The Cinderella Contract

Chapter 11: Three Strikes

I felt panicked when the drain started to clog. Something was stuck in it. "Dan!" I cried out. I heard footsteps from the kitchen coming towards me.

"This better be good, New Girl. I was jus-" His word suddenly ended as he took in the scene in front of him. I was trying to stop the thick stream of stupid tea by covering the nozzle with my hand, but it made it worse.

Dan looked at me like I was crazy. "What did you do now?"

My mouth dropped open at his accusation. "I didn't do anything! I swear!"

Dan rubbed his face with his hand before bumping me out of the way. He shook his head and opened the top of the machine. He stuck his hand into it and slowly the tea stopped spilling from the nozzle.

I breathed a sigh of relief but I suddenly tensed when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"What did you do?" The voice, I recognized to be Cal's growled. Dan and I turned to face him.

"It wasn't us. Someone tampered with the machine." He said calmly. I, on the other hand, was silently freaking out.

Cal glared at him. "Do you really think I would believe that, Mr. Fin? I will be taking a strike from you." He said to Dan. Dan nodded. Cal turned and started to walk away. My eyes widened. No way was I letting him take the blame for this.

"No! Sir, it was my fault. I wrecked the machine." I said quickly. I wouldn't lie. It really was my fault. Cal looked over his shoulder at me.

"Fine. If you are willing to loose a strike, so be it." He said stonily before walking away.

I sighed and turned back to the fountain. I grabbed the glass that I had abandoned earlier and filled it up. Suddenly a hand was on my shoulder,, spinning me around. Dan stood there frowning. "Why'd you do that?"

I shrugged. "What? It was my fault in the first place."

He shook his head. "For one thing it wasn't. Plus, you could have just walked away. I could have taken the strike. Why didn't you let me?"

I grinned at him. "Because we're friends and I don't want you to loose another strike for no reason." My grin brightened. "Friends, remember?" I sang.

He sighed heavily, sounding only slightly annoyed.

I think we were getting somewhere.

"Still not friends, New Girl." He said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

He was about to leave when I remembered something. "Hey. what did you mean 'it wasn't my fault'?" I asked.

Dan and I locked gazes. "Someone tampered with the machine. They stuck a cloth in the drain to clog it and messed with the inter workings of the machine. I don't know why, but someone must have intended for one of the workers here to get fired. My guess, it's someone who also works here."

I frowned. "Why? So they could get more money?"

"I believe so." He replied. "I think it's best if we watch our backs from now on."

I glanced around the restaurant. "Yeah. No kidding."

***

It was harder than I thought, working at a restaurant. Not because of the work, but because I constantly see families. Laughing, talking, loving. It hurt. To know I could never have that. I know I need to move on, that the past is the past, but I can't. I do everything I can to get over my dad's passing. I try so hard to push the memories away, to hide them so I don't get even more hurt.

But nothing works.

I couldn't help but long for a family. My family. Even if it was just my dad and I.