To The Next Level

Player 6

-Aziza

Another day of school ended, and Aziza was glad to not see the "Mr. High and Mighty Guy" she had met previously. It was also nice not to be bothered by other annoying classmates. She was surprised that the girls she toyed with during class hadn't tried to start up another argument. Aziza would admit it was her fault for being nosey, but the poor guy looked uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but need to get back at them. Aziza was petty, because to her it was funny seeing them, a once fierce group of girls who bullied her, stuttering away at her remarks like little school girls.

.

The next day, Aziza was asked to take over a shift for one of her co-workers that called in ill. She worked at a small coffee shop near the school, and thought it was nice considering that it wasn't the type of kid her age would hang out at because of how old-fashioned it was. Most of the customers that walked in were pleasing and the atmosphere was often quiet. Aziza never felt stressed while working in such a warm environment.

"Morning Darla, I'm here for my shift," Aziza called out to her. She could hear her crazy boss rambling in the back, so it was easy to tell she was present. "Where's the inventory clipboard, did I place it somewhere else? How come this is here on the ground, I could have tripped on it, why-", the lady continued to ramble on.

Aziza walked up to her, placing her hand gently on her shoulder, and smiled.

"Oh dear, I had no idea you were here. You can get started at the back. We don't have as many customers today anyway", the boss said, turning her head back to whatever she was looking for.

Darla was the manager of the place, but there was no denying she was a true klutz. She misplaced most things and often tripped on...well the air. But her kind-hearted personality and the way she took charge made up for it. Working for Darla was one of the greatest opportunities Aziza had ever gotten.

"Hello, what can I get for you today"? Aziza asked the first person to walk up to the counter. “Could I get a Floral mocha cream ", the customer asked, and Aziza got straight to work, mixing the correct ingredients, and ending with an elegant flower design. The customer smiled at her before walking away. She was glad it was just an elderly man, otherwise such a love would freak Aziza out. Then again, you never know what people are thinking.

Aziza was sweeping the floor, enjoying the quiet aura that surrounded her. There were no customers at that moment and her shift was almost over. “Being able to work without anyone around was even more thrilling”, Aziza thought, until she heard the bell ring and laid the broom down to go wash her hands. "Give me a second, thank you," she called out to them and continued washing.

"What can I get for you, she asked with a smile and standing above the cash register. Her head was down as she looked at the computer, ready to write down their order.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Ms. Spritfire works in a coffee shop. You would think with your brains you'd have a more....useful job", a male’s voice suddenly spoke.

Aziza looked up and was shocked to the core. There he stood, as if the devil heard that she was having a lovely day without Mr. Arrogant, and decided to play such a joke. The ultimate goal being to annoy Aziza to no end. "What can I get you sir", she replied as smartly as she could. The dude was obviously looking for a reaction, and Aziza would fight to deny him it. When it came to work, she took things seriously, especially since it was the only way she could depend on herself.

"I guess I'll just have a regular Golden Ripple Latte", he said with a smirk. "Right away", Aziza replied before getting straight to work. The faster she finished his order, the quicker he would get out and leave her alone, or so she thought.

The Golden Ripple Latte was one of the most ordered drinks, often a regular item. Aziza wasn't much of a sweet tooth, so she didn't understand why it was so special, but it was a big surprise to see Christopher order something like it. Aziza whistled a tune while making his drink, distracting herself from facing him at all. It was better not to start a conflict there at her job. This she knew. Other customers could walk in at any time, and she wouldn't want them to see her giving hostile service.

"Here's your order, I hope you enjoy it, and please come again soon", Aziza said for the last time, with yet another pulled together smile. Her cheeks were starting to hurt because she didn’t know how many times she had given one. It was better to be welcoming as an employee because the kinder she was towards others, the more money went towards her paycheck.

"You can stop with the nice act, I can see stretch marks from how fake your smile is. If you're going to smile, at least make it genuine. If not, then don't smile at all. Being a fake person is even more disgraceful than being kind", Christopher started rambling.

Why did he seem so passionate about what he was saying? Was it really that serious? Whatever it was, it really made Aziza mad. This man liked telling others what to do, or so it looked like. Aziza was trying to be nice, and yet he was lecturing her. Did he enjoy people hating his presence? Aziza doubted that anyone would hate him considering his good looks. From what the girls in school said, it's his snappy personality that made him appealing to them in the first place.

"You think you can talk to me, and tell me to do whatever you want, don't you? I'm sorry if you're tired of people sucking up to you, but it's my job to be nice to the customer. What happens in your personal life is your problem, and you have no right to control mine. The next time you see me, stay out of my business, alright", she replied.

Aziza thought what she said came out a bit harsh, but it didn't feel wrong. Chris wasn't her father, brother, or boyfriend either, so he felt it wasn't right for him to judge her. Aziza knew her job was to make the customer feel comfortable no matter what.

"Fine you stick in the mud, I'll see you around. Make sure you keep "smiling" for everyone then". With that said, he left.

Aziza released a breath she had no idea was being held and cleaned up the rest of the shop, and then exited her shift. Eventually, she made her way home and went to sleep right away, once again ignoring the thunderous noises of my chaotic parents.

-Christopher

"Where's that ungrateful brat at? I want to give him a piece of my mind", Chris heard a voice yell in the house. It was no doubt his father was furious about his decision not to check on the company. It may have seemed selfish of him. Being given the "blessing" of luxury his whole life, and yet he couldn't bring himself to work for his parents.

"There you are, you bastard son of mine", Chris’s father seethed. Chris could feel the sudden impact of a slap across his cheek. His mother came running, instantly grabbing her father's arm, telling her husband to try not to hurt him as he was their son after all.

"I get that darling, but look at him. He's taking advantage of us, even after everything we've done for him. Wiping his ass and fixing all his mistakes, yet he can't do one simple thing. Who in their right mind turns down the gateway to financial achievement straight from birth", Chris’s father began to yell.

"Whatever", Chris mumbled, spitting the blood out of his mouth, stomping into his room. He wasn't going to listen to them anymore and didn't care about what they’d try and do. Instead, he laid in bed releasing a big sigh, wondering whether the world would ever get less tiring.

Seeing that girl from class once again at his favorite coffee shop, was somewhat refreshing to Chris. It was fun watching her react to his relentless teasing, as she was holding her tongue the whole time, trying her best to be professional. Chris could admit he may have gone too far with some of the things he said, but there's no way he could deny it was satisfying.

“Maybe I'd apologize to her tomorrow”, he thought while yawning. Instantly he fell asleep, his thoughts mysteriously occupied by the beauty of that one class. Don't forget to keep your distance, Chris reminded himself, letting the darkness consume him just as it always had. The darkness was the only thing Chris could see in front of him, but he was used to it.