Completely Obsessed

CHAPTER THREE

Nairobi POV

The sound of my alarm woke me up. I groaned and reached for my phone, turning the alarm off. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before remembering.

My second day at The Crimson Table.I sat up.

Unlike yesterday, I wasn't late. I actually had plenty of time. “Look at me,” I muttered with a small smile. “I'm learning.”

I got out of bed, took a shower, and got dressed.

When I stepped into the kitchen, Zara was already there, preparing breakfast. She looked up and smiled. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Good morning.” She looked at the clock. “You're early today.” “I learned my lesson yesterday.” Zara laughed.

“I'm proud of you.” I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the table. “I'm still nervous, though.” “That’s normal,” she said. “It's only your second day.” I nodded.

“I just hope today goes better.” Zara walked over and placed some breakfast in front of me. “It will. And if someone says something rude to you?” I sighed. “Stand up for myself.” “Exactly.” I smiled. “You're really never going to stop reminding me, are you?” “Absolutely not.” We both laughed. After breakfast, I grabbed my bag and checked that I had everything I needed. My uniform was packed, my phone was charged, and I had my keys.

I stood by the door and looked at Zara. “Okay. I'm leaving.” “Have a good day.” “Thanks.” “And Nairobi?”

I turned around. “Yeah?” Zara smiled.

“Don't let anyone make you feel like you don't belong there.”I smiled back. “I won't.” I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. As I walked toward the street to find a taxi, I took a deep breath. Yesterday, I had walked into The Crimson Table as a nervous newcomer. Today, I was walking back in knowing that I had already survived my first day. I still had a lot to learn. I still had people who might judge me. But this time, I wasn't going to let fear control me. I raised my hand and hailed a taxi. “The Crimson Table, please.” As the taxi pulled away, I looked out the window. Day two. I had no idea what was waiting for me. But I was ready to face it.

After some time, I finally arrived at the restaurant. I paid the taxi fare and thanked the driver before walking inside. I headed straight to the locker room. When I entered, I saw the three girls from yesterday already there—Madison, Chloe, and Brianna. As soon as I walked in, they looked at me. I looked back at them and gave them a shy smile.

“Good morning,” I greeted softly. Chloe smiled. “Good morning, too.” Madison and Brianna didn't say anything. They just smiled at me before turning back to what they were doing. I smiled back, but something about their expressions felt forced. I decided not to think about it.

I went to my locker, opened it, and placed my things inside. Then I took out my uniform and changed. Once I was ready, I headed to the dining hall to start my work.

I cleaned the tables, arranged the chairs, checked the utensils, and made sure everything was ready before opening. I tried to stay focused on my work. After finishing everything I needed to do, I went to the comfort room to freshen myself up. We were almost ready to open, and I also needed to use the restroom.

I entered one of the cubicles and closed the door. A few minutes later, I finished and was about to leave when I heard the comfort room door open. I immediately recognized their voices.

Madison, Chloe, and Brianna. I stopped. They didn't know I was inside. “So… what do you think about the new girl?” Brianna asked. There was a short pause.

“She seems nice,” Chloe answered. Madison laughed quietly. “Nice? Yeah, I guess.” “What?” Brianna asked.

“Nothing,” Madison replied. “She's just… different.”

They laughed softly. I stood completely still inside the cubicle. “Did you see her this morning?” Brianna said. “She looked so nervous.” “I noticed,” Madison replied. “She kept checking if we were looking at her.” Chloe giggled.

“Maybe she's just shy,” Chloe said. “Maybe,” Madison answered. “Or maybe she's trying too hard.” They laughed again. I looked down at my hands. I knew they were talking about me. None of them had actually said anything terrible. If I confronted them, they could easily say they were just talking or joking. That somehow made it worse. I stayed inside until I heard them leave.

When the door finally closed, I slowly stepped out of the cubicle.

I walked toward the mirror. My reflection stared back at me. I could feel my eyes beginning to sting. I quickly wiped away the tear before it could fall. “Don't cry,” I whispered. I took a deep breath and fixed my hair. I straightened my uniform and looked at myself again.

“You're here to work,” I reminded myself. “Just ignore them.” I forced a small smile before leaving the comfort room. When I reached the entrance, Madison, Chloe, and Brianna were already there. Chloe looked at me and smiled. “You okay?” I nodded. “Yeah.” “Good,” she said.

Then she turned to Madison and whispered something.

They both laughed. I pretended I didn't notice.

A few minutes later, the doors opened and the customers started coming in. I greeted them politely and began serving. For the first few hours, everything was fine. Then one of the customers looked at me and smiled. “You're new here, right?” “Yes,” I answered. “You look nervous.” I laughed awkwardly. “Is it that obvious?”

The customer chuckled. A couple of people nearby laughed too. I smiled and decided to play along. “I'm trying my best not to look terrified.” That got another laugh. I laughed with them. It was easier that way.

Whenever someone made a small comment about me being nervous, awkward, or inexperienced, I started joking about myself before they could say anything else.

I'd say with a smile.“Give me a few more days. Maybe I'll stop looking lost.” Everyone would laugh, and I would laugh too.

But sometimes, I noticed Madison and the others watching from a distance. Whenever I made a mistake, they would exchange looks. Sometimes Brianna would quietly laugh. Sometimes Madison would imitate the way I spoke when I wasn't looking. And whenever I turned around, they would suddenly act like nothing happened. It was never anything big. Nothing I could easily complain about. Just little things. A missing utensil that somehow became my fault. A task nobody told me about, followed by, “Oh, we thought you knew.”

Being left out when they were talking. Their conversations suddenly becoming quiet whenever I walked near them. And whenever I asked what they were talking about, Chloe would simply smile and say,

“Nothing.” I started to understand how they were treating me. They weren't openly bullying me.

They were making sure I always felt like I didn't belong.

As the day continued, I kept working.

By closing time, I was exhausted. After the last customers left, I finished my remaining tasks and returned to the locker room. I was putting my things away when Madison, Chloe, and Brianna came in.

Brianna looked at me and smiled. “You survived your second day.” I smiled back. “Barely.” They laughed.

Madison looked at me for a moment. “You know, you really shouldn't take everything so seriously.” I frowned slightly. “What do you mean?” She shrugged. “Nothing. You're just… easy to tease.” Chloe laughed softly. “She's right. You always react.” I forced a laugh. “Maybe that's because I'm still getting used to everyone.” “Exactly,” Madison said. “You'll get used to us eventually.” They laughed again. I smiled. "Yeah. Maybe.” I knew what they meant. They could always call it a joke. And if I ever got upset, they could simply say I was being too sensitive. So I laughed with them.

After changing out of my uniform, I packed my things and closed my locker. I walked out of the restaurant alone. The moment I stepped outside, my smile disappeared. I looked down and took a deep breath.

It was only my second day. Yet somehow, I already felt like I had been there for months. I started walking home, trying to convince myself that tomorrow would be better. But deep down, I wasn't sure.