SHADOWS OF KAYLA

MISSION TWO

Festus.

“...and most importantly, I do not take in good looking boys," the hawk-looking middle aged woman nagged coldly at me, walking past me with a bowl of flour in her hands.

What sort of policy was that? Well, she could have just said she wasn't hiring, what was the point of discriminating between good looking people and those who are not? Seriously!

“What? What does that have to do with hiring me?”

I kept myself at lashing at her for being so rude, but still I thought to buy a spot for myself in her bakery with a few more tries.

“My bakery, my rules,” she responded from behind the counter without turning to me. I saw a few of her workers walk past me, and disappear in different directions, and yeah, none of them looked…you know…good?

“This is sick!” I rented.

I was so frustrated already with not getting a job anywhere else. It was either because I “wasn't fit for the job" or they had enough workers already. Some didn't even need part timers, I just happened to walk into their stores to ask for a job…and yeah, got none.

And now, because I'm handsome? Free me Mother Earth!

“Ya don't curse in my place. You can leave now Mr.Ferrus…”

“It's Festus! Fes—tus! At least pronounce my name right,” I leered back at her, slamming my palm on the tiled slabs.

“Yeah, Fes—thus, leave!”

“I totally understand why you don't want me here, 'cause you're so insecure about your ugly face! Innit? Haha!”

Okay, Fes, that was a little too much.

I continued anyway,

“Well, thank you so much for helping me realize that I don't belong here, with assholes! Your big loss.” I took my bow of leave with those words and slammed the see-through doors of her bakery as I flew down the short steps into the streets.

I thought I heard her yell “Screw you!” But who cared?

There I was again, headed down the streets in search of a job. I silently prayed that I would get one before the day ended, and check that out of the list of things I needed to do. Most importantly, to survive.

I remembered James' call the day before, he was telling me to come home quickly because Dad fell a little ill. A little voice in my head told me it was a ploy to get me back on the house and give me one million and one reasons why I was acting ‘childish’. But, I really cared about how he was feeling if he was really sick like James had said.

All I said was, “He'll be fine,” before hanging up on James.

I clutched on firmly onto my backpack and walked more aimfully down the long road. Turning my head from left to right and back, to scan for potential work places. Some shops were closed, and some didn't have signs put up for part-timers, and I deliberately decided to not look at some stores twice for some reason I wasn't sure of.

However, the bright green shop I saw next definitely caught my interest, that I just had to give it a try.

“MA—IE'S PIZZA?” I read loudly, enough for the redhead girl who was standing on a ladder, trying to fix up the name to hear.

“It's Malie's…the ‘L’ you know, fell off…," she chuckled without even looking in my direction. I couldn't help but smile too, as I walked further to the frontage.

“Uh…need some help?” I offered as a kind of bribe to increase my chances of getting in her good books before anything. Although, I wasn't sure if she owned the shop.

“Nope. Done!” She sighed heartily, jumped off the ladder and dusted her hands.

“Woah!” I gasped, a little startled as I wasn't expecting her to jump from a ladder six feet tall.

She was pretty and had a dimple on her left cheek. She was a little shorter than I was, but looked older…or younger? I couldn't really tell. Probably in her earliest twenties.

“High jumper, no big deal,” she waved cooly, packing up the ladder.

“Oh, okay…” I responded, expecting her to ask what I wanted or something. She was way too friendly for anyone I had seen recently, likeable too.

“You wanna order pizza?” She asked, dragging the ladder in. I helped, although wondering why she was the only one doing the job when I could clearly see about five others in green uniforms, inside the shop.

“Nope.”

We both dragged the ladder into the storeroom. I resumed holding my backpack and she wiped some beads of sweat from under her lower lips, before leading me out of the room and shutting the door.

“A job?” She asked, searching my face interestingly.

“Yeah?” I shrugged slowly, with a question mark hanging over my head like a halo.

“Guys! We have a new co-worker!” She yelled to the other guys who just nodded or hummed something I didn't hear.

“What? Just like that?” I was shocked. Was I meant to be suspicious or grateful? I didn't really know.

“Just like what? Didn't you just say you needed a job?”

“Yeah…but I was expecting something like an interview or something…”

She scoffed with a cute smile and threw her hands dramatically in the air.

“What interview would anyone need to work on a small pizza shop?” She laughed.

“Okay…I guess?”

“I'm Gina by the way,” she introduced, holding out her hand for a handshake. It was only then I noticed she had been wearing an apron all along.

“Festus,” I responded, taking her hand.

“Well, get to work now Festus, there's a lot to do. I'm sure you'll figure things out soon. And those guys over there are going to help.”

I nodded and smiled happily, mission two was completed.

But I couldn't shake off the feeling that Gina knew me before that day.

Gina felt so...familiar.