Chapter 9: IX

FINALLY, THE WEEKEND!

Laia stretches her arms and groans as the light from her window temporarily makes her close her eyes again. She blindly grabbed her phone from her study desk and opens her eyes to see that it was already eleven in the morning.

Looks like her mother didn't bother to wake her up for breakfast. The girl didn't mind, it's the first good sleep she had in a week without constantly waking up or tossing and turning. Maybe it's because of the delicious meal she prepared for herself yesterday?

She lets out a yawn and notices that her door was left open. Maybe because of how windy it was yesterday? The girl did remember it rained before her eyes closed yesterday. Nevertheless, she doesn't want it open. Laia decides to stand up from her bed wearing her bunny slippers and was about to push her bedroom door close when she heard sniffling from her mother's room.

Laia didn't want to pry, but she couldn't bear to not check on her mother as well. The girl silently tiptoes towards her mother's room, trying her best to not let her slippers squeak against the floorboards. Fortunately, the day was off to a good start (well, at least for Laia) as her bunny slippers did not make a single noise and the girl was able to eavesdrop on her mother.

"Why are you firing me? Did I do anything wrong?"

Her mother's about to get fired?

The girl's brows furrowed. Yesterday, her mother just worked overtime and now she's getting fired? What the hell?

"I don't understand," The girl could almost see her mother's fists clenching as her breathing grew labored. "What did I do wrong, sir?"

Is it because she worked overtime? Is that not allowed? Laia once did see an article about some employers not allowing their employees to work overtime but does her mother really have to be fired over such a mistake?

Laia couldn't help but feel infuriated as well.

Her mother was starting to plea now. "But sir, I really need this job! Could you please give me another chance? I promise to not do it again!"

Despite her mother's continuous promises, Laia knew that her mother's employer would probably not listen. That's just how they are. Living their lives continuously, firing those who need jobs without a care as they spend their days relaxing around with their money while those they fired end up needing to find another job just because they committed one mistake.

As if those assholes don't commit mistakes in their everyday lives as well.

Laia concludes that the phone call between her mother and her former employer had ended in vain from how her mother had started sobbing. It was obvious that the older woman was trying to muffle her sobs by covering her face with her hands and her breathing had even started turning heavier as she started having difficulty breathing.

The girl wanted nothing else but to run inside her mother's room and hug her but she knew her mother would only deny what happened and will refuse to tell her daughter anything. Her mother had always been like that, and even though Laia already knew everything that was going on, the older woman would still refuse to confide in her daughter.

She never understood why her mother was like that, and sometimes Laia just doesn't want to know anymore. The girl then decides to return back to her room and feign sleep until her mother regains composure and calls her for lunch. Rather than another argument between them about what just happened, Laia would rather take another nap.

Just like what Laia thought, her mother called her an hour later. Laia saunters towards the dining room, seeing how her mother had already placed a bowl of noodles and freshly cooked meatballs on the dining table. The girl smiles at her mother and despite it being obvious that the older woman was recently crying, Laia decided not to mention anything related to it.

The mother and daughter ate in silence until the older woman asked her child about her studies. Laia excitedly tells her mother about how she got the highest score on the quiz yesterday, but her excitement disappears as she remembers the asshat's weird behavior again. She immediately pushes it to the back of her mind and continues conversing with her mother until they both finished eating and she volunteers to wash the plates.

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to--"

Laia takes the plates from her mother's hands. "I insist," She reassures the older woman with a smile. "Just go rest, mom. Watch television or something. You did work overtime yesterday, you ought to relax for today,"

And just like Laia suspected earlier, it was obvious that she did get fired from working overtime at how the older woman suddenly had a melancholic expression on her face. Maybe her employer didn't want that because he would obviously have to pay her more, or maybe he's just an asshole.

Just like the asshat. Laia wonders if those people are related, but again, there are a lot of asshats in the world.

Fortunately, her mother complies and watches television, particularly her favorite talk show. Laia was quick to wash the dishes and organize their dining table again. She then decides to check for part-time jobs nearby but tells her mother she will be visiting the park.

Her mother would absolutely refuse to let her child get a part-time job, and yet if Laia does not, the older woman would have to juggle two or three part-time jobs again. She did get fired from her main job that pays quite well.

Laia started scouting at nearby convenience stores and asked the cashiers if they were looking for part-timers. Unfortunately, all she received were a bunch of no's and referrals to other stores that still ended with another no and another refusal.

As if the day couldn't get any worse, the girl had already reached stores that were quite far from her house already. But she cannot give up, not with the thought of her mother having to take another job and ending up overworked. She cannot simply bear to just watch!

The girl arrives at a convenience store near their university and opts to start a conversation with the cashier who was busy with her phone.

"Good afternoon?"

The cashier looks up from her phone and smiles at the young girl in front of her. "Good afternoon! May I help you?"

Expecting another unfriendly and unhelpful woman, the cashier's bright personality takes Laia by surprise. The girl was still traumatized from having to face mean cashiers thrice in a row. "Uhm, is this store hiring part-timers?"

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"Oh," The cashier thinks for a moment. She then shakes her head, genuine disappointment in her movements. "Sadly, no. But I think I heard that a coffee shop is hiring. You know, the one near that university?"

Oh hell no. Laia silently prayed that it would not be the same coffee shop that she went to all the time when she still had a crush on Neil.

Thinking of Neil makes her think about the asshat which only makes Laia angry again. The girl calms herself by inhaling deeply and sighing as she massages her temples, looking at the cashier again. "Are you referring to Brewing?"

Please say no. Please say you're referring to another coffee shop near the university.

The cashier nods enthusiastically and even gives the girl a thumbs-up. "Yes, that one!"

Of course, it just had to be that coffee shop. As if her day wasn't already worse than ever, she just had to know that she can be a part-timer and help her mother with the bills and finances overall, but she has to work alongside the boy she had a crush on before the asshat decided to ruin her daydreams about Niel and her heart getting broken in the process after learning the painful truth (for about a few days and then she was all good).

But it's still gonna be awkward as hell! What if the boy asks her why wasn't she visiting the coffee shop anymore? What if the asshat ends up there and infuriates her that the only reason why she applied for a part-time job there is because of her lingering feelings?

Knowing the asshat, that would be something he will absolutely do. Laia groans in annoyance but knew she still has to help her mother so she can absolutely endure an annoying asshat and a co-worker asking her questions.

Maybe.

Laia reaches the coffee shop in a matter of minutes. It wasn't that far from the convenience store. The girl closes her eyes and prays silently, hoping for once that she wouldn't be so unlucky to see that Niel is the barista for the day. It is a weekend, so the chances are low--

As the girl opened the door of the coffee shop, she's immediately facing a familiar face.

Of course, Niel just had to be the barista during this hour. And of course, nobody was around.

Just Laia's bad luck as usual. The girl, nonetheless, plasters a fake smile on her face as she approaches the boy. The only good thing about the whole situation is that Laia no longer had a crush on the boy and could talk to him eloquently now unlike before.

Cringe, the girl thinks as she remembers how she would stammer and stumble on her words when the boy looked at her longer than usual or would ask her what she thought of the book she reads.

"Laia!" The boy exclaims, genuinely surprised. "You haven't visited for so long, how are you?"

Laia sheepishly laughs. "Yeah, I'm alright, I've just been busy these past weeks," Busy avoiding you and busy fending off asshats. "How are you?"

Niel smiles. "I'm great!" Good for you, bad for me. The boy urges Laia to sit on a chair near his workstation. It looked like he was making a latte. "It might be weird to say this as we're not really close friends, but I have to admit I handing you the books you want,"

Of course, this boy just had to be nice. If he was an asshat like the asshat back at Laia's school it would have had been so much easier to just hate and ignore him.

"Hehe," was all Laia could say. What happened to all the bragging of eloquence, Laia? "Anyway, I heard you were hiring part-timers,"

The brown eyes of the boy widened as he nods. "Yeah, we are actually. How did you know?"

"I was asking around and at one convenience store the cashier informed me that this coffee shop was looking for part-timers, so here I am."

"Oh, that's great!" The boy sincerely looked happy. "I was really worried no one would show up,"

People would definitely show up. Laia just was the first to do so. "Hopefully no one else does so I can take the job."

Her words made Niel laugh. "Yeah, you're definitely hired," It was Laia's turn to be shocked. Just like that? "I'll be glad to work with you. You're definitely probably better than Harvey who only worked here since his girlfriend wanted to stay here all the time and she didn't even bother to buy coffee!"

Laia laughs. "So he's fired already?"

"Yep," Niel replies, popping the 'p'. "The boss fired him a week back after catching him all lovey-dovey with his girlfriend. Good riddance, I was getting tired of seeing them together all the time,"

"Did he end up breaking up with his girlfriend too?"

"Hopefully," The boy rolls his eyes. "And possibly, since she doesn't get to enter this establishment anymore. The boss declared her off-limits."

The rest of the day went just like that. Conversations flowing and Laia's continuous laughing filled the empty coffee shop.

Looks like Laia was wrong about it being awkward since for the first time in a few weeks, she's having a blast.

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