Chapter 1

RUBIE'S POV

I hug my pillow on my bed as I drown in my beautiful sleep. Sleeping was a hobby; I could do it anywhere, anytime, and I enjoyed it. In my dreams, I'm in the middle of running my own food company when... brrr!..brrr!!..brrr!!!. My alarm clock suddenly goes off. I lazily turn around with a frown, grumbling as I snatch the alarm clock. It's just 7:30 am then I turn it off. I leave behind my unpleasant and rude awakening and return to what I do best when my notification sound goes off. "Oh, for fuck sake." I say, jumping off again, "Why do I always forget to turn that off before going to bed" I bitterly curse myself, but upon opening the email, a wide grin spreads on my face; it's an email from the company I applied for an internship in, they got back to me, and I got in, my interview will be on Friday.

What internship will we get to that?

First, my name is Rubina Jackson, but please call me Rubie. I'm a dark skinned 21 year old Junior on scholarship at the University of California, and not a very interesting person to know about. Still, I need to learn to overshare, so you'll learn more about me as the events unfold. I'm currently on the lookout for an internship. I've applied to four places in the U.S. and abroad, and 3 of the positions have been taken, I lost all hope, but now I have just got contacted by the one abroad, South Korea. Exactly SOUTH KOREA!!! Like fuck! I don't know shit about them except their K-dramas and K-pop, that's all, but hell, I'll take it 'cause if I don't get an internship that pays, I'll have to do charity work with no pay, and I need the cash, so where ever it takes me doesn't matter as long as it pays.

I get up and grab my toiletries and towel; I walk into the bathroom, and there's isn't a crowd as usual. Classes start at 12 am, but I don't have classes.

I wear a black top and pants, grab my uniform in my backpack, and head to work. "Hey, Rubie!"

"Hi, Brooke," I say, nodding

"I believe you'll be taking the orders today," she says with a smirk

"No, you know I don't like interacting with customers, ugh!"

"Well, I wanted to be at the back for a change," she says, giggling, and goes out. I take my spot behind the counter, waiting for customers.

A customer walks in,

"Good morning, welcome to Starbucks. What is your order" I say, looking at the smiling woman

"Oh, right. I'll like a Grande café Americano and an Impossible breakfast sandwich." She says, and I type it in

"Card," I say, pointing to the place to pay

"Okay, sorry..." She trails off while giving me her card, then continues, "Uhm... you aren't the young lady that used to be here before, right? Are you new?" she asked with a questioning look

I nod. "Yes, and no, I'm not new; I just never take orders," I say, handing her back her card.

"Oh, okay"

"Your name?"

"Yeah, Linda, please."

"Okay, one Grande café Americano and an impossible breakfast sandwich for Linda," I say, handing the coffee to her with a smile.

She smiles back and walks out.

Another person comes to the counter, but I'm distracted to see the person

"Welcome to Starbucks, your order," I say, lifting my head, and oh boy, I shouldn't have

"Yeah, a Vent-- Rubie?, Hey," holy fuck Brad!

"Hi, Brad, right?" I say, pretending to have forgotten his name

"Yeah, Brad. I never knew you worked here. I've been coming here often, and I didn't see you", Yeah, curse my luck; the first day I stayed behind the counter, I encountered him

"Yeah, I don't take orders," I say, looking at him

"Hey babe, what's holding you up," a girl says, and it's Jessica

"Yeah, Jessie, look who I met."

"Oh, hi," she says with a nervous smile

"Hey, Jessie," I say with a fake smile.

Oh, curses, today I have to encounter my cheating ex and my ex-best friend that he cheated on me with.

"Your order, please," I say, returning to work.

"Yeah, two...uh....one Venti Cinnamon Dolce latte and one Grande Apple spice," the same thing he always had, well... without the Apple spice

"Okay, card," I say, typing the order.

"Your name-- oh right, sorry," I say, chuckling; how stupid of me to ask their names when I know I'll never forget it. We wait for a few minutes before their order arrives then Jessica decides to say the stupidest thing she might have said in her life.

"uh, maybe we could hang out sometime as we used to before, Rubie?" Jessica asks the audacity. I scoff

"Nah, bruh, that ain't happening. Not now, not ever. I'm talking to you now 'cause it's in the code of conduct to be polite to customers, so don't see me on the road and try to act friendly, 'cause that ended the day I saw you in my boyfriend's bed, 'kay?. So respect yourself and take your order," I say, handing them the orders and continuing, "Walk out peacefully so I don't create a scene. And take your bitch along with you," I say, pointing at Brad.

They were so shocked even to move cause when the incident happened, I just walked out quietly, and they thought I was over it since the incident three years ago. I haven't sighted or spoken to them because I went to school, so they don't know I've been holding onto it. I'm not bitter towards them, just hurt, and that hurt is now anger because of what this bitch just said. And I'm happy they're still together; they deserve each other.

"Hey, you're holding up the line; some of us still want our coffee," a man in the line says; I didn't even notice the 'line' customers made.

"Next," I say, glaring at them as they hurry.

After the scene, work continued smoothly; at the end of my shift, I was cleaning up when Brooke came to me, "Rubie?, You know how I wanted to work out the back?, well please I want to retake orders, please!!!" she finishes with a crying face.

I just laughed. "I think I like this job more, Brooke; you should stay at the back more often," I say in a teasing tone.

"WHAT?!!! No, please, Rubie, please. It isn't that I don't like it, but I miss taking orders... PLEASE! Raymond has been bugging me. You know I won't ask if he wasn't involved," she says dramatically, folding her hands like she wants to worship

I shake my head and grab my bag as the people for the second shift come in; because I'm a student, my schedule is flexible; I work from morning to 4:00 on free days.

"Hi Rubie," my coworker says

"Hey," I say, smiling at him, and then turn my attention back to Brooke

"Tomorrow, you continue the position assigned to you, okay," I say, heading out the door

"YES! YES!! YES!!! Thank you, Rubie."

I hear her say before the door closes.

I walk back to my dorm thinking I will have my interview on Friday, so I have to ace it and... wait, I haven't even told Mom; I facepalm myself as I get there. Since I stay in the room alone, I take my key out to unlock the door when my phone starts ringing, and it's mom, talk of the devil, and she appears or... calls? "hello, momma, how are you doing today?." I say, opening my door, but before she replies, "And yeah, I finally got the internship, but a downer, it's in South Korea!. But I still have an interview on Friday. I know, right, across the world and all, so you'll not allow me to go, but please, please, please, I need to go, I want a change of environment, and they pay and...and--"

"RUBINA JACKSON!!! Breathe. I'm doing fine, thanks, and congratulations on getting the internship, yes, it's in South Korea, and I'm uncomfortable with you leaving the country cause it's your first time flying. However, you can still go," Did I hear Mrs overprotective Jane Jackson say what she said? "Wait, you'll let me go? Is this a prank or something"

"I'm dead ass serious, and quit asking me questions before I change my mind. Anyway, I called to check on you; you're doing well, so I'll hang up now. I'm going to make your dad dinner. He came home earlier today, and customers at the restaurant also left earlier. Ace that interview honey. Bye, love," she says and hangs up.

I'm smiling ear to ear; I have permission, so I'll be looking forward to the interview now; by God's grace, I'll ace it. I decided to read and complete the project I'm meant to submit next week cause I need all the time next week to research the company and quiz myself on the upcoming interview. After I complete my project, it's 7:00 pm, and I get dinner and sleep.