She bit her lip and took a deep breath. Maggie was always telling her off for getting into arguments with customers, but this one deserved it. Clarissa considered dumping the frozen drink over his head as she poured it into a to-go cup, but it wasn’t worth her job. The economy sucked and Clarissa needed the money if she were going to start classes next semester or get a new car before hers broke down leaving her stranded on the side of some deserted highway. Clarissa always feared the scenario, although she wasn’t sure why. She’d never be dumb enough to drive down a deserted highway, not even at high noon.
Clarissa topped the drink with the customary whipped cream and rang him out. She talked quickly not even bothering to pause for breath in between her words. Clarissa just wanted to get him out of the shop before she said something she’d regret if Maggie ever found out about it.
“I wanted it for here,” he said narrowing his eyes.
“Too bad,” Clarissa retorted, “We close in five minutes.”
“Whatever,” he said and paid for the drink.
After he left Clarissa clocked out and left, locking the door behind her. She wasn’t worried what Maggie would say about five minutes. If she had to deal with another asshole today she was going to end up with her first assault charge and spending the night in the county jail wasn’t in Clarissa’s plans. She hadn’t been a bad teenager and had never gotten in trouble at school or with the law. Her grades had been good, but not great. If they had been great she would have qualified for a scholarship and wouldn’t have to work so hard. She shook her head and frowned.
“I’m beginning to sound like those stuck-ups,” she sighed to herself, “A little hard work never killed anyone. It’s just been a long day, that’s all.”
Clarissa slid behind the wheel of her beat up blue clunker and slid off her shoes. She knew it was against the law to drive barefoot, but her new flats were rubbing her heels raw and she couldn’t stand it another second. Clarissa sighed in relief as she settled herself into the familiar driver’s seat. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. All she needed to do was go home and sink to her nose in a jasmine bubble bath. Tomorrow was Saturday and she was going shopping with Julie. Everything would be better after a good night of sleep and a long day of shopping with her bestie. Not that she would really be buying much. She had put aside enough money for a new skirt, because her favorite was so frayed she was too embarrassed to wear it outside of her apartment.
Clarissa dug through her purse before remembering her keys were now clipped to its strap with a cute red plastic key ring she had purchased the day before from the local gas station. They must have not been too popular because they were selling them two for a buck. She smiled to herself as she slid the key into the ignition. Her ears were anxious to hear the sound of the engine rev, but it didn’t come. Only a dull growl that made Clarissa fear her starter wasn’t working.
“Damn it,” she swore and punched the wheel causing the horn to sound.
Clarissa waited a few minutes and tried it again. When it didn’t work the second time she tried it again and again, until she was constantly turning the key in its slot. Eventually even the low growl stopped. A light in the corner of her eye drew her attention. Her check engine light was on. There was no helping her car tonight.
She pulled out her cellphone and tried her bestie, Julie, but only got voice mail. Sighing, Clarissa pulled her purse over her shoulder and exited her car. She held her shoes in one hand as she locked the door. The parking lot felt rough against the soles of her feet, but the walk home was going to be even worse, so Clarissa chose to ignore the pain for now.
She made it only a few blocks before having to sit down on the curb. Her blisters were throbbing and she was considering calling a taxi. The twenty dollar fare would cut into her shopping money, but Clarissa feared that she might not make it home otherwise. She retrieved her phone from her purse and stared at the keypad as she tried to remember the number to phone for a taxi. A motorcycle sped by, blowing Clarissa’s hair into her face and mouth. She pulled the slobbery strands out of her mouth and shook her head. Tonight wasn’t going to get any better.
“If it’s not one thing, it’s another,” she sighed, exasperated.
Her heart skipped a beat and Clarissa tensed when she saw the motorcycle do
a u-turn and come back down the street. She had heard horror stories about crazy bikers who had kidnapped young women. Clarissa quickly got to her feet and began to hobble away. She kept a tight grip on her phone, because if the biker did harass her, Clarissa’s only hope was to phone to the police for help.
The bike came to a stop a few feet behind her.
“Hey, you need some help?” the biker called out.
The voice sound vaguely familiar so Clarissa dared a look back over her shoulder. It was the jerk.
“From you?” Clarissa crinkled her nose, “As if!”
“Fine, if you want to hobble wherever your headed, it’s not my problem,” he said and restarted the bike’s engine.
“Fine!” Clarissa said, “But I don’t want to go for a joyride! I just want you to take me home, okay?”
The guy just shrugged and motioned for her to get on if she was coming. Clarissa climbed onto the bike behind him and tried to figure out what to hold onto. She had never ridden a motorcycle before and not having a helmet made her nervous.
“I don’t know about this,” she said.
“You’ll be fine,” he chuckled, “Don’t stress so much, Bookworm.”
“Aren’t you supposed to wear a helmet?” Clarissa asked, too nervous to worry about what he had called her yet again.
“Whatever,” he said and sped off into the night.
Clarissa’s long fingernails dug into the sides of the leather seat as the bike sped down the road. She was pretty sure that he was going over the speed limit and they were going to die before she ever saw her apartment again. He hadn’t even asked where she lived.
“I live on South Avenue,” she shouted, but she wasn’t sure whether or not he heard her because he didn’t reply.
“I said I live on South Avenue!” she shouted again, leaning closer to him this time.