Butterfly Wishes

04 - Caleb - Damsel In Distress

Chapter 4: Damsel In Distress

[Caleb] 

Spending six hours by handing out drink after drink, is not the easiest thing to do when all I want is to be on that other side of the bar. Instead of being the one to help the customers drown their misery with booze, I want to drink myself into oblivion. But no, I have another half hour left on the clock, and that's thirty minutes too many if you ask me.

I am sweating through my black work shirt, and trying to see through the cigarette smoke, I'm not sure if there's enough oxygen for everyone to breathe.

Only twenty-nine minutes left now, I try to encourage myself as I collect some empty beer bottles. But then I think about how it will be past four in the morning by the time I get back home. Even if I jump straight in bed, I will only have three hours of sleep before the girls need to wake up and get ready for school.

Behind me, the door opens and a group of semi-drunk people stroll in. One of the guys breaks free from the huddle and throws his arms in the air.

"Turner, buddy! Long time no see."

Not in the mood to deal with him, I heave a sigh. Sadly, I can't ignore customers if I don't want to lose my job. The hours might be cruel to my sleep schedule, but for now, I - no, we need the extra money. Whatever crosses my way, I can only suck it up and hope for things to get better in the future.

"Cody," I say, turning to my former classmate and give him a chin-lift. "It hasn't been that long since you last see me."

He laughs as if I said the most ridiculous thing he ever heard. "When was the last time? Last Monday? Turner, that's a lifetime!"

"It is only one week."

"Like I said, a lifetime. You should come hang out with us more often. It's like we barely see you anymore."

Clenching my fingers into a fist, I try to keep my voice light. "Maybe if I have more time."

"Come on," he says incredulously, and throws his arm over my shoulder. "It's not like you have to sit through lectures first thing in the morning. Dude, you don't even have to spend your precious time writing essays or waste it by studying for exams."

My body stiffens. There's nothing I'd rather do than clock my fist in his face, but Cody's just stupid - plain stupid. He won't ever get what I do and why it is that I have to do what I do. Sometimes it feels like no one understands. Especially my old friends. They expect me to go to all their frat parties, binge-drink until I pass out for a week, and live the party life of a brainless, forever looking for a quick lay, frat guy like the rest of them.

Before my mom became ill, I too intended on getting an education. I hadn't yet decided what I wanted to do, but I knew that, no matter what, I would be at university when I was nineteen, going on twenty. But, those dreams never came true. They probably never will with the way things look now.

"Good seeing you, Cody." I say, turning out from under his arm. "But, I am at work now. How about you join your buddies and I'll come take your orders in a second."

I don't wait for an answer, but collect an empty glass from a nearby table and head for the bar

"You're the man, Turner!" Cody proclaims behind me, and this too, I ignore.

Today has been a bad one. I swear, someone must have a field-day stabbing needles in a voodoo doll that has my name on it. Come on! First I get sent home by Robert, what a humiliation. Next, Dad forgets about his own two daughters, for Christ's sake, who does that? Oh, and on our way back home, Sarah nearly cracks her head on the seat before us when that bastard of a bus driver slammed the brakes. Oh, wait, after that, he took off with Jen and Sarah while I tried to look after a sick Jade...