It Takes a Village Pt. 01

PART 1

Chapter 1

Second semester always rubbed me the wrong way. I suppose that's because I've always been a big fan of school and never really wanted summer to roll around. Second semester marked the nearness of summer. Like riding a roller coaster, a certain sense of nostalgia and impeding sadness hits you as you tip over the top of the highest hill, and you just start thinking about starting the anticipatory ascent all over again.

I specifically remember thinking about this as I walked to work that morning. It was really quite warm for January in Ohio, and I wondered if the temperature would remain that way long enough to allow us one last weekend to bar hop without our coats. Not that we'd wear much besides a jean jacket anyways; in traditional Midwestern fashion, we'd simply pre-game until we felt a beer blanket setting in, and then walk with purpose from bar-to-bar.

The trek from my house to the coffee shop wasn't long enough to allow my brain to finish that thought. I stepped into The Grind, thanking the boy in front of me for holding the door open behind him. I specifically remember being quite grateful to see plenty of familiar faces on the shift; you see, this was only my second semester working at The Grind, and because we all kept the same shifts every week, I'd only ever met the few folks who overlapped with my Tuesday and Thursday closing shifts in some way. Maybe 20 feet in front of the door stood the convenience store counter, where students could use their meal plan to buy insanely overpriced pre-packaged snacks. Given the nature of college students, the convenience store was next to empty for the majority of the week and then comically crowded on Saturday, right before the meal plans reset. The rows of cookies, chips, frozen meals, and Pepsi products were lined up beautifully behind the counter, and I gave a little wave to the familiar-looking girl working the convenience store. I made a mental note to check the schedule and greet her by name later. A dozen tables were arranged nicely to my right, each one able to seat four students but all somehow only a quarter full. College students don't particularly like being social while studying.

The Grind was to my left. A constant stream of students was rolling through, very few of which had allowed themselves enough time to actually sit and enjoy their drinks and bagels before they had to get to class. It was starting to get chaotic, but it looked exciting and comforting to me. I knew that starting work as a barista during my freshman year of college might not be a super popular choice, but it was my main source of friends and advice at the time. The employees were all pretty close. Looking back, I think we were the most realistic group of student employees; we knew that an on-campus job would work around classes and extra-curriculars and that we'd have normal university vacations, but we also knew that working for dining services was a surefire way to get a few free meals a week. Those of us that were lucky enough to work at The Grind also knew that a coffee shop lacked one of the most feared service industry positions of all: dishwashing. Plus, access to free coffee meant saving our dining cash for later.

I walked past the convenience store counter, turned left, and went back into the employee area. As you start to walk in, you get a glance right down the line of sinks, espresso machines, coffee grinders, teapots, and cash registers that made up our work area. He caught my eye in that split second.

I walked back to the trash room, hung up my coat, and racked my brain to recall if I knew him already. No, no way. I'd remember him. I'd sure as hell remember that hair.

I swiped in, waved to the Jaime, the adult employee that ran The Grind, and composed myself. I looked relatively cute today. My jeans could have been cleaner, but the hems had that cute raw, washed edge to them. They hit about a half-inch above my high-top Converse, whose laces were wrapped around the back of my ankle and tied nimbly in the front. I stopped in front of the clock-in station and found the name of the familiar convenience store cashier—Celine. I stuck my head back out to her and asked, "How was your break, Celine?" She gave me a genuine smile and we talked for a minute before I turned to go.

I felt like a superhero walking in, mostly because of the very nature of the 8 AM shift. We came in halfway through the first rush, serving as a little reminder to the 6 AM shift that they wouldn't be able to get through the next few hours without us. My manager, Riley, who was actually the manager of my Tuesday/Thursday closing shifts last semester, smiled, hugged me, and sent me over to cash register. I smirked to myself, knowing that that only the best got sent to register during a rush.

He was all over. It looked like he was new, maybe being given a tour? I glanced at him between most customers, but I made it as inconspicuous as possible. To be fair, the cashiers have to move around more than you might think. You pour the drip coffee, you grab the teas, you serve the muffins; plenty of opportunity to organically move my head and look at him. After the 8 AM rush had calmed down but before the 8:45 AM rush set in, Riley approached me with the boy in tow. I had been so focused on him that I didn't even notice that there was a second boy as well.

"Dot, this is Dalton and Austin. This is their first day of work, so I thought they could watch you at the register. Maybe you can show them the system when it's slow?"

"Yeah, I can do that. Can I make them help?" I asked Riley, only half joking.

She laughed, clearly enjoying the dynamic of two women bossing around two men. "Yes, be my guest. I'll be on overview if you need me." She gave a little nod and walked back to the default manager position at the end of the counter.

I gave myself a pep talk in the seconds it took to reciprocate the nod to Riley and shift my weight back to the boys. Don't be awkward, they are just boys. You know more than them.

"Hi, I'm Dot. But, um, Riley just said that. Umm, yeah, so it'll get busy here pretty soon but until then, you can play around on this register. I think practice is the only way to learn."

They smiled and nodded as I turned on the second register for them. I tried to fill in the silence.

"I'm sorry, remind me of your names one more time?" I asked.

"Dalton." Responded one. He wasn't the one that had caught my eye earlier, but he seemed nice enough.

"I'm Austin." Said the other. I'd been waiting to hear his voice. It was exactly what I expected. You can tell a lot of things from a voice; what a person thinks of themselves, how outgoing they may be, how comfortable they are in the current situation. Austin's voice told me that he was confident, much more outgoing than me, and clearly, more comfortable as well.

"Dalton, Austin. Ha, that kind of rhymes, a little. I'm Dot."

You already said that, dumbass. And it's on your goddamn name tag.

"What year are you?" I asked to no one in particular. They answered in reverse order this time, and I took that as a sign that Austin wasn't as put off by my repetitiveness as I was.

"Sophomore." He said. Dalton chimed in, "junior."

I thought maybe one-word answers would be all I got, until Austin spoke again. "What about you, Dot?"

"I'm a sophomore, too. I've been here since freshman year; I really like it. The rushes might seem a little overwhelming, but I promise they aren't that bad."

"Good to know, thanks." Austin said.

"Anytime. What are your majors?" I asked. We had to get through the obligatory introduction questions, obviously.

"I'm undecided, but I think I'll declare business after this semester." Austin answered, clearly not fed up with the obligations just yet.

"Marketing." Answered Dalton.

Dalton seemed quiet, maybe even a little standoff-ish. I didn't push him.

"What about you?" Austin asked.

"Oh, um, I'm in Data Analytics." I always answered that question with a hint of uncertainty in my voice, an unseen question mark at the end of the sentence, mostly because data analytics is such a broad topic that it doesn't really indicate where my interests lie.

Our conversation carried on without Dalton. He looked at me in a way I couldn't put my finger on. I was fairly certain it was a good way, but honestly, I'd been out of the dating game so long that I couldn't even recognize flirting if it hit me in the face. The summer before college, some friends and I went skydiving out in the middle of nowhere. It was a tandem jump, so I started talking to the guide I was literally attached to. He told me he lived in the city and only worked in the middle of nowhere, so he started asking what restaurants I liked, what I did in my free time, that kind of thing. I don't even remember most of the conversation, it seemed so unimportant at the time. The second we got in the car to drive home my friends informed me that he was, in fact, flirting with me the whole time. I hadn't picked up on it at all.

Austin's hair was long and light, falling at his collarbone. It was almost as long as mine at the time and stood in stark contrast to my jet-black hair. He had on a hat with some logo that I didn't recognize, but it looked very artsy and cool. I wondered if the skateboard I saw in the coat room was his. The pants he had on were khakis, but not lame, suburban dad khakis. They were a darker brown, more fitted, and cuffed at the bottom to show off his patterned socks and Vans combination. Yeah, the skateboard was definitely his.

I visibly jumped from surprise when I saw Perry and Yael walk into the building. Austin noticed, raising his eyebrow questioningly. My eyes followed the pair as they joined us on the production line, Perry running to hug me.

"Dot! It's so good to see you! Are you on this shift?" they asked.

"Yes! You, too?" I raised my chin to indicate that I was also asking about Mia. Perry nodded, giving me another quick hug as they noticed a customer walking up, and went to grab an apron and check their assignment for the day.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked, my eyes completely focused on waking up the register.

"Austin! My man! How's it going? How was break?" asked the customer in front of me, reaching a hand across the counter for that weird-bro-handshake that all men seemed to be born knowing. Austin stepped closer, laughing and greeting the man I learned was named Aiden. I tried to hide my slight annoyance that my area, the few feet of counter space separating my work world from my student world, was being invaded. My annoyance faded just as quickly, though, when I caught a whiff of whatever cologne Austin was wearing. It was that clean, crisp, scent that somehow reminded me of stainless steel, in the best way possible. It was subtle and not overpowering. I tried to look busy and briefly zoned out while the men talked about meeting up later.

"Do you work here?" asked Aiden.

"Yeah, it's my first day actually." replied Austin.

"Speaking of" I interjected, "want to practice taking your friend's order? The line is kind of building up." I said, glancing at the half-sleeping students gathering behind Aiden.

"Oh no, I think I'd mess it up too bad. Sorry, Dot, let me get out of your way." Austin stepped aside.

My hands flew around the screen, selecting latte, then hot, then soy as I took Aiden's order. He handed me his student card to pay, and I thanked him, finally making eye contact. I felt him staring, doing a once-over with his eyes while I swiped his card. I handed it back, and our eyes met again, this time accompanied with a big grin on his end.

Mia sauntered in, shoving her phone in her back pocket, a few minutes past the shift start.

"Mia! You're on pastries!" Riley yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her soft voice over the noise. "Also, hi!" She added with a laugh.

I smiled, grateful for Riley. The pastry station was right next to the cash register, meaning Mia and I could chat the whole shift. That's one of things I loved most about The Grind, as compared to my previous service jobs; everyone had to communicate constantly to make sure orders weren't repeated, to make corrections, whatever was needed, but this also meant it was totally normal and even encouraged for us to talk about non-work things while our muscle memory guided our bodies through the routines of the job.

I would say that Mia rushed to fill a few orders, but that would be a lie. Mia never rushed to do anything; or rather, she did things at a normal or slightly-above-normal speed while looking more graceful and carefree than I ever did in my life. Her long blonde hair in a loose ponytail and her perfectly fitting jeans sent a quick pang of jealousy through me. I generally had a negative perception of people that looked like Mia before I got to know her, likely from my torturous high school days. Mia was skinny, but somehow still had an ass, which was being showed off by her jeans. She was witty, gorgeous, funny, and exuded a level of sex appeal that I could only dream of. That's not to say that I did not know I was attractive, it's just that her whole look was exactly what society had already deemed to be the gold standard. Where Mia was tall, I was just over 5 feet. She was thin, and I was relatively curvy. She had the complexion of a surfer, and I get sunburnt in 5 minutes. Mia knew this and was somehow accepting of it without being a bitch, which is probably why we got along so well.

During a few minutes of peace Mia managed to come say hi.

"My beautiful badass Dot, how the fuck are you?" Mia slid by my side, an arm wrapping around my waist and her head leaning on my shoulder. Her touchy side stood in complete contrast to her potty mouth.

"I'm good, not ready for this semester, but yeah I'm really glad to be back anyhow." I turned my body slightly, turning our side hug into a full, proper hug. I just hoped she didn't mention why I was so elated.

"Oh, tell me about it. This semester is going to kick my ass. I'm already behind on reading, somehow." She glanced over at Austin and Dalton, nudging me slightly.

"And who do we have here?" she asked me. You could see the relief on Austin and Dalton's faces that they had just been invited into a conversation with the hot girl.

"Right, sorry. Mia, this is Austin and Dalton. They're new, I'm just showing them the register. And Austin, Dalton, this is Mia, she's one of the coolest people at The Grind."

"That's correct, I absolutely am. Nice to meet both of you." They smiled at her, and she turned back to me. "So, tell me about your break! What did you do?"

"Honestly, not a ton. I went to New York for a weekend though!"

"Any word on that program thing?"

I knew she was referring to the summer training that I was dying to attend. It would take up 8 full weeks of my summer and would mean moving to Chicago for the time being, but it would be worth it. It was focused on using data and statistics to analyze abortion rates, the end goal being to support legislation with irrefutable facts that abortion bans do not work. My best friend in the entire world, Ruth, is from the Chicago suburbs, so I would be lying if I said that was not a motivating factor as well. Free rent (thanks to her empty-nester parents) living with my best friend? Not bad.

"No, not yet. They said they would send out decisions by the 21^st. Either way, we have to go out that weekend, to celebrate or drown the pain." I said with a laugh, trying to cover up how nervous I was.

"Oh, shut up Dot, you're going to be accepted. I'm sure your CV is already more impressive than most seniors'." She rolled her eyes, giving my hand a squeeze, and shuffled back to the pastry station.

The rest of the shift passed like normal. And by normal, I mean about 15 messed up drinks, a few spills, a couple cranky professors, and a whole lot of off-key singing to the early 2000s music playing over the speakers. I was acutely aware of Austin's location at any given time, although it was usually slightly behind me and to my right, since I had managed to claim the wall to our left as my own. I liked having the cool brick to lean on while I took orders, a safe place to relax against. The shift ended, and I began to explain to Austin and Dalton how they could go about getting their free meals. The next shift trickled in, and the 8 AM folks started to clock out and head to the coat room.

"So, we going to James?" Mia asked as she pulled on her coat. I knew she was referring to James Hall, the dining hall right next door, not to be confused with James Tower, the dorm across the street. Both buildings were named after Lebron James, arguably the most famous Ohio native alive. Never underestimate the insanity of state pride at a state school.

"Yes, obviously. I haven't had those pancakes in three weeks, I need my fill." I answered.

"Austin, what about you? Heading to James?" Mia subtly shifted her hips towards Austin as she asked the question. He was replacing his hat with a beanie, holding his skateboard against his leg. I knew it was his.

"Yeah, I think so. Free meal, right? Can't say no to that." He smiled at both of us.

"Cool, we'll see you over there, then!" Mia waved, already halfway out the door with me in tow.

"Bye Austin, bye Dalton, it was nice to meet both of you!" I said quickly as Mia and I turned the corner. I barely heard Dalton's muffled response, but Austin's voice was strong.

"Bye Dot, I'll see you later."

Chapter 2

"Um, okay, he is HOT." Mia said in between bites of a grilled cheese, pointing her head over at Austin. Perry nodded their head vigorously. "Yeah, I agree, and you know I'm not usually into the long hair thing."

"Yeah, I noticed." I replied nonchalantly, not really wanting to talk about this right now. I had a very strange feeling about him, unlike any that I'd had about anyone else. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was a mix of awe, lust, irascibility and the understanding that he knew he made me feel those things. Maybe he could read minds. It was probably his hair, I bet it gave him superpowers.

"Okay, explain that response. What's going on?" Mia asked, with genuine concern.

"It's nothing, really. I'm just in kind of a weird headspace right now and I don't think I have the mental capacity for my brain to think about new things." I answered honestly.

"What a great mindset for the start of a new semester." Perry said, the sarcasm practically spilling out of their mouth.

"I know, I think it will clear up in a few days, though. Being away from my parents again will help."

"Oh, honey. How was it?" Mia asked.

"Oh my god, it was so fucking tense the entire time I was home. I swear to god the pets could sense it, too. I'm exhausted by all of it."

We were both referring to my parents' marriage. My mom was my role model, an incredible human who had traits that I strove to acquire. My dad was not unlike other Boomer dads, meaning he was slightly aloof but a strong constant in my childhood. I truly thought my parents were happy together. My childhood was happy, my sisters back home were still happy. But the thing about being the oldest child—and your mother's best friend—is that eventually she will start to share secrets with you. Like, for example, her suspicion that my dad was cheating on her, or the admission that they hadn't slept in the same bed for years. Hearing those things pulled the rug out from under me; my childhood had seemed so stable and healthy, it made me re-evaluate everything. It also meant that I became a sort of go-between for my parents once the dam broke and they both knew I knew about everything.

Dot, see if you can find out where your dad was last night.