Voodoo [H.S.]

Eleven

"Cassie! Ugh I'm so happy you're here. It's been a shitshow today. Like, everyone called out today," Gianna tells me as I grab my apron off the designated hook.

"Great. Just what I need," I roll my eyes but I smile at her to lighten my tone. No one is ever really that excited to be at work especially when you work in customer service, but I am grateful I don't have to leave this place yet. This has by far been the best restaurant environment that I've ever worked at. Usually the industry is scummy and unfair, but here we're paid decent and treated like human beings.

I put my phone on silent in case Harry decides to text or call me while I'm at work, not wanting that kind of anxiety to come up while I'm busy. Working has been a good distraction, with all of the call outs on a Saturday I literally have not stopped moving once and I haven't even had a chance to think about anything other than my job. Joey is unfortunately off today, which means I was stuck with all the other line cooks who are all too high to hold a conversation with me while I'm in and out of the kitchen, but Gianna decided to stay at work late and help out until we closed at 3:30 thankfully.

I go through the motions of the day and finally it's time for me to clock out. I wanted to make plans with Gianna after I met with Harry after work but she mentioned going back down to Spokane for two days to visit her family, so I make a mental note to spend the evening alone making jewelry to occupy myself so I don't have a chance to think.

As soon as I open the doors to leave, thats when I decide to check my phone to see if Harry did figure things out and sure enough I have a text waiting for me, telling me everything is taken care of and I need to meet him and Zayn at Voodoo as soon as possible. I walk straight there from work in my uniform, still smelling like grease and feeling disgusting.

The familiar storefront appears in front of me and I stop for a moment to take a deep breath, unsure of what I'll be walking into. I'm sure if I needed to have a story straight, Harry would have warned me, but then again who knows.  He's usually a man of few words. I can't get a good read on him no matter how hard I try.

I open the doors and this time I do sneeze, four times in a row and very loudly as soon as the familiar incense smell hits me and I'm met with a loud laugh that could only belong to Zayn. As soon as I meet his eyes from behind the counter I give him a glare and I feel at peace knowing there's no awkwardness between us.

"Jesus Cass, you okay over there?" Zayn jokes leaning forward over the register countertop.

"Shut up," I laugh at him, leaning against the counter in front of him. I can't help my eyes scanning across the room, but quickly realize I can't find the head of curls I was hoping to see.

"He's not here right now," Zayn smirks, noticing what I'm doing.

"Oh," I reply as nonchalantly as I can, shrugging my shoulders. "So... what's the plan?"

"Let me start out by saying, I'm genuinely sorry for how everything has gone down. I meant it when I said you're a good person. I really hope you don't totally hate me," he says a bit sheepishly.

"I don't hate you. I never did. This whole... thing is a lot to wrap my head around. But I don't hate you," I reply breathlessly. Zayn and I have spoken over text a few times but I haven't spoken to him in person since that night.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

"Alright," he blows a breath out. "So. Harry has asked me not to ask questions and I trust him. So I won't ask questions. But this means we need a favor from you."

"A favor? What? I thought I was going to have to sign something?"

I can't take anything else. What can I even give? What could they possibly need from me? I don't have anything to offer. I guess I don't really have a choice but to do what they say if I don't want to face any consequences or reveal anymore of myself that I'm willing to.