One of the few things that make me utterly pissed and want to smack someone in the head with a baseball bat is that when people stereotype others based on the color of their hair; or stereotyping, basically.
There have been more than twenty instances in my sixteen years of existence that I've been dubbed as dumb and cannot get anything right. The latter is a little bit acceptable and doesn't make me go wild as much as the former because, let's face it, sometimes my plans and the universe's plans don't go in sync, so I end up not doing anything right—or good. However, when it comes to being dubbed as dumb, and although I'm striving hard to get out of the C lane in History, I am one hundred percent sure that I am not D-U-M-B. School doesn't measure a person's intelligence, people! It pisses me off so much to the point that I would do anything to make the person who said it feel my hurt. When I was younger, how I handled it was so much worse. Now, however, I am trying my best to act as professional as I can especially when my career at Prettea is at stake.
"I told her I was sorry," I say in defense as I lean on the staff lockers. Ally is the one taking charge of the orders behind the counter, and Melissa and Carol are trying to talk to the customer who I had the misfortune of spilling her milk tea, purposely, on her table after she called me a dumb blonde. "It was an accident."
"She thinks it was an accident," April enunciates as she stands before me like a school teacher and I'm her pesky little student who deserves a detention. "But you clearly did that on purpose, K and you're not even sorry." She sighs, and rolls her eyes in frustration.
"Of course I wasn't sorry! You know, she's the one who should've said sorry to me. You know me, and my issues with people who judge right away and stereotype others just by their freaking hair color, right? I mean, where's the justice in that?"
April brushes her hand through her hair in defeat, and sighs again in frustration. "Let's just hope Mel and Carol sort it out just fine back there." She takes a peak behind the counter to look at the place where Mel, Carol, and the customer are located. I just cross my arms over my chest, and groan inwardly in annoyance.
Few minutes later of silence between April and I, I see Mel coming into view behind the counter, and for once, I couldn't read her face. I start to worry about my career and my college life, and basically, my future. She seems to understand how I'm feeling so with a flick of a switch, she smiles, and says, "Almost. But not quite; everything's fine, Karsen." She gives me an assuring nod, and I release a mouthful of air.
"For a second, I thought you're gonna fire me," I say with a phew, and then take a sit on the bench near Carol's office. I can finally rest my legs after minutes of dread.
"That's Carol's job, by the way. But considering an upcoming competitor of ours across the street, we're gonna be needing a lot of manpower to run this badass teashop." I smile as she says badass. With all the pink things in here, you can definitely say this shop is really badass.
"Please, they're no competition," I imply to the both of them.
"We can't assure yet," remarks April, "their building's definitely bigger than ours."
"Whoa, there," I interrupt, "I thought you're the bookworm, Ap. What happens to the don't judge a book by its cover?" I point. "This shop's maybe small, but it's definitely amazing, and maybe far more amazing than the shop over there is ever going to be." They laugh at that, and I just hope they also believe what I just said.
"You and your optimism never fails to amuse me," says Mel as she pats my head, and goes ahead to continue her waitress duties.
"Wow, glad I'm being optimistic," I say sarcastically as April sits beside me.
"What's wrong with you?" she asks right away as soon as Mel is already out of hearing distance.
"Pissed at life."
"Oh come on! I know you always are." I glance at her direction with an impressed look on my face. This girl really knows me. "So is this about Jake?"
"Oh God!" I express with a flip of my hand. "My life doesn't revolve around Jake Petersen!"
"Okay, there." April soothes, trying to calm me down. "So," she drags—and I interrupt.
"Fine! It is about Jake." I throw my hands in the air in frustration and bury my head in them.
"What's he done this time?" she asks wryly, and I have to groan again and roll my eyes forcefully.
"It's been three days, Ap," I start. "Three days since our last Facebook chat and since then I've been having bad days."
"Okay, that's it! You have just snatched the crown from Red for being the drama queen."
"I guess this is all my fault," I stress. "I couldn't come up with anything more to say than send him emojis. Everything started out fine and cool, but every time I try to come up with something to say to him—,"
"You over-think it out if it sounds cool but either way, you'll always realize it's not, so you just end up sending him emojis."
"I SUCK!" I exclaim in disappointment. "He replied with emojis for a while but then I guess he got tired and went offline without even replying or saying good night. Our conversation started just fine—he told me I have a nice voice!—but then he just vanished. I would love to chat him up the next day but I'm scared I would come off as annoying."
"I'm sure he's just got busy with all the senior work-load," she asserts.
"You think so?" I ask hopefully, as I slump on the bench.
"No." Great, just when I thought everything's just all right. "Okay, let's stop all this chit-chat, and focus on cleaning now. It's almost seven, almost closing time!" she says happily with a clap. She's not usually so energetic when it comes to cleaning or closing time, it's just that, earlier this afternoon she received a book from an anonymous person—I really think it was from a secret admirer.
"So you can start reading the book from Mr. Secret Admirer," I deadpan.
"That, and also the fact that Red is probably at your house right now, so we can start writing the play, and for you to start reading the poem you're assigned with in English."
"Beowulf," I whisper in disgust. "The only Beowulf I want is Scott McCall, you know, bae wolf," I giggle and mentally pats myself on the back for a very good joke; however, April is not amused. Instead, she just shakes her head and goes back behind the counter to start arranging things for the closing time.
"Come on, Ap!" I call, "That was a great joke!"
Fifteen minutes has passed, and April and I am now in the threshold of the shop looking at something on the bush beside the parking space. Everybody's gone now because the shop was closed a few minutes ago. Carol went home ahead, as usual, and Melissa and Ally were in a hurry so only the two of us are left here to contemplate the existence of something in front of us. April is holding her new book tightly to her chest when she says, "Ooh someone's got a secret admirer too! What are you waiting for? Go get it!"
I hesitate for a while, but then decide it's probably just false alarm. Nobody likes me, though. So as I go nearer the bush, the helium balloon with my name in bold letters on it becomes clearer in this dim lighted night. Attached to the balloon is a chocolate box, I just realize as I am closer now. I thought it was a book too, same as what April has received. I feel the muscles on my face forming a small smile, and blood rushing through my veins is now pounding on my ears, as I realize it's far better than a book.
I pick the chocolate box and turn to April, who also decides to follow me and take a peak. "Wow!" I express, and she smiles in return. I untie the balloon from the box and deflate it because I am not really a fan of balloons. We are now walking along the paved road to the bus stop when I decide to open it so I can eat some. April agrees and we stop on the sidewalk, under a lamppost, for a while.
I gently open it, afraid I might ruin its beautiful box, with a great anticipation for the chocolates and for the person who cared enough to give it to me. A huge truck suddenly passes by that diverts my attention from the box to the road. I only realize what's happening when April screams and knocks the box purposely on the ground. I am about to ask what happened and why she knocked it, making the cute shell-shaped chocolates spill, when I see many tiny spiders coming out from the now deformed box on the ground. I feel like a hundred needles are prickling my skin as I internalize what is happening and from the shock of what the gift turned out to be.
I see a paper with some writings on the ground, which also came from inside the box, so despite a lot of spiders crowding it, I inhale my fear, and pick it up, fueled by the rage and disgust I am feeling to whoever did this ruthless thing.
The paper reads: IT'S ON BITCH. It's encoded, with bold, uppercase letters, so I don't have the chance to figure out who it is from.
While April received a gift from a secret admirer today, I, on the other hand, at seven-fifteen in the evening, received a threat from a secret enemy.
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I updated early! (what a miracle! haha) I'm really determined to finish this book next month so expect for 2-3 updates per week.
Anyway, that was the 12th chapter! i hope you guys like it. If you do (or don't) pls comment down why or why not, because i would love to hear your thoughts! Also, if you think this chapter deserves a vote, don't hesitate to hit that vote button because by just doing that simple thing it could honestly make me smile for the whole day.
If you like this story, tell your friends, your brothers, your sisters, your neighbors, strangers, about this haha. kidding, but it would be amazing if you do!
That's all so i hope you guys are having a great day/night wherever you are! :)
Chapter dedicated to @credulously for the amazing new book cover! <3