“The faculty… Well, most of us felt really bad about what happened. It definitely could've been avoided. So if you need anything this semester, or just a place to hide out if you feel unsafe, let me know, okay?”
I nodded but was unable to say anything over the emotions clogging my throat.
I hadn't expected any of the teachers to be so caring. Had they always been like this, and I just never knew? It never occurred to me to reach out to one of them. Until the incident, I wasn’t even sure they knew my name.
But somehow, years later, this onestill did.
Emerson was right about my hiding in the shadows, but it would seem there were more people looking out for me than I originally realized.
He gave me a sincere smile and wheeled away back to his desk, just in time for other students to start filing in.
When everyone was seated, he stood up with a large smile.
“Hello everyone, I am Mr. Baker. Welcome to one of the last classes you'll need for your degree. Let's get started, shall we?”
To everyone else, that might have seemed corny and annoying, but I was beyond excited to get on the path to finishing my degree.
So I sat up straighter and shot him a beaming smile.
Chapter 11
Pearl
“That's it! You're fired!”
I stood there in shock as my manager grabbed the tray from my hands, his face twisted in anger.
He’d never acted like this with me before. I was relatively okay at my job and had been here for years. I was never late. I’d never been written up.
There was no possible reason to get fired because of something as little as?—
“Over one wrong order?” I asked.
A few of my coworkers were gathering around us, trying to see what he was on about. I was almost at the end of my six-hour shift, and I’d come from a really good day at school and was in a good mood.
I'd been smiling at customers. Making small talk and doing my rounds as usual, so it came as a shock to me when he pulled me aside and told me I had messed up a customer order. Which I didn’t think I did, but even if he was right, it wasn’t that big of a deal. In the restaurant business, it happened all the time.
“One wrong order placed by the literal millionaire who owns this restaurant,” he replied with a scowl. “Did you seriously not recognize him? Plus, he said you didn't smile at him.”
Is he serious right now?
I had no idea what to say to that, and no one else spoke up either.
It would've been easy to just go back into the shadows, hang my head, and leave, but for some reason, I felt like I couldn't do that. All I could think about was Emerson.
If she were here, she would have something to say. She wasn't the type of person to just let it go.
So I tried my best to channel my inner Emerson and made sure to keep my eyes locked on his when I replied.
“I have been with you for years. I have never been late. I've never done anything wrong. It's unfair for you to fire me like this.”
He let out a huff that sent annoyance rushing through me.
“I don't think this is funny. If anything, this is an HR violation. We do have an HR rep, you know?”
“Don't act all innocent,” one of my coworkers said, coming to my side. It was Maisy. We were often scheduled to work the same shift. “There was that one night when you sat down at a customer’s table like you were on a date.”
“I sat with her for like fifteen minutes,” I snapped. “Andhewas the one who took a bribe to allow that to happen. I didn’t even want to sit there in the first place.”
