Part 4
“Last stop-“
Alex jerked up. Realizing that she had fallen asleep, she
looked around dazedly and saw the bus driver leaning over her.
“Last stop kid,” he said firmly.
“Oh thanks,” she said in her regular voice. Which on it’s own
was pretty feminine.
The driver looked at her oddly and she grimaced. Right, she
was a guy now. Right.
Clearing her throat and deepening her voice she said, “I
mean, yeah thanks!”
The bus driver patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it
son. Puberty happens to us all. I was there once myself.”
Alex grimaced again. She just hoped the bus driver wouldn’t
go into one of those “when I was a boy” stories. But instead of continuing the
bus driver just looked at her, obviously waiting for some comment on his statement.
Alex didn’t know how to respond so she just smiled and
nodded. She grabbed her guitar and bags and headed off the bus. She looked
around her and noticed the sign.
| WELCOME TO KINNIGTON |
Kinnington? She’d never heard of it. It was most definitely
a small town, where everyone probably knew each other’s business. Alex could
just imagine the daily discourses.
“Why hello Bob. You didn’t hear this from me but I hear Sarah
Bakers going around doing ungodly things.”
“Well isn’t that interesting Molly. I’m not the kind to be
spreading gossip and such but I hear she and Beau Patterson have been partaking
in such ungodly things together.”
Yep, she could just see it. She laughed at the images she
conjured up in her mind, but a sobering thought ended her hilarity. She was
here now, wherever that was, with only ten dollars in her pocket and she was
basically stranded. She needed to find a job. Immediately.
With that present thought, she lifted her shoulders and made
her way to what seemed to be the busiest street and most likely the downtown
area of the town. She looked around and noticed the stores lining the streets.
It was going to be easy to find a job in this town. She was
sure of it.
…
A few hours later, she wasn’t so sure. She had gone to every
store in the vicinity and had come up empty. All she heard was, “Sorry son,
we’re not looking for anyone right now.” Or “If you come back with a resume
we’ll be glad to give you a look.”
Who knew it was going to be so hard to get a job in a small
town of all places? She had been so naïve, thinking that she would instantly
get a job.
Alex looked up at the sky and realized how dark it was. How
long ago had the sunset? She looked at her watch. Shit. Eight o’clock. Now what?
Forlorn Alex slowly made her way to the end of the street where
there was a park. Once she got in the park she made her way to a bench and sat
down wearily.
She felt emotionally tapped. She laid her head on the back
of the bench and wondered what was she going to do.
Suddenly she heard a ringing in her bag. She looked inside
her back and realized that it was Becca’s cellphone.
She picked it up and answered it. “Hey!”
“Where are you?” Becca asked, ignoring the niceties.
“In a little town called Kinnington.”
“Kinnington? Never heard of it.”
Alex smiled as her best friend echoed her own thoughts.
“Me neither.”
“How are things going?” Becca asked, her voice filled with
worry.
Alex didn’t have the heart to tell Becca that she was
jobless and homeless so she said happily, “Great! Things are going really good.
I got a job at a little restaurant down the street and they have really cheap
motels here so that’s where I’m staying.”
Becca breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God! I was so worried.”
“I’m fine Becca. Look, I have to go. I have an early morning
tomorrow so…I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Ok. Call me soon.”
Alex hung up the phone, feeling a little bad that she had
lied to her friend. But what was the point in telling her?
Alex lay her head back on the bench and sighed. Looking up at the sky she
wondered if she had done the right thing by leaving. Closing her eyes, she
realized that no matter what happened this had been her only choice and she
would not regret it.
…
Alex woke up the next morning. Slowly lifting her head she
realized that she was still out in the park. She couldn’t believe she had slept
there all night. She stretched out the kinks in her joints and looked around.
Thankfully all her stuff was still there. But she couldn’t do that again. It
just wasn’t very intelligent.
She got up and grabbed her stuff. Ok, a new day, a new
start. She looked down at herself. Man what she wouldn’t do to have a shower
right about now and to be able to brush her teeth. Well she really didn’t have
much choice in the matter; she’d just have to go as she was.
She made her way back on to the strip, if she could call the
little road that, and walked down the street. She was starving. Food would
probably be a good idea.
Seeing a diner like restaurant, she walked in and was hit by
the heady smell of freshly brewed coffee and bacon. God, she was starving.
She made her way to a booth and sat down, sighing at the
softness of the seat. A waitress made her way over to Alex, with a pot of
coffee in her hand.
“Want a cup of coffee, sugar?” she asked with a wink.
Alex disconcerted at the wink just nodded. “Yeah that would
be good thanks,” she said, remembering to deepen her voice.
“Well my name is Alice and if you need anything, anything at
all, you just let me know.” She smiled flirtatiously, while pouring the cup of
coffee.
As soon as she left Alex shook her head in bemusement. She
had been a boy for less than 24 hours and she was already getting hit on more
than when she was a girl.
She added sugar and cream to her coffee and looked out the
window. It was noon and people were bustling around cheerfully. These people
knew they had a place. Knew they belonged here.
And at that moment Alex felt more alone than she had ever
felt before.
She glanced up when she heard the quiet jingling off the
bells hanging on the restaurant door. Two casually-dressed men walked into the
restaurant. They looked a little out of place, because although their clothing
was casual, they were also expensive looking and stylish. It was like cashmere
and merino wool surrounded by cotton and polyester.
They walked up to the counter and asked for two cups of
coffee to go. She couldn’t help being slightly fascinated by the two; they
seemed so incongruous.
“This has to be the worst case of bad luck. First our main
guitarist gets sick, and then the other just ups and quits. The instrument
truck breaks down and to top it all off Joey and Lance get food poisoning and
we have to take them to the hospital. Could anything else go wrong?” One of
them ranted.
“I hope not Charlie,” the other man said hastily.
“I don’t know how we’re going to find a guitarist that can
learn to play all the songs in the limited time we have ‘til the next venue.”
Their coffee was placed before them and they quickly paid
for it.
Alex, who had been listening to the whole conversation,
looked across at her guitar. This was amazing. She knew how to play and she
desperately needed a job.
She watched as the two men turned to leave and realized that
her meal ticket was walking out the door. She waved over to Alice who came over
with a pen and paper in her hand.
She smiled flirtatiously at Alex. “What can I get for you,
sugar?”
“The bill,” Alex said hastily.
“Oh you’re leaving so soon?” Alice said coyly.
“Yes and I’m kind of in a hurry so if you could just tell me
how much I owe you…”
Alice shrugged. “It’s a dollar fifteen.”
Alex nodded and handed Alice the money and grabbed her
stuff. She raced out the door and looked around. Damn it, they had disappeared.
Alex bowed her head in frustration. She had lost them. They had been her one
chance at getting out of this mess. Now what was she going to do?