Truth Time.

*Natalie*

It's past 11pm so I and Gina have to clear the bar, clean up the cups and dishes in preparation for tomorrow and arrange the chairs and tables. Also, to lock up and go prepare dinner for everyone.

Yeah. It sure sounds easy but for someone who has been working for about 15hours straight, it is not easy.

We sluggishly go about our jobs until we are done.

Gina with her own trouble with being tired, me with the thought of being sold weighing me down. It's never easy to bypass whatever Eve wants to do like that.

I really hope my Dad wins that argument but I'll miss Gina.

A lot.

It will be very lonely now that she's leaving. I'm not going to tell her though.

Hopefully, she might not get sold and if she does, I'm pretty much the only person who she has to say bye to.

I can only hope she gets sent to a good place unlike this living hell.

"Let's go up. We are done here." Gina voices out and snaps me out of my thoughts

"Okay." I smile at her and let her lead the way.

Climbing the stairs up is another torture on its own.

Really.

We both stagger up the stairs while holding the stair railings so we won't fall down as the staircase is very narrow.

We finally get upstairs and looks at each other.

Our faces are flushed and our ears are red. Terribly red.

We look at one another for another second and both burst into laughter at our own faces.

The laughter is refreshing compared to the entire day.

We both hold each other up so we can still stand.

"We still have a darned bathroom to do." Gina reminds me

"Oh shit." I say and we burst into laughter again.

We stagger to the kitchen area and start making dinner.

Dinner is usually tangible unlike the simple bread and sandwiches they eat in the morning.

Talking about breakfast, all we have both eaten today is the untouched leftovers from the customers.

It's really starting to take it's toll on us these days.

Gina looks frail and older than she originally is and I can't even see my own body but I know I have lost my looks.

My dimple especially.

Unconsciously, I tap where my dimple is supposed to be and press it in and in the process, get pepper on my face.

Gina sees the pepper and laughs out loud.

"You have pepper on your face." She stutters amidst her laughter and removes it for me.

She looks into my eyes and though her lips are still smiling, her eyes aren't anymore.

They look deeper than what a smile in the eyes can be.

I hold her gaze there until...

"God knows when Dinner will be ready tonight. In 20 minutes or no dinner for you both..." Eve shouts from the stairs

We break our eye contact and go back to what we were doing.

"Gina. To my room now." Eve says finally and leaves

Gina looks worried and glances at me. I guess the time has come for her to know she'll be leaving soon.

I hold in whatever it is I feel and smile at her in reassurance.