Heartbeat

Chapter 4.

— Aria's POV —

No one warns you how nerve wracking the first day of work is. School is easy, you're starting on the same day along with a hundred other students. But, starting a whole new job with other people who have worked their months - maybe even years - knowing they're better than you, and possibly judging you.

I can't help but wake up and rush to the bathroom the second my eyes open, emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl.

I felt nauseous all day yesterday, I blamed it on the food I ate, but now as the nerves run through me, I know it's just all in my head and that's to blame for my upset stomach.

The interview I had three weeks ago went amazingly, so well that I got the news back not even twenty fours later that I got the job.

I got sent two days worth of online work to do as an induction, and I had to go on a training course as well since I had no prior experience. After both of those were completed and done, they gave me a tour of the cafe which is so petite and lovely, I just know I'm going to love working there.

If it wasn't for my mom's work shifts I would've started that week, but my mom needed to give her boss a two week notice in advance to change her shifts and there was just no way around it unless I waited but my boss was more than happy with that.

I'm ready for today, I didn't even realise I was that nervous until I woke up, and still as I grip ahold of the toilet seat, spewing my guts up, I don't know why I'm in such a mess over something so little.

Everything's going to be fine, I just need to believe that, and relax.

"Baby, are you okay?" My mom comes up behind me, and rubs my back. I shake my head, groaning as I do. "What's wrong?"

"Nerves." I choke out and she looks at me with pity - the last thing I needed today - so I go to flush the toilet, getting up from the floor. "What am I going to do? What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't! I've watched you make a bottle of milk under thirty seconds with a screaming toddler in your arms, you're good under pressure, and baby, they won't leave you alone just yet, they'll be with you every step of the way."

I know she's right.

"I've been up all night so worried that today's going to go bad, I'm so tired, I don't know what to do." I tell her, "I've messed this up already."

"You haven't, I promise. You're going to do so well, and you're gonna come home this afternoon so proud of yourself." She tells me, and I can't help but sulk.

I want this day over with already, I want to press a fast forward button on the remote that controls my life and resume life the second I get home and back in my bed.

I don't have time to pity myself, and I certainly don't have time to stay in the bathroom any longer, my shift starts in just less than an hour and I'm not even ready, so I gather every last ounce of energy I can muster, walking back into my room to get started with the day.

I drown myself in perfume and deodorant, trying to mask the smell of throw up - which didn't have much of a scent for some reason but I do it just for conscious reasons. I don't want anyone thinking I'm ill. 

I put on my black jeans I bought myself just the other day from H&M, matching with a plain black t-shirt. I was told by my boss that we didn't have a uniform as such, and that we just had to wear an apron with our outfit of choice, but from what I saw on the tour he took me on, a lot of them wear black, so I went on a shopping spree the second I left.

Once I'm dressed and ready, I pull my hair back into a ponytail, and I put some mascara on my face, adding some lipgloss before going downstairs.

"I'm gonna go, I'll see-"