The Last Shift

-𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊 𝖞𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖗-

The mornings in St. Honors city suburbs aren't quite nearly as noisy or busy as the centre where people rush in every direction chasing work and transportation. Mondays are not such a dreadful affair since they're mostly unoccupied this semester for me. I don't know what kind of lucky being has blessed me, but I'm sure not complaining. Although, even when I say that, I'm still spending the day working part-time, so it's not like I'm free to do as I wish. In fact, the shift that starts at 8am and ends at 12pm in the coffee shop is followed right up by another shift in the annex clinic that spans another six hours. By the end of the day, all I aspire to do is have a long night of sleep in preparation for the following university morning.

Opening the cosy café brimming with the warmth and appetizing smell of freshly baked goods and newly brewed coffee is a luxury I'm able to enjoy to the fullest away from all the usual stress of life. It helps that it's a specialty coffee house run by the old man Leo. I have often wondered how a man whose scalding looks and permanent frown planned to run a successful café exactly, but having worked here during the entirety of my high school weekends I am able to confirm that it is, indeed, very wrong to judge books by their covers. I am convinced Leo is just a giant stuffed teddy bear in macho-Italian-man skin. He was quite harmless. Granted, only tough-skinned customers are really able to brave the odds of the mighty scowl to find the kind man behind it, but they're almost instantly charmed, and pledge loyalty to The Coffee House.

"Cara, your shift's almost up." Leo's deep voice called my attention as I served my last customer.

"Really?" I looked up at the clock in confusion. It certainly felt like time flew by. The café was busier than usual today for some reason. "Lucky me, I guess."

"Come here," He waved me over. One of my co-workers had just taken over so I could step back without worry. Folding my apron and tucking it away neatly, I took a seat at Leo's table. He gave me a disapproving glance, looking up from his newspaper. "You haven't taken a single thing for lunch today. What do I do with you?"

I smiled sheepishly, folding my hands and trying to peek curiously at the newspaper. "I just lost track of time, old man. Don't worry about it."

"Lost track of time my ass." He grunted, telling my co-worker Sam to get me a vanilla latte and a couple pastries. He then pointed at me, with annoyance. "And who do you think you're calling an old man, little girl?"

"Ah," I gave Sam an apologetic smile. He didn't have to serve me on top of his customers as well. Leonardo could be such a mother hen sometimes, but I'm glad of it. I'm desperate enough to accept the scraps of his generous parental attention since I've never known any. I smiled bitterly at the thought.

"Don't pull that face with me, cara." He sighed, taking my hand in his carefully. It was quite cute to see his brows furrow in a sympathetic and worried expression, though for any outsider, he probably looked like an angry giant. "Just don't skip your meals, okay? You know I don't like it when you do that. Is it the money? Do you need a raise?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Shaking my head, I squeezed his sturdy strong hand, though he probably didn't feel the gesture. "I'll have none of that, Leo. Thank you. You're already paying us a generous amount. Any more and we'd be plainly robbing you."

"Tsk." He shook his head, but his lips were lifted in a barely there smile. "You worry for them and they call you an old man. Children these days."

"I'm twenty-three, soon to be twenty-four." I pretended to look about curiously, "I don't see any children around here... Oh, you must mean Sam."

"I heard that!" He shouted indignantly from behind the counter.

Leo chuckled hoarsely, putting the papers aside. I smiled proudly, being able to entertain him was oddly satisfying. He pat my hand and retrieved his own. "Eat up before you leave, Rose. Wouldn't want you fainting or worse, God forbid." His expression darkened just at the thought. I decided not to test his patience any longer and tucked into the food.

"Sammy, can you please get me a cappuccino to go? I'll be leaving in a couple minutes." I asked him. Sam was only two years younger than me, but we got on surprisingly well. Which is quite the achievement considering the fact there are very few people I usually get along with, if at all.

"Ah." Leo lifted his brow suggestively, "You sure are spoiling that boyfriend of yours huh."

I sighed resignedly, gulping down the last of my drink. "Oh please, Dom and I have been friends for two years now. When will you realize that's all we'll ever be?"

"Well you tell me." Leo grumbled, "You're spending a lot of time with him lately, so you don't sound very convincing to me."

"It just so happens that we work the same shift at the clinic and we have some overlapping classes together at uni. I told you that before." I replied somewhat defensively. I mean Dom is a great guy and all, but I'm sure he's never seen me in a romantic light the same way I never did. Plus, the last thing I need on my plate right now is a relationship.

"Whatever you say." He said dismissively. This man can be infuriating at times, but I guess the free food and good company make up for it. "You'll be late if you don't get going now."

Surely enough, I was running later than usual. With the cappuccino in hand, and my bag secured on my arm, I left with a hasty goodbye, speed walking to the bus station barely in time to catch my usual bus.

"Thought you wouldn't make it for a second there." Dom snickered, amused by my misery. I handed him the hot drink and slid into the seat he saved me by the glass window. Huffing from my lack of fitness. He bumped my shoulder and raised his drink with a wide smile that made his cheek dimple. "Thanks, Lils. This is exactly what I needed. You're the best."

"Yeah, yeah." I waved my hand casually. "Figured you'd be dying for some sleep coming off a full weekend of student exploitation."

"You make it sound like I'm doing something illegal." He snorted, moving to better accommodate his long legs. "Man, these seats are uncomfortable af."

"I'm afraid the bus manufacturers didn't take into account giants when designing means of commute." Outside the window, we'd just passed the stretching grounds of St. Honors university, commonly known as SHU, and we were a few minutes away from the annex clinic at most.

"Hey! It's not my fault I'm built like this." He shot back indignantly.

"Well it gives you an uncanny advantage when playing basketball, otherwise I can't see why they'd put you on the team." I muttered, trying to keep from smiling.

"Ouch." He rubbed the spot over his heart mockingly. "Who pissed in your cereal this morning?"

"Emilia Brown, that's who." I sighed, sliding deeper in my seat, rubbing my temple. I had the worst morning simply for waking up much earlier than needed, thus coincidentally bumping into Emilia before she left for work. That proved to be a mistake on my part never to be repeated again. It was obvious that our contact should be kept to the utmost minimum.

Dom snorted, "That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea." I whined, rubbing my temples that ached dully with a distant headache. I looked at Dominic by my side. His black eye-bags were pronounced and yet they never detracted from the bastard's charm. Even after a weekend of nonstop work, Dom still had that sexy tired look that made girls fawn over him wherever he went. I truly couldn't understand this man's ability to function properly knowing that he barely gets four hours of sleep every day, having to balance classes and studies, basketball, part-time jobs left and right, and keeping his charming lovely facade in front of everyone else. It if were me, I'd be so cranky people would turn a full one-eighty upon seeing me... not that people generally approach me even on my good days.

I honestly don't even know what a guy like Dom sees in someone like me to want to willingly be my friend. I'm not a terrible person by any means, nor am I saying that I'm unworthy of friendship, but it seemed like I would be too boring of a person for Dom who attracts flocks of popular people seeking his attention on the daily. I wouldn't say that if I couldn't personally vouch for the one time in university where all he did was smile to a group of freshmen girls passing us by in the hallways and one of them literally dropped the armful of textbooks she held to openly gaze at him like she couldn't believe he was a real person who'd acknowledged her existence. It was as comical and weird as it sounds.

Not to say I am not glad for having him as a friend. I don't think the past couple of years would have been as smooth-going as they were without him in the mix. It's actually unbelievable to think that some two years back from this day, Dom and I had never known one another and only met by chance on this same bus making the same commute to the clinic. Back then, he used to keep his blond hair much shorter, and had a weird obsession with wearing handkerchiefs as wrist bands. We sat in these very same seats, where he was so tired that he had fallen asleep on my shoulder without realizing it, and being as socially awkward as I am I couldn't bring my voice any louder to wake him up in a bus full of commuters. I settled for shaking his shoulder, but the guy was exhausted to the point he didn't feel my struggle. At the end I had to pluck up courage to yell in his ear that he had to get up since I reached my destination. Suprisingly, he'd gotten off at the same station and was absolutely mortified for having slept the entire commute on my shoulder. Thus, apologies and introductions made, Dom and I turned out to be both working part time at the same clinic, and after my transfer back to St. Honors university a year ago, I was more than happy to find that he and I had some classes in common.

"You know, all Primrose kept talking about yesterday was that piano piece she's been looking forward to play for you." Dom scratched the back of his head as we made our way to the staff room. The clinic was pretty big for just being the annex to the central one on the other side of St. Honors city. However this place mostly housed therapy-receiving patients from children to elderly people. Dom has been working here way before I had joined and he mostly kept to the department for elderly people, whilst I've been mostly assigned to help around with the teenagers. I definitely don't know why they would think it's a good idea to have me interact with young kids because I lack the social skills for it, not to mention that teenagers scare me. Well, with the exception of Primrose. That girl's an angel, mostly.

"She's sweet." I smiled, remembering her bright excited face when she sees me and gets to talk about all things that interest her. I get the feeling she doesn't get to speak freely to so many people, and I've rarely seen her hang out with kids her age, so I'm convinced she feels very lonely in a place like this. "Did you know that her birthday's coming up pretty soon? I can't believe she's turning seventeen so soon."

"I know right?" Dom grumbled, tugging on the short sleeves of his uniform. "Way to make you feel ancient. It's almost like it was just yesterday when she arrived at the centre."

Yes, Dominic apparently was working here a few months before Prim arrived. She was fourteen years old at the time, and -according to what I gleaned from his ramblings- much quieter and gloomier of a child then. I couldn't even bring myself to imagine a Primrose who isn't constantly smiling. Although I got to know quite a few things about her in the two years I spent working here with her around, I don't exactly know the details of her admission to this clinic or when she's supposed to leave. But as long as she is around, I'm just happy I could help make her days somewhat more tolerable.

"Do you think we can throw her a mini party or something? After all, it's not every day a girl turns seventeen." I thought of the possibility. Prim generally didn't have many visitors, at least none whom I've ever seen on my shift. Last year around her birthday, I was busy with university so we could only celebrate later on my shift, and even then she'd said that she only left the clinic on the morning of her birthday and came back towards the evening. It was a relief at least to know she didn't spend her entire birthday cooped up in her room. It's sad to even think about some of these kids that don't get to leave the place for extensive amounts of time.

A cold hand on my forehead stopped me short of my thoughts. I looked up to find Dom shaking his head, "I can almost hear your brain working. Just don't overthink it. We can try to throw a little surprise party for her. It'll be good for the kids as well to have fun and get along together."

I nodded, letting out a breath of relief. It was time for us to part ways anyway and go do our seperate jobs. With a promise of meeting for lunch the following day, I watched Dom walk away with a big smile hiding any indication of exhaustion and greeting every person he comes across along the hallway. I think I need to ask him to give me lessons on how to do that.

The children's wing was the least busy out of all the age groups admitted to the clinic. It wasn't so very bad to mostly work here, even with all the mischief the younger ones get up to. Nothing a few serious words couldn't set straight. As long as the children still somehow listen to me and never seem to want to get on my nerves. I guess I walk a very thin line of admiration and fear with them, but I'm not complaining.

"You're finally here!" A chirpy voice sounded from the far end of the garden. Sure enough, Prim's hair secured in a ponytail swayed behind her as she ran to catch up with me. She seemed livelier than usual today which was always a good sight to behold. There was a big smile on her face, and her cobalt blue-grey eyes shone with youthful excitment. It subconsciously drew a smile on my face as well. "I couldn't take it here one more second without you, Lily!" She sighed dramatically.

"Someone missed me." I joked, patting her head. "What mischief were you up to on your own?"

She pouted slightly, "When did I ever misbehave? Dr. Rowanda would probably lock me up in my room if I act out." She leaned slightly forward and whispered conspiratorially, "Didn't you hear she grounded that Rey guy for an entire week? Rumour has it he set fire to the old oak trees in the backyard."

I felt my brows go higher in shock. I always knew he was less than happy to be here, but he set fire to the garden? I'm glad I wasn't around for that episode. "Well that's something." I don't know if I'm impressed or scared. "Did you ever talk to the guy?"

"Me?" she squeaked, looking around us cautiously. "No way, Lils! The guy is a rumoured maniac. I mean, all of us that go here are wackos, but you know! Not setting-fire-to-buildings kind of wacko."

I tried to stifle my laughter immediately and shook my head. "You don't strike me as 'wacko'. Half of you kids are just a bit misunderstood and need some patience, no?"

"I'm not a kid!" She crossed her arms. "I'm turning seventeen in four days."

I agreed solemnly. "Right, I forgot you're basically a grandma now. My apologies."

"Hey!" She yelled then fell into a fit of giggles. I checked my watch and realized I had to meet with Dr. Rowanda to get briefed on my new schedule.

"Right, you move along then and do your thing." I straightened her blouse and shooed her away. "Aren't you supposed to be in class now? I need to work, but we'll hang out a bit before I leave, okay? You can show me your progress with piano then."

"Yes please, I'm excited to play for you. Good luck!" She shouted after me.