Thorns & Oranges

There's Your First Problem

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning, I made breakfast when everyone got up and had the house spotless since no one bothered to clean up after the party. While they partied, I'd stayed in my room and refused to answer the door when both Rey and my brother knocked.

Once Dom joined us and all three of them were settled around the table, I started my little tirade.

"I hope you enjoy the breakfast, guys, because I won't be doing it again."

All three of them turned to look at me. "What?" my brother said.

"Just because I have a vagina doesn't mean I'm going to be your maid. You'll start cleaning up after yourselves, cooking your own meals, and yes, doing your own disgusting laundry. You don't know how easy you had it with Michelle here but you're about to find out."

"Elina..." my brother tried to protest.

"Don't even start. I'm not going to be here often enough to play den mom anyway."

"Wait, where are you..."

"I got a job." I smiled.

"When?"

"Last night while you were boozing it up. I called Irvine and asked for my old waitressing position back. I start today..." I looked at the clock on the microwave, "in two hours so make sure to rinse off your plates when you're done."

"Wait, how are you getting there? Your car..."

"It's called public transit, Vin. But if you feel like being nice, I would appreciate my car back. As it is, if I don't get a move on, I'm going to miss my bus so if you'd excuse me." I walked out of the kitchen feeling like I got my backbone back.

"What the fuck just happened?" I heard my brother exclaim.

*

"Can you move back permanently?" Irvine joked. "I missed you around here."

I smiled and slid into the booth seat across from him. Irvine was your typical diner owner except he was nicer. He was big, he was fat, he had a receding hair line, five o'clock shadow times two, and just about as many tattoos as my brother. The diner had closed an hour before and I'd just spent the last sixty minutes giving the place a scrub down. Before I left, the tables weren't greasy, all the napkin holders were full, and no one was constantly asking for fresh ketchup bottles. I get back and everything is shot to shit.

"I think my brother would kill me if I dropped out of college just to work here full time."

He smiled at me. "Speaking of that, he called. Told me to tell you to call when you needed a ride home. He doesn't want you taking the bus."

"I don't know why he just won't give me my car back." I took the phone he held out to me. My cell was behind the counter with my purse and I didn't feel like getting up to retrieve it. My feet hurt like nobody's business and I swear I had muscle pain where I never knew I had muscles before. "He's being hardheaded."

Irvine chuckled and went back to the inventory. Irv's Diner was a staple in our little community. No matter the state of the restaurant itself, people would keep coming for the food. Hopefully, though, tomorrow their dining experience would be a tad better. The red vinyl was wiped down, the tables were cleaned up with a little bit of Dawn, and the black and white tile floor was swept and moped to a shine. The place had its sparkly clean back.

I was pretty proud of myself.

I called the house but no one picked up. It made me wonder how many nights of partying in a row my brother would do over Michelle's departure. The guy had it bad and I didn't feel sorry for him. He did it to himself.