Nebbia | english

8| kryptonite

S A F F R O N

It was already two am and my night shift was over. I didn't know what to expect on my first day of service, but being a barista was harder than I thought. I followed along with Jade and tried to make myself as useful as possible, cleaning tables in between the clients and making sure to replace the empty bottles under the table with new ones. I had a long way to go, but I hoped Samuel would appreciate my effort.

After taking off the apron, I grabbed my things and headed to Samuel's office, next to the repository.

"Saffron," he called me in as soon as he saw me, "Come on, take a seat."

I walked the distance to his table and put myself on the stool.

"How did it go?" He asked, looking at the register in his hands.

"Fine." I looked at the paintings on the wall, over his shoulders. "Jade guided me throughout the whole night, I think I got this."

"Glad to hear that." He closed the register and shifted all of his attention to me. "If anything ever bothers you, you can always talk to me. Amy and I have been friends ever since she moved here, I will be sure to take care of you. But she is not the reason why you are here. You made yourself come to this point and it's your responsibility to show me that you can do better."

"Of course." I nodded.

"We've already talked about the contract and your salary, but if you want an advance or need to work extra, just tell me. I'm sure we can come to a compromise."

"I'll be forever grateful to you for giving me a chance." I stood up and was about to turn when he called me.

"One last thing." He took a poster out of his drawer and put it on his desk. "There's a new opening for this martial academy and I think you should consider joining. Last night was a miracle. You could seriously get in trouble if you attempt on doing something like this a second time. We live in a cruel world."

I took the paper in my hands and read Military Arts in bold characters. It was opening tomorrow. But wasn't I too late to join in?

"I'll consider it," I smiled and waved goodbye at him.

When I crossed the door, everyone has already left, Jade included. I didn't think she liked me that much, especially after taking over her house and workspace. With a heavy heart, I walked past the sidewalk and stood under the streetlights. The road was busy with cars, but there were no taxis in sight. When I turned to my left there was Hunter and his friend barely standing on their feet. They looked wasted.

After what seemed an eternity, a taxi pulled over and I bolted to the door, but I wasn't the only one approaching. Standing next to me was the guy from the 2B. He looked back at me and I was lost for words. His gaze was intense — see-through almost — like he was trying to read me. I looked around and saw no other taxi in sight. Despite this, having them share a ride with me would only save me money.

"Are you going home?" I asked and gazed at Hunter standing behind him. As he nodded, I decided to let them tag along with me.

"We can share the ride, we are all going to the same place anyway."

After getting in the car, I waited for them to sit before the engine started. Hunter opted for the front seat, so we got automatically pushed on the backseats. I looked at the time on my display and it was already half-past two. I was tired and ready to jump on my bed, whenever I would get the chance. New York traffic wasn't a joke. There were people wherever I looked and they never seemed to tire. During the ride, I noticed the guy next to me sit uncomfortably on his part, laying his head against the glass. He didn't make any eye contact either.