Chapter 31 The isolated
Naomi
When I went back to the diner, I noticed that no one said a word to me or even asked what had happened. Why had I been gone for so long? It was as if they didn't even notice that I wasn't there. This was quite strange, especially given that Mandy would usually look for a way to report me to the manager and probably get me fired. A few more customers came in and we served them. After the last customer left, we washed the plates and cleaned the restaurant.
We were about to leave when Dean told us to wait. He stepped into the reception with a small brown envelope in his hands. Mandy had a knowing smile on her face, as if she already knew what it was. Alice stared blankly, just like me.
"You guys have worked hard today." He pulled a seat out and sat down. He looked around the restaurant and shook his head in satisfaction. "Not only did you do well with the customers, but you also cleaned everything before going home, even though it wasn't in your job description."
"So, I have something for you all, and remember—this is not part of your salary."
He shared the envelopes between us. Of course, it was cash, and I wondered how much was inside. We said our thank yous and left the diner. I checked the time and saw it was 9 pm. I still had some time before going home, so I decided to go to the mall and buy something for Ma'a. She deserved it after all she had done.
While at the mall, I took my time walking down every aisle, making sure to choose the best thing for her. She had a sweet tooth. The doctor had warned her about that, but she wouldn't listen; hence, I was not going to be the one to add to it. I decided to look for something else.
Then, I saw a nice-looking brown jacket on a mannequin with black fur around the neck. It was the perfect gift for this Teran weather. I wasted no time picking it up and handing it to the cashier. It was a bit costly, but I didn't mind. I added extra money because I needed it. The jacket was great quality, and I didn't mind spending more to get it. While leaving, I saw a brown scarf and decided to add that as well.
The bright orange lights in the room told me that she was already home. I knocked at the door and pushed it open. The aroma in the house hit my nostrils immediately. My eyes darted to the table, and they widened at the feast laid out. I practically sprinted toward it.
On the table stood a whole braised chicken, white rice, mixed vegetable soup, green salads, and fruit. There was even wine. What was she celebrating? If she had money, she should have kept it for my school, for the house, or other expensive necessities instead of spending it all on food. She wasn't earning much where she worked, and there was no need to be living this luxurious lifestyle. It wasn't called for.
"Oh, you are back. I was beginning to wonder if you were having an overnight shift."
I watched as she added another steamed dish to the table—my favorite: spicy salmon fish.
"What are we celebrating, Ma'a?" I asked, pulling out a chair to sit. "How did you even get the money to buy all these things?"
She looked at me like I had just insulted her, as if I were implying she couldn't afford these things or might have stolen them. "Do I have to remind you that I work and get paid a salary?"
I couldn't forget that, but this was different. This was too much. We had never had this before.
"Okay, thank you for the meal."
"Exactly what you should have done the moment you walked in here, instead of asking me all these questions."
She was right. I should have done that. "I'm sorry," I pouted while extending the plastic bag with her gift. "I got this for you."
She gave me a skeptical look. I could tell she was judging me, wondering what it was.
"It's a gift," I said, placing it in front of her. She picked it up and spied inside. Her brows lifted at the contents. She pulled it out and spread it in front of her, her face lighting up.
"You got me a Would you like me to help you draft the next scene where Naomi arrives at school, perhaps dealing with the pressure of keeping her hair color a secret?
jacket? This is so beautiful." She brought it close to her nose and inhaled the scent. I did the same thing; I always liked the smell of new clothes. "Thank you so much. This will help me with the terrible weather in this place."
She placed it back in the bag, kept it next to her, and then went ahead to dish out the food. She waved at me to eat. I still wasn't sure how she got the meal, but I shrugged and started eating.
"Wait, what's that?"
My head lifted with the speed of light to look at her. She was staring right at my head.
"What is the matter, Ma'a? Why are you staring at my head like that?" I shoved chicken into my mouth.
Her face fell, and worry clouded her eyes. "Talk to me. Have you been going to school with your hair like that?"
I touched my hair as if my hand could see what she was talking about.
"Your hair doesn't have to be like that, Naomi. You need a new hair dye before going to school tomorrow. You can't be seen outside like that."
Oh. It was about my hair. The hair I had been bullied for when I was younger. The only way to stop it was to keep it dyed.
"I did the dyeing just the day before yesterday." Could it have worn off so quickly?
"Almost all your hair is changing color."
"I will dye it after this," I promised.
What could have happened? It usually took longer for the color to fade, yet it had worn off in just a few days. We ate in silence, and of course, we couldn't finish the food. We had to save the rest for the next day.
I woke up early the next day and dyed my hair from silver to black, just to avoid what could happen if anyone saw it. Ma'a suggested that I take food to school since we had enough. Who does that at this age? A student taking food to school? I would rather starve the entire day.
She left early for work. I locked the door and stepped away, but my body came to a halt when I saw them: Alfred and Linus. They were our neighbors who lived in the opposite building. They were in the middle of a conversation but stopped when they saw me.
Alfred Tye, the taller and fairer one, tossed his cigarette to the floor and stepped on it. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Linus leaned against the wall like he wasn't interested in anything at all.
"Going to school?" Alfred asked. I made no attempt to move. My blood boiled each time I saw them. They had been courting me for a while now, even though I refused their requests.
Linus had promised he was going to get me no matter what. He said his brother would be on top of me while he would be in my mouth. How disgusting. I hadn't told Ma'a about it because I didn't want to bother her, but if they persisted, I would. She didn't have a lot of connections, but I was confident she would deal with them.
"Come on. You are getting late," Linus said, pushing himself off the wall and making his way to his door.
"It would be better if you just say yes," Alfred added, following behind Linus. "I can take good care of you. It's not like no one has ever entered that pussy of yours."
I didn't waste any time; I sprinted off. They were both disgusting, and I didn't want anything to do with them. It started with simple greetings—I didn't know how to walk past someone without saying "hello." I thought that was all it was until they started their "quest." Linus was the first to start, then Alfred, and they both knew about the other.
Still, they went ahead like it was nothing. God forbid I ever have anything to do with losers like them. All they did was drink, smoke, and walk around looking for girls to take to their beds—if they even had one.