I look over at Sloane, who has a huge grin on her face.
“I can start whenever.” I shrug.
“How about right now?” he asks. “Sloane can show you the ropes since we’re slow and then you can start training tomorrow evening, if that works for you.”
I look down at my clothes and frown. “Don’t worry,” Sloane says, looking at my outfit too. “We have shirts and your shorts are fine.”
I look back up and smile. “Well, I think we’re good to go then.”
“Perfect.” Matt slaps the counter lightly. “I’ll grab you a shirt and get the paperwork ready for you to sign while you two get started.”
He walks away, leaving Sloane and I. “Eat your food and then I’ll show you around,” she says and leaves me alone with my plate.
I eat quickly and finish just as Matt returns with my new shirt. I shuffle back into the bathroom and swap out my shirts, tucking my old one in my purse. Sloane takes me into the back, showing me my new locker where I put my belongings and my tour of the diner starts from there.
After spending the rest of the afternoon trying to learn as much as I can, I’m dismissed for the night and expected to come in the next day at four. Sloane walks with me out onto the street and stops to go in the opposite direction. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say to her. “Thanks for all of this,” I add.
Sloane smiles. She smiles a lot. “I’m so excited!” She claps her hands together. “You’re the first friend I’ve made here. We work together and have some of the same classes. This is great!”
I nod, feeling her vibe and start to feel excited too. “You’re the first friend I’ve made too,” I admit.
“The first and probably the best!” She spins around. “See you tomorrow!” She strides down the street and I swear I see her hop. Jesus, she’s fucking peppy but maybe that’s what I need in a friend. She’s like my own personal hype man.
I shake my head with a small smile and start my walk back to campus. This day took a one-eighty and completely turned around. I showed up at the diner jobless, friendless and with an empty stomach. Now I’m leaving here with a job, a new friend, and I got to eat for free.
I dig it.
4
HADLEY
“Welcome to Intro to Anatomy and Physiology, aka hell. I’m Satan and I’ll be ruling your life for the next few months.”
I stare wordlessly at the stout, frizzy-haired woman standing in front of the lecture hall, replaying the words I just heard in my head. I glance over and nudge Sloane with my elbow. She jerks her head toward me and silently mouths, “what the fuck” at me.
“What’d she say her name is?” I quiz her, trying to compare what we each heard.
“Dr. Rhoads,” she says in a harsh whisper.
“So, she’s not Satan and we’re not in hell?” I clarify, cocking my head to the side.
Sloane’s eyebrows pull together and she looks half confused and half annoyed. “You’re fucked up already?”
I let out a laugh, earning a few glances from other students. When I am fucked up, she won’t even have to ask that question. I shake my head at her, watching her face slowly relax. “I wasn’t paying attention and imagined her saying that shit.”
She gives me a knowing look. “True, girl. This shit’s gonna take over our lives.”
That is where she’s wrong, it won’t be taking over my life; I refuse to let it. Shaking my head slightly, I give her a small shrug. “Only if we let it.”
Her lips slowly curve upward into a smile. “Not fucking happening.”
In agreement, we both turn our attention back to the professor, who continues to drone on about our syllabus. This entire course load is going to suck balls while I’m here, but the end game is what’s important. After my mother’s death, I’ve wanted nothing more than to be a nurse and to help save other people’s lives. So here I am, chasing after that dream; but not without enjoying myself and the whole college experience as well. Thankfully my newfound, only friend has the same thoughts and views about this journey we’re on.
What’s that one dumbass song; “Work Hard, Play Hard?”
Because that’s exactly what we’re about to do.
We both have an hour break between classes around lunchtime, so we meet up in the parking lot at her car. Sloane doesn’t stay here in a dorm, so she always has her car. She’s living with her cousin whose house is only fifteen minutes away from campus.
We both climb in her two-door Mazda and throw our bags into the back seat. She turns on the engine and fishes around in her center console and pulls out an Altoids container. She pops the lid off and produces a pre-rolled joint. Holding it between her thumb and forefinger, she waves it around in my face with a sly grin on her face. “Wanna take a ride?”
I grab the seat belt, pulling it across my torso and clicking it in. Click it or ticket, right?
“Let’s do it.” I nod my head forward, motioning for her to get on the road. I grab the joint from her and the lighter in her cup holder while she straps in and pulls out of her parking spot. Pulling my sunglasses down over my eyes, I put the joint between my lips, cupping the opposite end as I spark the lighter and bring the flame to the paper. I puff on it a few times, making sure that it’s fully lit. The cherry burns a deep burnt orange as I pull hard, drawing the sweet thick smoke into my lungs. I exhale slowly, holding on to any last bit that I can before quickly taking another hit. Pinching it between my fingers, I pass it to Sloane as I let out another cloud of smoke. She places it between her lips, letting it dangle for a second as she turns up her stereo.
“We’re gonna make ASU our bitch,” she says, choking on the smoke and starts to laugh as she coughs. I put down my window, letting some of the smoke filter out of the car.
“ASU is already our bitch,” I counter, taking the joint back from her.
She nods vigorously, still smiling. “We’re killin’ it already and it’s only day one.” I laugh at her; at the bullshit we’re both spewing because neither of us knows what the hell we’re talking about. “For real though,” she says. “I heard some people talking about some frat party this weekend. You in?”
“Totally,” I tell her, my voice trailing off as my high slowly starts to set in. I stare out the window, bobbing my head along to Jay-Z through the speakers. Usually a party with a shitload of people I don’t know would have my anxiety through the roof. But either the Xanax from earlier or the weed from right now has me feeling like I could host the damn thing.
Sloane waves her hand in front of my face, drawing me out of my thoughts and half scaring me. “Anyone in there?” she draws out. “I’ve only been talking to you for the past couple minutes while you took a bus ride to la-la land.”
“My bad,” I say, closing my eyes and shaking my head. “I’m high as shit right now and was zonin’.”
She throws back her head and starts laughing. “Right!” she all but yells. “Let’s head back so we can get our shit together before we gotta go to class.”