Autumn's Concerto

Autumn's Concerto 7

For days I wondered on what I had seen in the headmaster's office. It distracted my work at Webber's and my work at the university. I dropped two glasses, scanned three wrong books, and doubled an order of a student's lunch. They paid for it without question, but I still felt guilty over it.

He hadn't mentioned me at all, not what my paranoid mind was expecting. I thought for sure he was going to find some reason to fire me, again me and my paranoid mind. But I hadn't come up at all.

Edward's father was dead and he was still mourning him? But it had been years, or so Headmaster Masen had said. Why was he still upset over it. I wondered if it could have been worse than what had happened to my dad - but I didn't want to think about that. Whatever had happened was tramatic enough for him to hold on to it for this long.

"Bella!" I dropped a dish in the sink, splashing water all down the front of my uniform and soap in my eyes. I wiped at my eyes only to get more soap in my eyes as I turned in the direction of Mr. Webber's voice. I exclaimed in frustration, trying to open my eyes to see my boss.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" He apologized, taking a clean wash cloth and wiped my eyes and then my fingers like a child. "I didn't mean to startle you, I was just thought you'd want to know you've been cleaning that plate three times now. I'm pretty sure it's clean." He wiped the rest of the soap off my fingers and threw the rag over the side of the sink. "What has got you so distracted? The past few days you've been staring into space and dropping my dishes." Even though he said this nicely and very concerned, I still cringed. "Are you alright? You're not sick are you?"

I shook my head, throwing my distractions out with each shake.

"Well, if you're alright, will you please put a little more effort into your job?" He asked kindly. "You're one of my hardest workers." He pat me on the back and left. Eric came in after him, done with his break, giving me a serious look through his black bangs. "What's with you lately? If easy going Boss has to come speak with you, then it's pretty bad."

"It's nothing."

At least it shouldn't have been. Why was I still going on about this? What was with me? The guy had thrown my name out there and labeled me easy, had used me, and then tried to play it off like he hadn't. And I was still holding on to him? I had gone on one date with him and had known him for all of ten minutes before that.

Yes, there was something wrong with me.

"Well, if it's nothing, then get your head out of the clouds and work."

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I tried harder at the University and it did go better than it had. The comments were dwindling, but still there. People ignored me mostly when I made errands through the halls. I hadn't realized the past few days. Maybe being out of it had helped.

I was in the back of the kitchen stacking the trays for the next period when students were allowed out. Peter came in with more dirty trays under his arms and shaking his brown head. "Damn kids." He muttered. "If I have to clean one more table of their trash-"

"We don't have a choice," I said, setting aside another tray. "Not if we want to keep our jobs."

"I don't need your sass." He growled. "I get enough out of the brats here."

"Sorry, Peter." I demured.

He shot me a look and said, "What?"

I let out a breath, feeling him standing behind me, breathing. "Sorry, Dad."