A Castle of Sand(100)

“Dad,” I said, appearing in his room as the sun rose. I was dressed in black pants and a white shirt with my jacket on. The moment he saw me, I’m sure he knew what I was going to do.
“Amy, no.”
“And why not, exactly?” I asked, leaning against the doorpost. “Have you seen the amount of money we have lately?”
“Amy.” He sat up, trying to take a sip of water, but finding his stomach wouldn’t have any of it. “This isn’t what I wanted for you, to ever have to do this.”
“Don’t be dramatic, Dad,” I said. “Leave that for the students. It’s not forever. It’s just for a few days, until you feel better.”#p#分页标题#e#
“You’re better than this,” he managed, and I sighed.
“If it’s good enough for you forever, it’s good enough for me. It’ll be fine, Daddy, don’t worry. It was fine when I spent those few weeks working with you a summer ago.”
“That was…” He gasped at the pain in his stomach, wincing for a moment, and then continued. “That was for work experience, for your college applications. You shouldn’t have to worry about money or jobs, or any of this.”
“Well, maybe I need more work experience. Other girls my age have much more experience than me, at multiple jobs. A few more days can only inch closer to looking good,” I said, with a half-smile. I knew him too well. We would argue for another few minutes, and then he would let me have my way. That’s how it always was.
“How are you feeling?” he asked and I raised my eyebrow, finding it funny that in light of the situation, he was the one asking me this.
“I feel fine, I swear,” I replied. “And my cell phone is fully charged, I promise I’ll call you every break.”
Eventually, he sighed, too tired to argue. And he knew I was speaking sense; he had seen the contents of the fridge. I was doing what was necessary.
“All right,” he said, finally. “Call me every break. And I know when they are.”
“Of course,” I replied, blowing him a kiss from the doorway. “Can I bring you anything else?”
“You’ll be late,” he said to me, and I grinned, nodding as I closed the door behind me. As soon as I was outside, in the early morning sunshine, I texted Sarah.
He said yes! To the school I go.
The reply came back almost instantly.
TELL ME EVERYTHING! Oh my God, SO LUCKY!
I smiled at this. When Sarah and I had discussed it last night, I thought it would be impossible. But now as I walked toward the school, it felt like I was living a dream.
Even if I had not spent every second day sneaking around the school, I had spent enough time there legally to know it like the back of my hand. There were no first day jitters, no fears of the unfamiliar that usually accompanied entering a new place. Instead, I was full of energy with a huge smile on my face when I slid through the back door of the kitchen.
“Watch out, Trouble Jr. is here!” called out Adam, who was my Dad’s right-hand man, and had known me since I was a child. I grinned, opening my mouth to explain the situation, but Adam shook his head. “He already spoke to me, kid. You’re not the only one who can communicate with a cell phone.”
I laughed at that, slipping my phone into my back pocket. “So, what’s happening today?”
“Big group of people today, few different events going on,” Adam said, as he led me toward the back so I could get an apron and cap. “Now, listen, Amy, I know it’s hard to cook with gloves, but…”
“You need me to, in case I cut my hand off and blood goes everywhere,” I replied, with a tight smile. “I know. Don’t worry about it”
“Don’t cut your hand off, your father will be mad,” Adam replied, trying to lighten the situation. “That’s a general rule for all chefs.”
“Right.” I nodded, and shooed him out so I could suit up. Feeling a bit like I was a surgeon preparing for an operation, I exited the changing room and headed for the prep line.
“All right, can you cut up these veggies?” Adam asked. I nodded. “We need enough for an army, so don’t stop until you can’t find another vegetable in this kitchen. You get three coffee breaks and an hour for lunch, but I’ll let you take them whenever you need, kid. Just pace yourself and be…”
“Careful,” I finished the sentence with an eye roll, and then rolled up my sleeves in order to wash the massive pile of vegetables in the tin bowl in front of me. The vegetables were meant to go with a homemade dip that was being prepared opposite me. Nothing at this school was done simply. I knew that simple cubes of cucumber or carrot sticks weren’t going to suffice. Instead, I cut shapes, stars, circles and squares, making a rainbow array of colors and shapes, arranging them on platter after platter. I smiled as I worked, listening to the conversations around me. It was so nice to be out of the house and around people. Still, my heart hammered every time I looked at the clock. I was timing my three breaks so that each one would coincide with catching a bit of my favorite classes, or seeing my favorite instructors. If I could slip in just three times today, it would be enough to keep me happy for another few days.