Six.

Elle POV.

After she left, I went back to my coffee it was not that hot anymore but warm enough to be very enjoyable, and you can’t waste a good cup of life, I drank it, I had work, and I had to go to the diner, but not until later. I should do some work at home, even if I’m poor I can’t be dirty, my sheets need to be cleaned, I sweat too much last night, I hate nightmares, they ruin my night, day, and the next morning I’m always feeling all weird and off.

I went first to my bedroom and stripped the bed, I didn’t own a washing machine, but the building offers a shared laundry facility one of the good parts of this building, I also got my clothes, I don’t mind mixing everything, it’s much cheaper than doing multiple washes, although not preferable. I took everything down, placed them all together and started washing, I only do washing once every week, I don’t have enough clothes to go for more than one week, so I always have to wash them up to have enough clean clothes to get me going for another week.

In the meantime, I got my phone and started to type for my next story, I wasn’t joking, I’m several chaps short, who sell a story and haven’t written it yet! Me apparently! This is one of my many wrong economic decisions, not the first I ever made and it probably won’t be the final one.

After my laundry was done, I went back home I was hungry, but I didn’t have anything to eat, my best meal happened to be instant ramen, they were cheap, and fast. I need to eat before getting to work, I made the mushy food, I might be a little, but I love real food, I’m a big foodie.

I ate the food and got dressed, I had jeans along with a Tshirt and a hoodie on top, it’s cold when I have to walk back home, I locked the door behind me and started the walk toward my work, the diner wasn’t that far away.

I said hi to everyone, before walking in to change my clothes, I hate the uniform, it’s so cheap that the material is transparent, I have to make sure to put something underneath it or I’ll risk flashing everyone, it’s more tips for the other waitress but not me, I don’t want that. I got my uniform on, above a long-sleeved tee, and tights, I kept my sneakers on and went to work.

Most of our customers are dirty, rude, and bad people, you learn to bite your lip, to look the other way to avoid looking into people’s eyes, I just doing my work, when I saw some weird people walking in, they weren’t our usual type of customers.

They were clean, they had suits on, I didn’t recognize them, why are they here, it wasn’t just one person, they were few people. I was the one to serve them, I’m the only one who wouldn’t open my shirt to show my boobies or try to flirt. The owner of this place, even he knew if one of the waitresses tried to flirt with them, they’d kill her, they aren’t our usual but we know what this is all about.

“Elle, go there,” the owner tells me, I never bothered to learn his name, I prefer calling him Mr Jerk.

“Yes, sir” I simply reply before going over, they won’t order anything, but I still have to ask.

“Evening, my name is Elle, I’m your waitress for tonight what can I get you?” I say with a smile, they won’t order, but hopefully, they’ll tip.

The guy who looked in charge looked at me, his eyes were blue, the bluest I ever saw, and his hair was blondish, brushed back, dressed in a suit like the rest but he looked even the best. His face was covered with a soft soft-looking beard, it was well-kept, and trendy, well according to Instagram, he looked beautiful, he smiled at me showing perfectly white teeth, and I felt my heart stutter a bit.

“We’ll take water” he says to me, I just nod and move, I didn’t think they’d want tap water, so I got them bottled ones, I took it back to their table, and they all thanked me, making me blush, I never hear a thank you.

I gave them their water and moved back to the rest of my customers, none of them were any polite to me, some, I just felt like vomiting or maybe burning him and the diner together but I couldn’t do that.

I saw the sexy guys meet with another man, he looked like our typical, he’s the typical bad guy biker, the one who’s dirty looking, rude, and into some illegal work. It happens everywhere in the world, not just where I am, I watched them talk, the biker guy got angry, he yelled, he hit the table a few times and when he did, I took a step back, hiding, I don’t get between people when they fight, it’ll end up having me hurt.

I saw the guys in suits sit back, watching the biker yell and scream until he left their table, they left some money on the table and left, not without throwing one last look toward me, he smiled at the blond guy, the pretty guy, before finally leaving. I went back toward their table and took the money they left, he didn’t simply leave me a tip, he left five hundred dollars, people hardly leave a fiver!

I was stunned, I was quick to put the money away, if the owner saw it, he’d take it all from me, I hid it in my pocket, and moved as usual. My shift is a long one, I come around noon and stay until closing time, I will try to find a better job I promise, no one wants to be a waitress around here, I’m always on the search for a better job. At least a place where the customers don’t fight at least once every evening, but with how young I am, it’s kind of hard, there’s always the option of me becoming a stripper, strippers do well, just look at CardiB, no shade I freaking love her.

After the stupid shift was finally over, I changed my clothes back, putting the hoodie on me, it’s colder at night, and it’ll also get colder as days go by, maybe I could use my tip and buy a real jacket, one that could keep me warm, along with a beanie? Gloves? You know winter clothes, those aren’t cheap, oh I could also get some boots! I had my eyes on a pair of fake timberland, even fake ones, I couldn’t afford those, but I was extremely happy about my tip!

I walked back home, it was dark, cold and scary, the distance wasn’t that long, I’m used to walking it, I shouldn’t be scared, but I guess last night's nightmares had the best of me, I was worried, scared, tonight wasn’t a usual one. I tried to swallow my pain, I was just overthinking, my imagination is having the best of me yet again, I should just keep walking.

I almost did that, I could see the house, it was like my dreams, I saw home, I almost made it back to my home but then the bad thing happened, bad things always happen to good people, I don’t claim to be the best person ever, but I’m not that bad either. A guy jumped on me, he had a gun, I knew this guy, he was in the bar, and he tried to grab my butt a few times, I was scared for my life, I didn’t want to die, not here and not like this.

“Give me the money bitch” he says.

“What money?” I ask, I was really stunned, and scared.

“The money you have hidden in the diner! I saw you now hand it over!” he says, he means my tip, he’s going to steal my jacket and boots money, I felt tears fill my eyes.

“I don’t have it” I lie in one last attempt to keep them.

“I’ll shoot you bitch! Hand it over” he says again, I didn’t want to die, I handed him the money, and he took it and left leaving me stunned in the middle of the street.

Too scared he’ll try and do something else, I took off running, toward home, I ran like crazy, took the stairs and not the elevator, I made it to my apartment, and locked myself in where it’s safe before I began to cry, crying my heart out until I felt better, until there was no more tears to cry and I fell asleep.