Justice

1

"Louis, I need a sweet potato pie for table 3."

"Louis, I need some chicken tenders for table 7."

"Louis, I need..."

The same words she had to say every single day. Calling Louis's name, saying the order, providing the table number, grabbing the hot plates, and serving them. Same boring routine every day.

Justice Jones, mainly known as JJ, was a black woman in North Carolina working at a 'soul food restaurant' which most of the time everybody ordered the famous chicken tenders when they didn't know what they wanted. Jolene's Home Food was the name. 

It wasn't the fact that she hated her job, she just hated the fact that the restaurant's business wasn't like it was when she first started working there. Everything had to change because of the fucked up standards of the common American restaurant today. The original owner, Jolene, had first started hiring teenagers from the hood back when Justice was 14. She wasn't old enough to work there yet, but Jolene had personally reserved a spot for her when she turned 16. 

After 5 years, Justice had a steady income and she was finally able to rent out her own apartment and live in a stable home by herself. But Jolene had died also. She had stage 4 breast cancer. Nobody knew until her daughter had called the manager to let them know. Jolene originally was leaving the restaurant to Justice, but she was in too much pain to own it. It was too much of a reminder. So, Justice passed it down to another hard-working friend of hers, Mrs. Inez. 

Mrs. Inez had worked at Jolene's ever since it first opened. She first started working when she was 23. When Justice was first hired, she showed her the ropes and even some tricks on how some of the food could be flourishing with a little more flavor. She was now 62, thriving, and didn't look a day over 30. Black didn't crack for her.

Since so many people came in and out of the restaurant, Justice never had any favorite customers. However, the one customer that she loved, was the customer that always came in at the same time every day, Bianca Taylor.

The bell of the door rang as it was pushed open, revealing the girl. Justice smiled as she watched Bianca walk towards her, her beautiful brown curls bouncing as her huge hoop earrings swung. She always had a new pair of earrings every day. They were so huge, everybody would notice. Today she was wearing some neon green colored ones.

"Hey JJ." Bianca smiled as she leaned against the counter, her bright eye shadow sparkling in the light.

"Hey Bianca, the usual?"

"You know it."

Justice chuckled as she gave Louis the order. Two baked chicken breasts, collard greens, mashed potatoes with white gravy, and hot water cornbread. To be such a small person, she came every day and ate the same thing. It was mainly her high metabolism, but she also sometimes took the food to go with her so she probably didn't eat it all in the same day.

Justice grabbed the plates and went over to the table that Bianca sat at, Table 9. Bianca always said that it was her lucky number. Justice set the plates gently down in front of her. "The usual."

Bianca thanked her before starting to eat. "Mm, so you started to close up yet?"

"Not yet. I was waiting for you to come."

Bianca nodded as she sipped on the sprite she had gotten as she waited for her food. "I can't believe you're still working here. You're so much more talented."

Justice shook her head as she grabbed a rag from the sink, starting to wipe down the countertops. "I've been working here for 10 years, B. It's what I'm used to."