Her simple life

Meow meow meow.

The annoying ringtone of my phone rang, waking me up. No! I don't hate cats, but this ringtone managed to ruin my sweet dreams. I slammed my hand on the phone and shut it off.

I jumped out of bed, rubbing my puffy brown eyes. Grabbing my phone, I checked the time.

8:30!! Oh my gosh!! Mr. Darwin will kill me! I was supposed to be at work by 8, and now it's 30 minutes later.

I rushed into the bathroom, hastily turning on the shower. The warm water helped me wake up a bit more as I quickly scrubbed myself down. I stepped out, wrapped myself in a towel, and hurriedly brushed my teeth. Throwing open my closet, I grabbed the first outfit I saw: a simple blouse and a pair of jeans. I slid into the clothes, barely taking the time to smooth out the wrinkles.

I rushed out of my room and into the sitting room, only to find my brother engrossed in his usual video game.

"You're up late," he remarked, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Yeah, thanks for the wake-up call," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "Mr. Darwin is going to kill me."

He glanced at me briefly. "You should set a backup alarm."

"I did," I huffed. "It just didn't work."

"Maybe you should try going to bed earlier," he suggested with a smirk.

"Thanks, genius," I said sarcastically, grabbing my bag. "I'll see you later."

"Good luck," he called after me, returning his focus to the game.

I rushed to my scooter, fumbling with the keys in my hurry. Once the engine roared to life, I hopped on and drove off, speeding down the street, hoping to make up for lost time.

When I got to work, I saw Mr. Darwin standing in front of the restaurant where I worked, his hands on his hips and one leg crossed, resting against the nearby wall.

"You're late," he said sternly as I approached.

"I know, Mr. Darwin, I'm so sorry. My alarm didn't go off," I explained, trying to catch my breath.

He sighed, looking me over. "This is the third time this month. We can't keep having this."

"I promise it won't happen again," I pleaded. "I'll set multiple alarms from now on."

He eyed me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright, get inside and get to work. But this is your final warning."

"Thank you, Mr. Darwin. I won't let you down," I said, hurrying past him and into the restaurant.

The restaurant was bustling with more customers than usual. Of course, it was payday. A lot of people had just received their salaries and came to unwind. Who wouldn't relax after receiving a whole month's worth of hard-earned money?

As my eyes danced around the ocean of people in the restaurant, they locked onto Kelvin. My heart immediately skipped a beat. His blonde hair flowed gracefully, and his hazel eyes sparkled. He wore a black top that showcased his strong arms and a pair of pants. Around his neck was an apron with the restaurant's chicken logo. He was wearing a headset and attending to a customer, pouring her coffee.

Kelvin had always been my crush since I was five years old, and to me, it was a forbidden one. He was my best friend! He had always stood by me and my twin brother Stephen. After our parents died and our father was arrested for money laundering as the mayor of the town, all our money was taken by the government, leaving just 10% for me and my brother. Because of that, we had always been targets for bullies at school, the park, the supermarket, the thrift store, and even at church. Kelvin was always there for us. Being two years older, he was bigger than the other kids, and they were intimidated by him. I didn't want to ruin what we had by confessing my feelings, but it was hard.

Kelvin and I always spent a lot of time together. We would go on midnight rides on his bike and watch the sunrise. The sun always shone on his beautiful face, and the early morning breeze scattered his blonde hair, making him pack it back, which only made him look more charming. Sometimes, we would swim in the river behind Mrs. Pierce's house. I would watch him unbutton his shirt or pull off his top, showcasing his hard rock abs and torso with his six-pack. God, he was such an eye candy.

We would swim our hearts out until Mrs. Pierce showed up and chased us with her big, bad dog, Ruffy. All the sweet memories we shared made it hard for me, and somehow it convinced me that he liked me too. The way he looked at me, spent more time with me than my brother, supported my dreams, and even laughed at my dry jokes. I was sure he loved me too. Maybe he didn't want to ruin what was between us either.

My thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Darwin whispering in my ear, "Come on, this is your workplace, not some daydreaming center."

"I'm sorry, sir," I said, hurrying to the storeroom to put on my apron. I went to the counter and started taking orders and serving customers. As I attended to a customer, I couldn't help but continue staring at Kelvin.

"He looks more handsome today," I thought.

Kelvin turned to look at me, and his eyes immediately brightened. He rushed to my side and gently grabbed my hand. "Are you okay?" he asked with sincere worry in his eyes.

"Yes, I am," I replied.

"Are you sure, Sarah? You keep coming in late," he asked again, his hazel eyes staring into mine.

"Yeah, I am. I overslept, that's all," I said. "Gosh, he always worries about me, and I'm not complaining."

"Urm, urm, please grab a room and do all your romantic stuff, but not in front of me," Mrs. Grant, the only female cop in town, said while her eyes remained fixed on the newspaper before her.

I blushed while Kelvin smiled sweetly and led me to the kitchen. "I promise I'm fine," I reassured the worrywart before me. He released my hands and continued with his work.

Throughout the day, he kept looking at me with a weird expression on his face. "Is he about to ask me out?" I wondered because I was well aware of his feelings for me. From time to time, he would try to talk to me but then suddenly stop. Until it was time to close.

Mr. Darwin gave me my salary, which was normally $80 but was $78 this time around. He had deducted two dollars due to my tardiness.

"Curse that old wretch," I muttered silently as I left the restaurant. A part of me wanted to drag Kelvin and force him to confess his feelings, but I didn't. He would say it naturally, I always told myself. It was just that today seemed like the day, given the way he was behaving.

I removed my apron, stuffed it in my bag, and tied my brown hair into a bun. I adjusted my glasses, climbed onto my scooter, and started it, making noise to signal Kelvin that I was leaving, hoping he would say whatever he wanted to say.

After making a lot of noise and not seeing him, I put on my helmet and was about to drive off when I heard his masculine voice. "Wait... Sarah." He rushed outside and approached me. "You are leaving so early," he said.

"Yup, I have to meet my word count today. You know tomorrow is the deadline for the event," I reminded him of the book I was writing.

"Oh, right." He slammed his hand on his face. "I'm sorry, that must have slipped my mind."

"Yeah, it's okay."

He then put his hands on my shoulders, and his face turned a little red.

"Oh my gosh... He is blushing! Is he about to confess his feelings?"

I had waited for this day my entire life. I had practiced how I would kiss him with my pillow and what I would say with my teddy bear.

"I, um..." He stammered.

"Just say it," I urged, placing my hand on his neck and looking into his sweet hazel eyes.

"The thing is... Please don't take it seriously, Sarah," he said, increasing my anticipation.

"I have a girlfriend, Sarah."