as I carefully slithered my way through and carried the pizza to the party Tawny had mentioned. The kids shouted and cheered as they ravaged the pizza, barely letting me pass them. It was absolute chaos.
Fucking kids…they’re like animals when it comes to pizza.
I decided to check on a few tables on my way back to the kitchen when I caught a glimpse of split-dyed black and white hair.
Wait…is that?—
Token walked right by without even a glance in my direction.
What is he doing here again? Is he with the others? Fuck…hopefully he didn’t notice me.
I carried on and checked in on the rest of the tables in my section. It was the weekend dinner rush and we were busy as usual. I tried to keep myself preoccupied but caught sight of Token again. Sure enough, he wasn’t alone.
Great.
My smile fell into a droopy frown as I watched him join the rest of that damned friend group at one of the back corner tables. Everyone was there…Token, his brother Ryder, Lavender, Montey, and of course Sybil. They were all pigging out on their usual, except for the redheaded queen bee who seemed miserable to even be setting foot in the pizzeria.
For someone who claims to hate this place so much, she and the rest seem to be coming in a lot. Discounted pizza is nice, yeah, but there are so many other places they could go.
Honestly, I felt like Sybil kept choosing this place to personally torture me. And the worst part was that it was working.
Just ignore them and focus on your tables.
I forced my eyes away and continued to serve the parties in my section, doing my best to pretend they didn’t exist. It would have been easier had Sybil not caught sight of me. Every time I happened to look up, I’d catch one of her nasty looks meant only for me. It was a bit unnerving to feel her eyes on my back as I worked, like nails digging into my flesh. It made me sick.
“Just shake it off,” I muttered to myself.
After a while, as I was walking to deliver a tray of drinks to one of my tables, Sybil nearly ran into me on her way out toward the exit with the rest of the group. I caught the tray of drinks before they fell, steading myself. “Watch it?—”
Sybil walked behind me, circling me like a shark while she mumbled under her breath. “Jeez Crissa, watch where you’re going. Can’t you see we’re walking here?” She tossed her long, red hair over her shoulder, exposing her black widow tattoo along the side of her neck. The image of it burned into my mind as I bit my tongue. “Eww.” Sybil sniffed the air around me. “Smells like someone’s been chugging cough syrup while on the clock. No wonder she seems so unstable. I bet that’s why her dad kicked her to the curb.” The group tried to hide their laughter while she grinned with pride.
My tongue clicked and I glared at her. “Oh, ‘cause stalking me at my fucking job is such stable behavior, isn’t it? Why can’t you go somewhere else?Anywhereelse! There’s an entire fucking mall right here, filled with places for you to sulk about in. But no,youhave to behereall the fucking time, harassing me like it’s some sick turn on. It’s like you're obsessed with me!”
Sybil scoffed and crossed her arms. “What did you say?” I didn’t answer, regretting my words. She stepped real close, stopping only an inch or so away before speaking into my ear. “The only obsession I have with you,freak, is the one where I get to watch you suffer.”
“Why?” My spine straightened and my breath hitched at her words. I was nearly shaking from how close she was.
She pulled back and smiled down at me. “Because I can.” Before I could even blink, a large party interrupted us and walked past. I reached out to steady the drink tray right as someone bumped me, knocking the tray over and spilling all the drinks onto Sybil and myself. “Oh my god, Crissa!” she screamed as the whole pizzeria stopped and eyed us. “Ahh! You fucking freak!”
My heart raced and my cheeks burned as I tried to reach out and help her. “No! I swear I–I didn’t mean to!”
Montey stepped between us, blocking me from Sybil as if I was a threat. The look he flashed me nearly shattered my heart. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He removed his jacket and placed it around Sybil’s drenched shoulders.
“I–I…it was an accident I swear!” His dark eyes only glared at me. “Montey…you know me.” I reached out to him, but he only pulled away from my touch. I looked past him at Lavender and the twins, but their faces were smothered in looks of embarrassment. “Really? Years of friendship and knowing everything about each other and you think I would actually do something like this on purpose?” Lavender looked away bashfully as the twins exchanged a look. “Wow. Screw you guys.”
“Crissa.” I spun around to see Tawny standing with her hands atop her hips. “That’s enough, kid.”
My jaw tensed. “Yeah, it is.” I shoved past my boss. “I’m going back on break.”
Fucking Sybil. What the fuck does she even know? No one knows why I had to move out because they all ditched me!
