The Valley

Chapter One

The only thing that is running through my head are the words COMPLETELY and EXHAUSTED. I am a zombie walking back into the real world after my first double shift at Sihl's Bar & grill right outside of Happy Valley. 13 consecutive hours of washing shot glasses & picking up old chili cheese fries off tables from swines that were too lazy to clean up after themselves.

When Sihl asked me if I would close with him tonight I wanted to say no, but you see I have a terrible case of anxiety. My parents didn't believe in doctor diagnostics and bounced back and fourth between saying I was "a pushover " or "needed to grow a backbone" , previous girlfriends just said I was " a sensitive guy" and I'm sure to a point that those statements were true, but I was rarely bothered by those words.

I had to walk two streets down from the bar at 2 in the morning by myself. Being as drowsy as I am people probably thought I was a drunk, I wasn't. I got to the corner of the road, sat down and lit a cigarette. You're probably thinking that buses don't run this late. Well there is one bus that runs till 4 am, and it goes between Clackamas and Multnomah County. I've never been out this late from working and according to the times sheet attached to the bus stop sign, it should be here at 2:36 am. I checked my phone, 2:13. Hopefully these 23 minutes fly by.

I looked around at this deserted street and listened for any sign of life and came to the conclusion that even the crickets were asleep. Nothing ever happens in this part of Oregon. I truly believe that living here is suffocating me. There has to be more to life than waking up, going to work or school and coming home to just repeat the next day and the day after that. I study at Lewis and Clark Law School about 30 minutes west of Happy Valley. It was not my first choice in schools but it is what my father wanted me to do, because he went there.

I wanted to go to an art school, i even got accepted my senior year to my dream school but my parents wouldn't support me and I wasn't trying to start WWIII with my parents. I was never the kid who got grounded or argued with my parents. I didn't see the point so I just didn't go against what they said.