Cinders by Mette Bach

Author:Mette Bach
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: James Lorimer and Company Ltd., Publishers
Published: 2018-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

11

A Night Out

Getting out of Mimi’s car, Ash thought they looked like stars at a red carpet event. Only Ash was more like the star’s dog walker or shoe shiner.

“Catch you later,” Ash said to no one in particular as she strode off. Out of habit, she checked her phone. Charming was back online. Ash had decided that she’d been ghosted. She figured Charming had lost interest and wasn’t going to message or FaceTime her ever again.

When Ash got to work, the cafeteria was set up to highlight the students trying to get into arts programs. There was a stage set up and a video camera to tape performances. It didn’t even smell like the cafeteria. There was a buzz in the air. There were possibilities. This was the sort of place where romantic connections happened. Maybe not for Ash, but for others. For Ash, all it meant was an extra shift.

“Good. You’re here. Hurry up and grab those flats,” Sally said.

Each heavy flat was a tray of twenty-four cans of soft drinks. By the time Ash had hauled them from the storage pantry to the big ice buckets she’d be selling them out of, she was sweating. She had to count her float. She set up a menu board. People were already piling in.

Ash could see that Sally was stressed out. “Okay, we need the candy rack to move. We still have to get the sandwiches into the display fridges.” She clapped her hands in Ash’s direction. “Chop, chop!”

“Okay, I’m on it!” Ash wasn’t one to twiddle her thumbs. But she really felt pumped. Suddenly she wished she wasn’t wearing the drab sweater. She wished she’d taken Alison up on the offer of a dress, even though Ash didn’t like wearing dresses.

She was still running around when a line started to form.

“Get me a couple of waters and a bag of chips,” ordered one guy. Ash had seen him in Math class, but she didn’t know his name.

“I’ll take a Vitamin Water,” said the next person in line.

On and on it went. Ash thought she’d get her usual fifteen-minute breaks. But it soon became clear that she couldn’t leave the counter. Sally didn’t need to say anything. The look she gave Ash was enough.

Ash had barely had a chance to even look at the stage when the music started. It felt like everyone from school was there. They all wanted some sort of pop or snack from her.

Ash was in the flow. She was alone managing the drinks and candy. But it was going pretty well. She was into the music, nodding along. She had a good pace going. Then one of the ice buckets, mostly filled with water now that the ice had melted, was tilted in her direction. Bottles went everywhere. Freezing cold water splashed all over Ash. She felt her front get drenched. And there she was in a white t-shirt that was now wet and see-through. Right in front of her was a phone, recording it all.

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