A complete chapter!

Yes you heard it correctly! I actually finished a chapter. Well the bare bones of it anyway. I'm very happy about actually getting a cohesive story down. It makes my thoughts seem a lot less jumbled. And that makes me very happy. So here is my post of my first chapter here! Yay!

Chapter 1: Life



I was thinking about her smile today. And his eyes. They were always so happy. Her smile could just lighten any bad mood that I was in. And his eyes? Ahh there was no describing the love I found there. The love I felt each time they took me in their arms and hugged me.


“Jenna where are you?!” I jumped as my name was shouted, nearly dropping the tray of drinks that I held. I was daydreaming again.


“Coming!” I called hurrying from the kitchen. Tonight was not the night to mess things up by letting my mind wander. Best not to dwell on the past. Especially when you couldn’t change it. I had more pressing matters to attend to. It was Friday and the restaurant was packed. But that wasn’t surprising. Joe’s Restaurant was always packed. And I couldn’t afford to lose this job. So I needed to be on top of my game tonight. (Cornell University in Ithaca, NY).


I hurried towards table four and placed their drinks down. Plastering on a smile I pulled out my pad and pencil, “Is there anything I can start you off with tonight?” I asked, playing the perfect hostess. The elderly couple gave me a friendly smile and gave me their orders. I gave an inward sigh of relief as I walked from the table, thankful that the couple hadn’t been upset at my tardiness. I couldn’t afford to lose business for the restaurant. I hastily returned to the kitchen under the watchful and scrutinizing eye of my supervisor, David. I held back a shudder as I passed by him. There was something definitely off about that guy. I shook my head again.


‘Focus Jenna! The orders need to get going.’ I mentally scolded myself. Tonight was definitely ranking up there with my toughest nights at work. I simply couldn’t concentrate!


“Hey Rach, I need a B.Y.O.P. and a Pesto for table four.” I called into the kitchen, placing the order ticket on the rotator and checking the orders of my other four tables. Table seven’s plates were just being placed on a tray for me.


The head chef, Rachael, gave me a pitying smile, her eyes crinkling around the edges, a wisp of her chestnut hair escaping from it’s bun. “Oh Jen, you look awful. Did you get any sleep last night?”


I waved my hand disconcertedly, “Nah. You know me Rach! I’m too busy for sleep…it’s vastly overrated.” Grabbing the plates for table seven I sent Rachael a cheeky grin, trying to ease the worry that creased her brow and hurried from the kitchen before she could question me further.


Rachael was the closest thing I had to a best friend. Though ten years separated us in age, she understood me better than anyone and she was always making comments about my sleep, or lack there-of. Though because she wasn’t in college, she didn’t understand my dedication to homework. She always complained about how tired I looked and how stressed I seemed to be. But that was something that couldn’t be helped. I worked six days a week in order to afford my apartment and college expenses that my scholarship didn’t cover. And when I got off of work, I spent most the nights studying and staying on top of homework. Cornell University was not cheap both money wise and sleep wise. But I figured that one day it would all be well worth it.


After tending to my tables, I checked my watch. It was 8:00. Only one more hour and then I could go home. The conversations, smells, and music were all starting to wear on my nerves and I could feel a headache creeping in the back of my head. Sighing, I headed towards the employee bathroom and went to my purse, under the table, retrieving my small bottle of Tylenol.


“Oh Jenna!” my co-worker Andrea squealed, skipping towards me. We were the only two people in the bathroom. My head gave a nasty little twinge of pain, reminding me why I held the Tylenol in my hand.


With a silent groan I straightened up and plastered a smile on my face. Andrea was the outgoing, bubbly waitress at work. She was blonde, beautiful, and had that exciting personality that the men just seemed to be drawn towards. She was a college student like me, but we ran in very different circles. Her life revolved around social excursions and new boys every weekend while mine revolved around work, school, and whatever sleep I could get. But she was friendly enough and we were actually rather close despite our vast differences.


“Oh Jenna it’s wonderful!” Andrea exclaimed, grabbing my hands. I closed my fist in order to keep a hold of my Tylenol. “There’s going to be a party tonight!”


“Oh…uh that’s really great Andrea,” I stuttered quietly, pulling my hands out of hers. Honestly parties didn’t excite me in the slightest.


Andrea just rolled her eyes at me, “Of course you aren’t excited. You hate dances. But I don’t get why!” She started fixing her hair, “Can’t you come with me just this once? I bet I could make you have a good time.”


My chest clenched in guilt. It was really sweet of her to invite me to a party, but the thought of being around so many people…I shuddered.


“I’m sorry Andrea, I just can’t. I’m really busy tonight. I’ve got so much homework to get done and my laundry is getting a little scary. Maybe next time,” I tried to smile in appreciation towards her gesture.


Andrea just shook her head at me, her mouth jutting out into her ever famous pout. I could understand why so many boys were chasing after her. That pout could make anyone feel guilty. “You always have an excuse why you can’t come out to do something. But I hope that you’ll come out one day and actually try to have some fun! Imagine the hot guys that’ll be there. Don’t you want to be around that?” Her eyes got a dreamy quality to them and I rolled mine in response.


“Not really. Guys don’t seem all that interest in me anyway Andrea and if I’m not there, then it’s more for you right?” I replied lightly as she sent me a grin, “But I’ll try to get together next time. I promise.”


And I meant it. I valued Andrea as a friend and I wanted things to last between the two of us, but it was just so hard to deviate from my schedule to venture outside of my comfort zone. I just couldn’t seem to work up the nerve to move from the stable life I had constructed for myself. It just seemed too hard.


Andrea clicked her tongue at me, quirking an eyebrow. “You really believe that? Guys are just falling all over you Jen, you just don’t realize it do you?” I stared at her incredulously. Was she seriously talking about me? I was plain jane, bookworm, workaholic. Who in their right mind would be interested in me? She merely shook her head in response to my confused look. “I won’t pester you to come Jenna, but next time I’m holding you to your promise.”


She gave me a cheeky smile and walked off, her I let out another groan of agitation and popped the pills into my mouth, not bothering to wash it down with any water. I needed to get back to work. I checked my watch again. 45 more minutes.


Thankfully, however, the rest of my hour ended quickly. I hastily gave my seating chart to Bridgette, my replacement and moved my tired body out the door and began my fifteen minute walk back to my apartment. The winter wind was blowing viciously and my teeth immediately began to chatter from the sudden temperature change. Pulling my wool coat tighter around me, I ducked my head and headed into the storm and towards the prospect of my warm inviting apartment.


Soon enough my complex loomed ahead and I gave an appreciated sigh of relief. The sooner I was out of this cold weather the better. My teeth were still chattering and my hands had gone numb. I hastened my pace, running up the stairs and jamming my key into the lock. Without too much thought I made my way into my living room and plopped down on the couch letting out a sigh of relief. Home at last. Now I could started on my mountain of homework.


I groaned again and sprawled myself on the couch.


“You’ll have to get up eventually Jenna,” I reminded myself, “The homework won’t do itself.”


Oh how I wish it did though! Sometimes the days just seemed too long and tiring to handle.


But I didn’t get up right away. Instead I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, trying to ease the headache. I couldn’t hurt to relax for just a moment. To let my mind wander. What could be the harm in that?


I don’t know whether I had completely fallen asleep or not, but as soon as I let my mind relax images I never wanted to see again came flooding back. I felt my heart start beating faster, and my eyes shot open. I let out a strangled gasp and pushed the images back, rebuilding the wall that had so easily crumbled when I closed my eyes. No I definitely could not make that mistake again.


Pushing myself into a sitting position, I ran a hand through my tangled hair and glanced at the clock. It was just after one in the morning. I hadn’t been asleep for too long. Rising from the couch I grabbed my book bag and and headed towards the kitchen table. Now was the time to get my studying done. Perhaps things would go by fast.


A girl could hope.