C̲o̲a̲t̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲p̲a̲i̲n̲t̲

Chapter1: High As a Mountain

It was just because of the fog, she reasoned. Also, because she had to take a terribly difficult biology test she did not study enough for later that day.
She was nothing like Hilda - the constantly grumpy lady that was to be found somehow almost always near the subway station, complaining to anyone ,at all times, about everything and anything.
She still had a reasonable amount of hair on her head, and her voice did totally not sound like she has smoked for her entire existence. She was probably with over two decades younger, also. Therefore, she was totally not doing that bad.

London's glacial weather did not help alleviate her sour mood in the slightest on that Thursday morning. Wearing three pairs of socks, her feet were barely fitting in her worn out boots, one of her gloves was missing for over three days and she could no longer feel her face. That is how she entered "Love&Coffee". That, and a deep scowl on her face, obviously.

"Fernleigh, does the sign not read open? If Giselle the death knell would see this, she'd be hauling your ass out of here." she shouted right as she entered the coffee shop, and then halted, scared to check if by any chance Giselle, her awful boss, was nearby.

Seconds passed and she stayed glued to her spot, staring at the scratched tip of her left brown boot, quite sure she might lose her job. Damnit, when did that happen? How does she always manage to damage her footwear? It was disturbing.

The silence was soon interrupted by a loud scoff. " Don't fucking call me that. " Leigh, her coworker, answered as he was struggling to arrange nicely the chocolate muffins on the counter, beyond frustrated.

"You do know that you're supposed to wear gloves while you're doing that, right?" she couldn't help but comment, already obsessing over the health violation. She was so not going to eat any of those germ-contaminated muffins now.

Leigh rolled his eyes, also in a very bad mood." You do know that you're supposed to come to work on time and if not, fuck promptly off, right? " he retailed, hissing in pain right two seconds after and sticking three fingers in his mouth.

"This is fucking painful, Mabel. Fucking painful. " he whined, embittered, and Mabel had to stifle her laugh.
She sighed, dropping her heavy bag full of textbooks somewhere near the counter and dropped her ass on one of the stools.
" I need at least three cups of coffee before dealing with today. " she left out a plaintive cry.

Leigh rounded the counter plopping his ass on the stool next to hers, seeming to be on the same page. " I say let's just fuck it and open the store at 9:00 a.m, 'ya know?" he suggested and Mabel smiled brightly, pleased with the suggestion.

" Go make me a cup of coffee, yeah? You know I can't face my responsibilities before tasting caffeine. " she urged him, and went straight to the minuscule room she always changes in.

Tugging almost all the layers of clothing off and getting rid of two pairs of socks, she tied her disgustingly colourful imprinted black apron and tied her hair in a ponytail.

She quickly wiped all the tables, arranging a "Drink coffee gleefully" flyer-like sign on every single one of them, eyeing them with abhorrence, because whom the fuck says that?

They ended up opening the cosy cafe at 09:30, one hour and a half later than what is written on the schedule taped on the door, because they did not care and were quite lazy, so they tended to do this a lot.

Mabel did not enjoy the coffee Leigh has prepared but she drank it anyway, although it had no vanilla, and so they bickered and wiped the floors, Mabel heating up all the muffins, because Leigh was too scared of the microwave and Mabel was pretty much very annoyed, and she enjoys heating things up and potentially lighting shit on fire when she is pissed. (weird family trait, her aunt said - don't even bother to ask)