ME & ELVIS

4. All Work No Fun

My alarm blared loud enough to wake the dead, I flinched from the noise and shut off quickly as to not disturb my father. I stayed quiet in fear it might be too late, but I heard no sounds. I quickly and quietly danced around the room getting ready for my first day at work. A smile grew on my face remembering that Elvis mentioned stopping by while I'm there.

As I finish getting ready I heard movement from downstairs and let out a huff already knowing a hungover father awaited. I exited my room and head down the creaking stairs as quietly as possible, but before I could hit the last step he suddenly appeared at the bottom of the steps.

"You didn't come home for dinner last night," he muttered glaring at me, I bowed my head.

"I applied for a job as a waitress yesterday-"

"And?" he growled waiting to hear if I got the job, to garnish my wages for his habbit.

"I got the job, I needed to stay their to learn how to close the store," I lied straight through my teeth, he didn't seem to catch it however.

"So that's where ya going now?" 

"Yes, sir."

"So if I pass by there on my way to work today, you will be there?" 

"Yes, sir."

"Go, before they realize they made a mistake in hiring you," he grumbled moving out of my way. Just when I felt hope that I was in the clear he grabbed my arm and threw me off the third step.

"The doctors saved you, but couldn't save your mother. They took the only thing that didn't ruin my life away and left me with an ungrateful bitch."

I scrambled off the floor and took off to the door, I heard him chasing after me. I threw open the screen door and ran down the steps.

"Don't piss me off! If I catch you not working today, I'll make your life a living hell!"

I kept running all the way down the driveway knowing he'd given up at that point.

.......

I walked to the door of the dinner and paused seeing my reflection and quickly fixed my hair. I opened the door and walked in being greeted by the older waitress from yesterday. I smiled at her and she smiled back before it dropped.

"Oh, hunny, you're bleeding," she exclaimed and placed down her tray and rushed over to me. Pulling a rag from her apron she pressed it against my head. I had been so concerned about my hair I didn't even realize I had earned a cut from the fall.

"Oh," I whispered, "I-I, uh fell this morning."

"Come on, I'm gonna patch that up, Mike!" She called, a man with a chefs hat popped his head through the open window connected to the kitchen.

"Keep your eyes and ears open for any customers I need to treat her head," she called to him, he nodded and hummed as he went back to doing what he was doing before. She lead me to the office and closed the door.

"I'm s-sorry-," I blurted out as she went over to the cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit.

"The name's Shirley, Sweetie, relax, and to be honest that head wound ain't from just a fall."

I looked at her in shock, "I've had to deal with a broken home myself growing up, was it yer mother?"

"Father," I replied, "She passed, and then it started."

"He moved ya all the way here because of it?" 

"Yeah," I nodded numbly, "People started asking questions about the...bruises."