Down For You [Gangleader]

Chapter Two: No Role Modelz

Summer jobs are the worst. While everyone else is sleeping in everyday and having fun, I'm stuck waking up at 7am, five days a week, to get ready to go to work.

I work as a waitress at a restaurant called Benny's Diner. Since I was sixteen, I've been working getting my own money. My mom offered to pay for my clothes and shoes, but I declined her offer since I know that she's struggling. By me making my own money, I know that that's a weight lifted off her shoulders.

Since I'm now eighteen, I'm able to work as a waitrese now, instead of a cashier. For nine months I've been waiting tables making minimum wage. This summer I upped my hours since college is expensive. I have to save up money to by books and pay for tuition. Even thought I'm going to a community college, it's stil gonna be hella expensive and I don't have money to pay for a $200 book, so I gotta start saving.

I get up and get in the shower, lathering myself with Bath & Body Work's white tea and ginger shower gel. Washing my hair also, I use my Au Naturale Shampoo. After my shower, I put on my work uniform and do my makeup. Since I get hot from being on my feet all day, I skip out on putting on foundation and just put on powder, light gold eyeshadow, mascara, and top liner.

Walking downstairs I smell the heavenly scent of my momma cooking breakfast.

"Hey, momma," I say as I sit down at the kitchen table. She places a plate of food in front of me and hums as her way of letting me know that she heard me.

After I eat, I start my walk to the diner. It's only at thirty minute walk. Lucky, I had no run ins like yesterday on the way there.

"Gabby, good to see you, dear," Benny, the owner of the diner says. He's an old white man, probably in his sixties, but he moves around as if he's in his twenties.

I got to the back to clock in, "How's it going, Ben?"

"Pretty good. You know it's Monday, so business is gonna be pretty slow today."

I nod, grab my apron, and get started on my shift.

Hours later, it's three o'clock, so I only have two hours left on my shift. A group of about five guys come in and Nicki, one of the hostess, sits them in the area that I have to serve.

Walking over to them, I grab my notepad from out of my apron pocket.

"Hi, my name is Gabrielle, I'll be your waitress for today. Can I start y'all off with some drinks?" I look up and give them a bright smile, knowing that Benny will kill me if I don't.

I notice that this is Mendez's crew. What are they doing here? Usually, it's a bunch of middle aged people that come here.

"Hey, y'all. What's up?" I hear a voice say. I look to the right of me and see Mendez walk up to the group. He sits in the empty seat that they saved for him.

I look down feeling nervous now that Mendez is here. I don't know what it is, but something about him makes me feel self conscious.
One of the boys tell me what drink he wants, leading to a mass amount of request for drinks being thrown my way. I write everyone's order down and look at Mendez, waiting for for him to tell me what drink he wants.

He squints his eyebrows as he thinks, "Do y'all do that thing where you mix drinks?"

We normally don't do that, but I'm afraid to tell him no, so I just nod in response.

"Well, give me coke and sprite, mixed," He smiles. I can see the gold grills underlying his bottom teeth.

I nod as I write down his order. "I'll be back in a moment with your drinks and to see if you're ready to order your food."