Ever had a moment where the past shows up uninvited? One minute, I’m wiping tables in my cozy little restaurant, and the next, I’m face-to-face with Heather—the girl who made high school a nightmare.
The restaurant is my sanctuary, a place where regulars know your name and your favorite drink. Today, I’m helping out more than usual. Beth, one of our waitresses, fainted earlier—pregnancy glow and all—so we’re all pitching in. We’re like family here; when one of us is down, the rest step up.
I’m scrubbing a table when I hear a familiar laugh. My stomach knots before I even look up. Heather Parker. The queen bee herself, flanked by her loyal minions, Hannah and Melissa. It’s like no time has passed since high school.
Heather locks eyes with me and smirks, the same cruel smile she wore back then. “Well, well, look who’s still wiping tables. Guess some things never change.” Her voice cuts through the chatter, and her friends burst into laughter.
I keep my head down, pretending not to hear. But the sting is familiar, the same as it was all those years ago.
Heather snaps her fingers at me, her tone dripping with condescension. “Hey, waitress! Think you can manage to get us some water, or is that too advanced?”
Before I can react, Jack, our sous-chef, steps up beside me, arms crossed. “You don’t talk to her like that,” he says, his voice calm but sharp. Maria, our head chef, joins him, her expression firm. “If you have a problem, you can leave,” she says.
Heather scoffs. “Isn’t it sad? Cleaning tables like you’ve hit rock bottom.” She turns to her friends for support, but they’re quiet now.
Jack doesn’t budge. “She works harder in a day than you ever will,” he replies. “Now, do you want that water, or are you done embarrassing yourself?”
Continue reading on next page…