“Stick with me, girl. Trust me, Jackson doesnothave good hands. He was picking his nose until like, five minutes ago,” Julie said as she grabbed my arm to lead me toward a basket of silverware.
“Jules, can you actually just shut the fuck up?” Jackson said as he stomped out of the kitchen.
Julie giggled at his tantrum before grabbing a fork, knife, and spoon. “He’s so sensitive sometimes. Do you have a brother?”
I said yes, not willing to give away any more information.
“So you get it then. I have two.”
I actually didn’t get it, because my brother and I didnotinteract the way they did.
Julie showed me how to roll silverware, letting me try a few times until I got it perfect, then she gave me a full tour of the restaurant. There was a bulletin board in the back, which was covered with Polaroid pictures of the employees during work, and what looked like holiday parties. I wondered if I’d ever make it onto that wall.
The job seemed pretty simple; we would just be clearing tables for the wait staff, and occasionally bringing bread or drinks to patrons if we were slammed and the wait staff needed the help. Julie passed me a handful of straws to stuff in my apron pockets, telling me I wouldn’t believe the amount of times someone would stop me to ask for one.
“You don’t even have to worry about closing duties since you’ll be out at ten,” Julie said.
Jackson left us alone while Julie showed me around, and by the time it hit four there was hardly a chance to sit until my break. We each got a thirty-minute break, and Julie opted to take hers with me.
I was drenched in sweat from how hard we were working. I gulped down half my glass of water as soon as we sat on the curb in the alley behind the restaurant.
“Next time you come to work you can come through this back door; it leads right through the kitchen,” Julie said from beside me. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. “So, what’s your story?”
I didn’t know how to answer. What did “story” mean?
“What do you mean?”
She stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankles. “Like, tell me about yourself. Mom said you’re starting at Maple High but you live in Highland. She asked Jackson if he knew who you were since you’re in the same grade, but he said no.”
I shrugged. “Maple is closer to my house, so I can ride my bike. That’s what my older brother said, anyways. He graduated in 2007 from Highland.”
“So did my older brother, Samuel, but he went to Maple. Huge football star, super annoying. He’s studying to be a lawyer in New York now, so we hardly see him. I bet your brother knows him since the schools are rivals.”
I just shrugged again in response. She looked toward me, and I was worried she’d ask another question, so I hurried to ask her, “What about you?”
She let out a loudhmmmbefore saying, “I just graduated in the spring, and I go to the community college. Getting my associates degree there before moving to wherever the wind takes me. Samuel thinks he’s the shit since he got into law school, so I kinda want to do that, too, just to show him it’s not that hard. I just feel bad leaving Jackson here. Our parents will probably try to convince him to take over the restaurant if I leave, too, ‘cause none of us want it.”
“You guys don’t like the restaurant?”
Julie let out a long breath before checking her phone for the time. Our break was almost over. “Our entire life just revolves around this place. None of us want to stay chained to it like our parents have.”
“Where did your mom go? And why’d Jackson call her Marie?”
“She mostly works from home. Occasionally she’ll waitress, or work in the kitchen if someone calls off. Phil does, too. That’s my dad. We call them by their first names; it just started off as a joke ‘cause they have such adult names, and we just never stopped.” She said this with a smile, and I ached for what it must be like to have a family like that.
I drank the rest of my water before we both stood up to head back inside. The rest of the shift flew by, with everything mostly wrappedaround nine thirty, most of the patrons settling up their checks and being considerate of the ten o’clock close.
“Damn, that was one of the busiest Fridays we’ve had in a while. Good thing you were here, Addie,” Jackson said as he grabbed a paper towel to wipe the sweat that had accumulated on his neck. His polo was buttoned up now, hiding that freckle I had spotted earlier. The compliment caused something to flutter in my stomach.
“Seriously, you were a huge help today. I would’ve never believed this was your first job,” Julie told me before pulling off her polo, leaving herself in a hot-pink tank top. “I’m dying.” She grabbed a menu to fan herself.
Most of the kitchen staff were finishing up with putting the dishes in the dishwasher, and Jackson and Julie said their goodbyes to them. The waitresses and waiter I saw earlier gave us a portion of their tips for the night, and I tried to hide my surprise at the extra cash, which I quickly stuffed into my back pocket.
“You can get out of here. Do you need to call a ride?” Julie asked.
“Oh, I rode my bike here.”
Jackson raised an eyebrow at me while Julie’s mouth dropped open. “It’s ten o’clock. We are not letting you ride your bike home by yourself.”