Ugly(46)

“Tomorrow I’ll help you find a job. Hey, I’ve got an idea, why don’t you ask Stacey if she can set up an interview for you at one of the sister stores close to your college? I’m sure she can do that for you. She likes you ‘cause she keeps calling you in for any available shifts.”

“I can ask.” But seeing as she thinks I know about her and Mr. Hackly, I doubt she’s going to do anything for me. And considering I’m leaving Trent, I’m sure Mr. Hackly will tell her not to help me.

“Alright, well how about I get you something to wear and you can go have a shower and go to sleep.”

I look around her room and other than the loveseat we’re sitting on, there’s her double bed and a small kitchenette with a table and two chairs. “Um, are you sure I can sleep here?” I question.

“Yeah, don’t get too excited. We’ll have to share the bed.” She stands and goes to a chest of drawers, opening it and throwing me some sleep shorts. “Oh, and I like to spoon, so if you wake in a few hours and my arms are all over you, pretend it didn’t happen.” She chuckles to herself, and her infectious laugh makes me snicker too.

“Got it, you did not spoon me.” I teasingly salute her.

She throws the t-shirt at me, and then gets me a towel. Shayne shows me to the bathroom and leaves me alone. I get in the hot shower and just let the crap of today wash away.

Tomorrow before work, I’ll call the university and see if there are any dorm rooms available. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to work early and speak to Stacey.

There’s an uneasy feeling bubbling away in my stomach. The hot water streaming down on my body doesn’t do anything to lift the tension in my shoulders. My mind is spinning and I can’t seem to just switch off.

A storm is brewing. I’ve known darkness in the past, but this feeling of imminent disaster, of doom, seems right on my doorstep. If I open the door, what will I find?





“Can I borrow a uniform? I only have a couple shifts left, and everything of mine is back at Trent’s place,” I say to Shayne in the morning.

“Yeah, that’s cool.” She stretches in bed and rubs her eyes. “Do you want Liam to give you a lift in? Or the bus comes down the road.”

“It’s fine, I’ll take the bus. Hey, thank you for last night.”

She rubs her eyes again and then looks at me. “You’re welcome.”

I sit on the bed beside her, where I was sleeping last night. “I’ve never had a friend before, Shayne. I was always scared to let anyone in. And it’s taken me eighteen years, but I think I’ve found my best friend.”

“Oh my God, it’s you’re birthday today! We have to go out tonight. I’m taking you to dinner.”

“No need, I’ve never had anything done for me, so really I don’t need anything now.” I turn away so she can’t see my embarrassment.

“No one needs to have anything for their birthday. It’s a day to celebrate your birth.”

“There’s nothing really to celebrate. So can we miss it? Please?”

Shayne sits up in bed and runs her hand through her long, dark hair. “I tell you what, we can skip going out, but here are my conditions.”

“You have conditions?” I chuckle, now not ashamed but amused.

“Yes. You have to stay here until you leave for college and I have to order pizza tonight and have cake. Just me and you.”

An easiness floods me, because I’m so relieved she’s dropped the whole ‘going out’ thing tonight. “I can do that.”

“It’s settled. After work tonight, pizza and cake. And just so you know, my cake will taste terrible, but you have to pretend you love it and eat it.”

“No one’s ever made a cake for me before.” And with just that one sentence, the mood shifts again and the room is filled with heaviness. “Sorry,” I whisper because I brought Shayne’s happiness down.

“Hey.” She gets up off the bed and goes to her drawers. “Here, a uniform.” She hands me the folded shirt and pants.

I take it and go into the bathroom to change. The pants are slightly big and the shirt too long, but they’ll have to do considering I only have a couple of shifts left before I leave for college.

When I come out, Shayne is up and making coffee. But I forgo it and tell her I want to get into work to speak with Stacey.

Taking the bus to work I feel a weight sitting firmly in the pit of my stomach. I only need to get through the next few days, then I’m off to college. And it’s a huge place, so I’m hoping I won’t have to see Trent. The apartment his parents rented for us is not on campus. If I can get a dorm room, other than going to work, I won’t need to leave campus. And seeing as I know the location of the apartment, I’ll get work on the opposite side of town and then the chance of seeing him will be small.