Chapter 16
Oh man, I felt so sore from all the training Baby had been putting us through. I was sure Micah and Beck were also aching. It was making my whole body stiff. I got out of bed and was ready to head out to school slowly for our last day of school before spring break.
Coming down the stairs and rounding the corner, I could see my mother on the couch, tussling with some paperwork. I yelled back to her, grabbed my backpack, and started to walk out the door.
"Hey, Mom, I'm heading to school now. I'll be sure to talk to you later. Love you," I said, yelling back to her as I looked at her exiting out the door. Just as I started to shut the door, I noticed that she was crying. I paused and walked back inside, closing the door behind me. I know my mother, and we don't get along much, but I have never remembered her crying.
"What's going on? Why are you crying?" I asked her.
"These bills are stacking up. I took out a loan. I've already had to work extra overtime since your brother left, and now we're facing eviction." She replied with tear-stained cheeks. I am sure she had been crying for a while.
"Why don't I go find a part-time job somewhere since this is the last day of school before spring break? I can help you with the bills for now."
"I couldn't possibly allow you to do that. You are the child, and I am the parent. It's my responsibility alone to come up with something." She argued.
"I completely understand that, but it's also my responsibility to keep this house going alongside you as your family. If there's any way I can help and contribute, I will. On top of that, if we lose our home, it hurts both of us. A little work on the side won't hurt me at all. It'll help build character, and since it'll be part-time, I'll be able to continue with schoolwork when school's back in." I tried to convince her.
As I headed off to school, I was not quite sure where I was going to find a job. Once the day was over, I decided to walk around downtown, where all the stores, restaurants, and shops were, and see if anybody was hiring.
When I got to school, the girls could tell something was going on in my head and started asking me questions. I guess some of the training paid off because we've gotten a lot closer in our relationships, and they felt concerned for me.
Sigh, I breathed, unwilling to speak, but I did so anyway. "Unfortunately, my mother has been struggling to pay some of the bills since my brother left, and I plan to find a job after school to see if I can help her get out of debt and get back on her feet."
Beck spoke up, "We could accompany you in your search, and it could be a good team-building exercise." She chirped.
"I know of a couple of places that are hiring," Micah chimed in. "One of them happens to be where I work."
"Hold on, you have a job, but I didn't know that."
"Yes," she replied. "I work at a little maid cafe that my family owns called Tenshi-tachi."
"Oh, that's cute. Becky smiled. "Your cafe's name is Angel. How come you guys are used to a Japanese name?"
"I have a family that is of Japanese descent."
"Okay, then. I was surprised. "That is the plan. We'll head over to the cafe after school, put in our applications, and go from there."
When we got there, we could already tell that the place was popular; it was completely packed. I had a little bit of social anxiety and was nervous to take on my first official job. We went and filled out our applications, and they had us start today because they were already understaffed as the season began to pick up.
Becky was more than excited to start. Micah, I was just relieved that we were there to help her. We were each assigned the task of waiting on the customers.
Micah knew the menu better, so she took the orders. I was good at balancing things, whereas Beck was quite a klutz, so I helped with bringing out the drinks and some of the food. Beck helped check out the customers by ringing them up or bringing them their receipts after their meals.
We worked pretty well together and made a decent team now. We made quite a few tips within the day because there were a couple of birthdays. Also, the people there were very sweet and kind. They understood that it was our first day and were quite patient with us. We made decent tips on top of our regular full-shift pay.
Micah approached me just as we were finishing up. "Kaysi, before you head home, I wanted to talk with you in my uncle's office."
"Okay, what is this about? Did I do something wrong? I was trying to be very careful and not mess anything up." I said, as I tended to be clumsy and forgetful at times.
"No," she laughed, "that's not the situation at all; you did very well on your first day." Most of us don't expect you to get everything down since we're new. And even over time, the people are kind enough here. They still work with you if you have a problem. I've been here for a long time and still make mistakes. No one is perfect." Micah encouraged me over my doubts.
Once in the office, Micah had a private discussion with me. "I told my uncle about you and your mother having a hard time," he said, "and if you keep coming every day, he will give you a permanent position as well as Beck."
I felt speechless with appreciation but managed to find words. "Thank you, but I'm unsure how I'll manage after spring break ends and school resumes."
"It's not hard. As you can see, I go to school and maintain a short part-time schedule here at the cafe. I can help you budget and manage your time, as well as assist with your homework if you have any issues."
"I highly appreciate that right now. I really do need this with my mom's debt and everything." I had to admit.
"Oh, and that's the other thing. In addition to your tips, my uncle wanted to give you a small bonus to help your family out."
I was shocked at the thick envelope of money; it had to be at least three months' rent. "There is no way! I could take extra pay without working for it."
"Don't think of it that way," Micah reassured me. "Uncle gives bonuses, usually around the holidays. Our business did quite well with the couple of birthday parties that we hosted here today. He said that if your family is struggling, your focus won't be on work; it'll be on you worrying about your family. He wants you to be at the top of your game every day you come to work here!"
"Oh wow, I can't believe this. It almost makes me want to cry. I will do my best every day, certainly. This sure is a lot of money; they must have been some large groups!"
"Yes, well, I threw in my paycheck, and so did Beck."
"What? No way, you can't do that." I argued. Not that I felt guilty, it was just overwhelming.
"No, just like my uncle said, we want you to be able to perform to the best of your abilities without having to worry so much. Plus, we wouldn't be able to work together if you moved. It makes things a lot more difficult, and we just started training together."
"I guess you're right about that. I owe you guys one. I'm not quite sure what else I can say"
"I know we're just starting to get to know each other genuinely. I also want to thank you for the times you saved our butts, Becks, and mine."
"I cannot thank you enough for all that you guys are doing for me. I am very appreciative that this saves us a great deal."
We walked out of the office as Micah continued to talk. "You're welcome. Now that it's time to close, we need to wrap things up and do some of the chores we do after the store is closed."
"Since it's late at night, I will help you so we can get out sooner," Becky added. "We'll tackle the rest of the work together. The last thing on the chore list is to take out the trash to the back alley."
As we finished and got all our last chores done for the night. We headed out and left with the trash in our hands through the back alley, locking the previous door.
As we neared the trash can, I felt an eerie sense coming over me. It was dark in the alleyway, so maybe it was just superstition. I still decided to keep on my guard for whatever had made me feel off.
Micah paused, squinting her eyes down the alley. "Ummm? Kaysi, Beck, do you see this here?"
"No, I don't see anything," I replied. "Do you, Beck?"
"No, nothing at all. What are you seeing that we aren't?"
"I know it's not my eyes playing tricks on me. There's a little girl standing right there at the end of the alleyway."
We both looked at Micah as if she had totally lost it. "What, are you serious? We all have seer powers, so we should be able to see whatever you're seeing."
"Does it have something to do with the demon that dwells inside you?" Becky asked.
"Maybe it's trying to play tricks on you," I added.
"No, I'm not crazy, Beck. There's a little white-haired girl at the end of the alleyway." You could see she was being serious and even getting frustrated. I wanted to believe her.
"Okay, so what do you think we should do?" Beck questioned?
"I don't know; assuming she's a ghost or something, should we try to approach her?" Micah said.
"I'm telling you, Micah, there's no one there—not a soul in sight. This alleyway is not very big, so it's not like we wouldn't be able to see whatever you're seeing." I wanted to believe her, I really did, but I am not sure what she is seeing or experiencing. That said, could this have something to do with the eerie feeling, or was Micah's mind messing with her?
"Okay, haha, whatever you guys are messing with me is trying to make me feel like I'm crazy." Micah chuckled nervously. "Let's go ahead and head home; it has been a long day. If she's there tomorrow, then we'll figure out most of what to do. Or maybe we can ask Baby about this situation."
I shook my head in agreement. "Yeah, maybe she'll have a solution if you can see the ghost."