Violet

Sixteen

It was Monday morning and I was only partially through the first half of the day when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I quickly glanced around my maths class to make sure no one was paying attention and when the students were all doing their own work, and the teacher was sat at his desk, I quietly pulled my phone out from my pocket and checked it under the desk.

How is it going in school? 

I read the text a time or two, confused on who sent it, before I remembered I had given my number to Aiden. I glanced around again to make sure no one was watching and when the coast was clear I typed a response. 

School is boring. I wish I could leave. How’s it going with you not being in school? 

My reply was boring, and I shook my head at my lame response. It would be another one or two days before I saw him and I realized we needed to finalize a day. My phone buzzed again. 

About as boring as school is for you since you’re not here to keep me entertained. I wanted to ask you about driving you home from school, which day would work better for you? 

I thought about his question as I glanced around the classroom again and took a moment to pretend to be doing my work when the teacher passed a look my way. Finally when it was clear to text again I responded. 

How about on Wednesday? 

Wednesday seemed to be a safe bet, since I had the counseling Tuesday afternoon and the shopping this afternoon. I could already tell this week was going to be a busy one. 

Wednesday works great. Why don’t we make a day of it and I’ll take you to and from school that day? Maybe I can persuade you to go out to dinner with me?

I read his text then reread it a time or two. Was he asking me on a date? Did I even want to go on a date with him? Of course I did. I felt warmth spread to my face as I typed up my response. 

Making a day of it sounds like fun. Mr. Stalker, is this you asking me on a date?

I hoped my text would come across as teasing and not as me being bitchy about his way of asking for a date. I thought it was sort of cute that he wanted to ask through text. 

Well, not formally. I plan to formally ask you about that later on. This was mostly to ask about me picking you up and taking you home on Wednesday. I can’t wait to spend more time with you. 

Butterflies erupted in my stomach at his text and I had to take a moment to calm myself down before I responded. 

Well, in that case then I am fine with you picking me up from school and taking me home on Wednesday. You’re going to get me in trouble for texting in class.

The last half of my response was semi serious as I could tell I wasn’t being very smooth with my secretive texting. 

Great, I will see you on then. Stop texting before you get in trouble.

I rolled my eyes when I read his last text and chose not to respond to it. Now that the plans had been made I didn’t really know what to think of it. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been on a date, or if I had been on a date at all really. I reminded myself to ask him about what I should wear later on in the day and tried my hardest to focus on the topic my math teacher was covering. 

The day had gone by fast and before I knew it I was sitting inside my moms car as she drove us to the diner so I could apply. I was staring out of the window, looking out at all the snow that had continued to fall since late last night and I wondered what the possibility was of school being canceled this week. 

“So, you’re just gonna go inside and ask the manager for an application. You can fill it out inside or you can bring it back out to the car and I can help you fill it out if you want.” My mother spoke up hopefully and I knew which option she’d prefer me to do. 

I nodded my head as I watched her pull into the diner and park on the side of the building. I took a deep breath as my nerves had been acting up for most of the car ride over. I tried not to let my anxiety overtake me as I pulled myself out of the car and into the cold. I had to watch carefully where I stepped so I didn’t end up slipping. By the time I pulled open the door and made it inside I was trembling and my fingers were frozen. The warmth of being inside the building slowly thawed out my frozen limbs as I waited at the front counter for any sign on Regina. 

“I’ll be with you in a moment.” She yelled out from somewhere in the back and I tried to flush with irrational embarrassment at being yelled at, even if it was out of utter kindness. 

I quickly glanced around to see the diner only partially full of different people all wanting a warm meal to eat. When my eyes stumbled upon an empty table I turned slowly to begin making my way towards it. 

“Oh!” 

“Violet, it’s so good to see you again dear. What can I help you with?” Regina’s voice rang out and I quickly turned back towards the counter again. 

“Hello Regina, I actually came here today to ask you if I can fill out an application. Now that I’m all moved in I figured it would be good to start looking for jobs.” I spoke up with hidden confidence I didn’t know I had. 

“Of course. I’m always in need of helping hands, but for some reason applicants never seem to stay very long.” Regina replied as she mumbled out the last part. 

I chose to pretend I hadn’t heard the ending as I watched her shuffle into the back room. Once again I stood awkwardly at the front counter awaiting her arrival. She didn’t take long to return holding a flimsy white paper in her hand. 

“This is the application. I brought you a pen as well. Now I know it says on there to bring your resume in with you but I wouldn’t worry too much about that dear.” She spoke kindly as she handed me the paper and pen. 

“I won’t. Thank you.” I replied. 

Without another word I turned on my heel and scanned my eyes over the patrons throughout the diner. It seems not many people wanted to eat here today as it was abysmally empty and I nodded my head once at myself as I made a choice to just fill out the paperwork at a booth instead of venturing back out into the cold to go back to my mom’s car. Once I was sat comfortably at a booth I made quick work to fill out all of the application, briefly skipping over questions I felt I didn’t know. When it was time to go back and answer those questions, I texted my mother. I felt ridiculous that I had to have her help filling out a job application but tried to pay it no mind by making up reason’s like: I’ve never worked a job before. The excuses only worked so well. 

It had only taken a few moments to get a response back and once the application was complete, I felt a weight had been lifted from my chest. Something about working at a job and getting paid for it made me feel just the tiniest bit better about my life and I returned the now completely filled out application to Regina with a smile on my face. 

“Thank you.” I spoke up as I handed her the paper and pen back. 

“You’re welcome dear. Thank you for thinking of this little old diner as a place to work. If everything in your application looks good for me I will reach out to you as soon as possible.” 

Her reply did well to make me feel like I was speaking to a professional and it was an odd feeling to see such a sweet women talk like a corporate manager. I smiled as I said my farewell’s then turned on my heel and quickly made my way back out to my mom’s warm car. 

“How did it go?” She questioned when I had made it safely inside. 

“Good, I think. I just filled out the application then gave it back to her and she said if the application looks good she will reach back out to me.” I relayed the message Regina left to my mother and couldn’t help but smile at all the possibilities I had once I started making my own money. 

“Good.” 

“Now let’s get home before this weather gets any worse.” She spoke up as she began backing out of the parking space slowly. 

“That sounds good to me.” I replied as I suddenly felt exhausted, unsure if it was from the weather, the new town or just my own emotions.