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Here's the short story (no title + it's not very good) |
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Soft, rippling notes filled the still air of the bedroom. A narrow band of sunlight shone brightly through a gap in the dark blinds and lit up part of the far wall, a barren white wasteland. Just below the line of morning light, the still-sleeping occupant of one of the room's two beds stirred slightly. But the ritual of waking up wasn't quite finished. The sunlight disappeared behind the blinds. The music quieted slightly. Then, in a perfectly planned accord, the sun burst through the blinds again as the music reached its loudest point, electric guitars and drums joining the softer piano, and with a sudden jerk, Gabrielle sat up and opened her eyes.
Now that she was awake, the morning ritual could continue. She slid quietly from the bed, silencing the music as she rose, and headed for the adjoining bathroom, pausing only to take her clothes from the closet, her pre-chosen outfit all on one hanger. As she closed the door, she glanced at the other bed. Its inhabitant was still sound asleep, the state in which Gabrielle (disliked her roommate least/liked her roommate best).
After the door was firmly shut, she flipped the lights on, automatically closing her eyes to block out the blinding white tiles and sink. Whoever had designed the bathroom had no sense, in Gabrielle's opinion. She opened her eyes just enough to find the handle of the sink, twisted it, and closed her eyes again as she washed her hands. She didn't need to open her eyes to find the handle; it was just habit.
When she reached for the towel to dry her hands, she carefully opened her eyes. They had adjusted to the blinding white of the bathroom as much as was possible, just as they had every other morning. Glancing in the mirror, Gabrielle saw that her hair had managed to escape from her ponytail holder and form a tangled mass. She reached for her brush with her right hand as she futilely tried to free the holder with her left hand. She gave it a brutal tug but desisted as a sharp pain started at her roots. She gave the tangles a fierce glare in the mirror before attacking them with the brush.
Ten minutes and many angry tugs later, Gabrielle finally managed to tame her unruly hair and brush it up into a neat ponytail. She grimaced as she realized she was now behind schedule. She moved quickly, trading her grey pajamas for her outfit of the day: a dark green polo over dark, carefully ironed jeans. She slipped her feet into faded brown loafers, her favorite pair of shoes. A habitual glance at the clock told her she had managed to win back some of her lost minutes. She dashed quickly out of the bathroom, not bothering to turn out the light. She took swift, practiced steps across the living room, avoiding the scattering of furniture. She had done this perfectly so many times that is was quite a surprise when her foot caught on the strap of a lounging backpack and sent her crashing to the floor.
"How many times do I have to tell that girl not to leave her junk lying on the floor!" she muttered. Angrily, she kicked her foot free of the blue culprit, dragged herself to her feet, and picked the offending item up. She stormed back to the bedroom and dropped it at the foot of the other bed, giving the bed an irritable kick before she stormed back through the bathroom, through the living room, and into the kitchenette. She viciously tugged the cupboard doors open and yanked a bag of cereal out, already divided into a perfect portion. She slammed the cupboard shut and pulled the bag open. Cereal cascaded to the floor as the bag ripped after her ungentle tug. For a moment, she just stared at the floor, watching the cereal settle, but she could feel the anger building in her mind. She balled her hands into fists, barely noticing that her nails were digging deep grooves in her palms.
“Gabby, are you okay?” A sleepy voice issued from the living room. Gabrielle spun around quickly, startled by the sudden appearance of her roommate, who always slept for at least another twenty minutes. She stood in the middle of the living room in her pink pajamas, blinking sleepily every so often.
“I’m fine, Sofia. I just spilled some cereal,” she replied tersely, bristling at being called Gabby. Nothing annoyed her more than being called by a nickname, and no one but Sofia dared persist. She had to put up with Sofia, though. Otherwise, she could not afford housing, and without housing, she would not be able to attend Auburn. She would have to attend the school in her hometown, a particularly back-woodsy branch of the University of Alabama, and that was something Gabriele just would not stand.
“You sure? It sounded like you were trying to rip the cupboard apart.” Sofia grinned. “Here, I’ll sweep this up. You go ahead and finish your little morning routine, Gabby.” Sofia stepped carefully over the mess of cereal and reached for the broom and dustpan. Gabrielle watched her for a moment, surprised by her kindness.
“Thank you,” she said awkwardly. Sofia looked up, smiling, but Gabrielle had already turned away. As she reached towards the cupboard again, Gabrielle heard her cell phone ring. She leaped towards it, hoping her boyfriend was calling. Disappointment thudded through her when she saw the caller ID. It was only her boss. Sighing, she flipped the phone open and held it to her ear.
“Good morning, Mr. Vick.”
“Good morning, Gabrielle.” She smiled, pleased that he remembered to use the right name.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Vick?”
“I know this is a little short notice, but can you and Sofia make it to work a little early? Four o’clock? A medical conference reserved the restaurant for their dining venue tonight.” Excitement coursed through Gabrielle. A medical conference! Some of the greatest medical minds would be in the very restaurant she worked at! It was her dream to join their ranks one day. If she was lucky, she might even win an opportunity to talk to one of them!
“Oh, of course we can make it early! We’ll be there at four.”
“Thank you, Gabrielle.” The relief in his voice was evident. “I’m glad this won’t be a problem. See you this evening. Good day.”
“Goodbye,” Gabrielle responded. She closed the phone and stood there, almost glowing at the thought of meeting the greatest medical minds of the time. She would have preferred a call from her boyfriend, but she was glad she had gotten the call. Her day was starting to turn around already.
“Gabby, I can’t go early. I reserved time in a practice room, and it’s the first day I could get any time.” Sofia’s high-pitched voice grated on Gabrielle’s ears. Of course, nothing could go right for her, not as long as Sofia was around, always messing everything up. They had been stuck together from day one. They took many of the same classes. They had been assigned to room together. Their photography teacher always paired them up, out of convenience. They both worked at Les Poissons, at the same times. And Sofia always managed to ruin it. Not this time.
“Tough luck. Your piano playing isn’t as important as work. You can always sign up for another time, can’t you?” Gabrielle spun angrily on her heel to glare at her roommate. Sofia looked up at her with a hurt expression, nodding her head mutely. “Then that settles it. You’ll just have to find some other time. You’re coming to work early with me.”
“I can get there myself,” Sofia muttered. Gabrielle laughed.
“And just how do you plan to do that? I’m your only mode of transportation. If you don’t show up for work, Mr. Vick will get mad at both of us, or at least me. I told him both of us would be early. We have to be early.” Sofia nodded slowly. Then, with a disheartened shuffle, she retreated to the bedroom to get ready for the day.
Gabrielle finished her breakfast quietly. She wondered if she had been too harsh with Sofia. After all, she, in her excitement, had not asked if Sofia could even go to work early; she had simply assumed. They had fought before, but Gabrielle had never come down so hard on her. Then again, Sofia had been at it for weeks, calling her Gabby, leaving her books and bags in the middle of the floor for an unsuspecting person to trip over, and making her late for work. No, Gabrielle had not been too hard on her. Sofia needed some discipline in her life.
Suppressing a sigh, Gabrielle threw her bag in the trash and went back to the living room. Her own backpack was resting in its place, just by the door, waiting to be lifted up and out of the apartment. She leaned over to pick it up, and as she did, she glanced at the bathroom door. It was closed, but she could faintly hear the faucet running. She shook her head at herself; there would be time to apologize later. Then, without a second glance, she walked out the door.
Seven hours later, it was time to leave, and Sofia was late. Gabrielle paced back and forth in a small circle, glancing between the bathroom door and the clock with increasing agitation. With every passing minute, she clenched her fists tighter, pushing her nails deeper into her hands. Her black dress snapped with the force of each turn, but her feet made no noise, even though she was wearing high heels. Her hair was securely fastened in its bun, not moving a centimeter, despite her agitated pacing. Waiting for Sofia was always maddening, but this time, Gabrielle was on the verge of panic. The one night they needed to be on time, and Sofia still could not be on time.
“Sofia, hurry up!” she yelled. A muffled crash immediately answered her, followed by the click of the bathroom door opening. Sofia stumbled out, slightly wobbly on her own high heels. She wore a dress identical to Gabrielle’s, but a smart white half-apron covered the bottom half. Her dark hair was neatly pulled back into a ponytail and tied with a sapphire ribbon, a detail that surprised Gabrielle. Nothing about Sofia was ever neat.
“I’m sorry I’m running late, Gabrielle. I couldn’t find one of my shoes and—“
“Forget it. We have to get going!” Gabrielle picked up her keys and cell phone and walked out the door. She knew Sofia could handle locking the door, and she needed to get the car running and the heat going. It was unexpectedly cold on this October afternoon. She hurried to the car, a ’94 Honda in near-perfect condition. She tried to take good care of her car, as she could not afford repairs too often. As she sat in the car, letting the engine warm, she imagined meeting the medical minds attending the conference. They would immediately see that she was brilliant, and they would offer advice and possibly even recommendations in the future, so she could get into a premier medical school. And when she finally graduated with her Ph.D., they would help her get a job at a top hospital and welcome her with open arms to the world of the medical elite. She would be set for life after this evening.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Sofia dashing quickly to the car, opening the door, and slamming it shut. Gabrielle winced as she heard the slam. The car door was not going to last if it was treated in such a rough fashion. As soon as she heard Sofia’s seatbelt click, Gabrielle put the car into reverse and pulled off.
“So, aren’t you going to tell me why the boss needs us an hour earlier today, since I had to give up my piano time, and all?” They were about halfway to Les Poissons. Neither of them had spoken until now, and Sofia’s sudden question made Gabrielle jump. She had expected a rather quiet ride, but she supposed she did owe Sofia an explanation.
“The restaurant was reserved by a conference at the last moment, and Mr. Vick needed our help a little earlier than usual. There are preparations to make, after all.”
“What kind of conference?” Sofia asked. Her curiosity was infinite, as far as Gabrielle could tell; she would just ask until Gabrielle answered. It was better if she simply answered.
“It’s a medical conference,” Gabrielle answered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the comprehension cross Sofia’s face.
“Oh.” Sofia turned to look out the window, hiding her face. Gabrielle gripped the steering wheel tighter. Sofia was obviously upset that her piano practice had been usurped by Gabrielle’s ambition, but how often had Sofia’s ambition gotten in Gabrielle’s way? How many times had they been late to work because Sofia had lost track of time while practicing? She had lost count within the first two weeks of school. One inconvenience would not hurt Sofia.
Gabrielle was relieved when they pulled up to Les Poissons with two minutes to spare. The two girls hurried from the car to the restaurant, and once inside, they darted to the back to sign in and put their belongings away. Then, Sofia dashed off to the kitchen area to find her order pad and pen, nearly knocking her fellow waiter over in her rush. Gabrielle walked quickly to her post at the front of the restaurant. She was greeted airily by her fellow host, a blonde pretty boy with absolutely no brains that Gabrielle could find. She nodded in return. Gabrielle hated working with him. He never brought the right number of menus, never brought the patrons to the right tables. He reminded her too much of Sofia.
“Gabrielle, there you are! We were starting to worry!” Mr. Vick’s voice boomed across the empty restaurant. “I need you to cover the front this evening. Joey’s to tend to our esteemed guests.” Gabrielle let out a stunned gasp.
“But—you can’t mean—he’s not competent enough to handle them!” she sputtered. Mr. Vick gave her a hard look.
“Joey is perfectly capable of handling this, and if you’re not careful, you might be out of a job,” he threatened. Gabrielle shot Joey an angry look, her hands balled into tight fists again. It was unfair that her opportunity had been smashed to pieces already. Or had it?
“Of course, Mr. Vick,” Gabrielle said sweetly. “I don’t know what I was thinking! Do forgive that slip of my tongue.” She turned to Joey. “I didn’t mean to say that you couldn’t handle the job. I’ve been under a little stress lately, and I’ve said some silly things in the last few days. Please accept my apology.” She looked up at him with liquid brown eyes. He blinked stupidly at her.
“Uh, okay, sure.” Joey was confused. Gabrielle had spoken so quickly and behaved so oddly that he had lost his train of thought. She reached up and patted him on the shoulder.
“You go have fun now, tending to our esteemed guests.” Gabrielle gave him a little push towards Mr. Vick, who shot her a suspicious look. He didn’t buy her sweet act for a minute, and she knew it. He had no idea what she was planning, though.
At five o’clock, the restaurant opened, and a few customers walked in. Gabrielle quickly seated them, keeping her interaction with them to a minimum. She had no patience for petty talk on a normal day, and with the impending arrival of the medical conference, she had even less patience for it. During her brief journeys into the restaurant proper, she noticed Sofia talking animatedly with the guests, keeping them in good spirits. Anything to get a better tip, it seemed to Gabrielle. Then, at five-thirty, her wait was over. The medical minds had arrived.
Gabrielle watched them walk in, chatting about their current research in casual tones. There they were, the people she hoped to imitate. She glanced around; Mr. Vick was nowhere in sight. She nodded slightly to herself. It would make her plan go much more smoothly.
“Joey,” she whispered to her coworker. “Something came up, and Mr. Vick needs us to switch. You have to stay here; I’m taking the doctors.” He looked down at her.
“I’m not sure,” he said slowly. “Mr. V told me I was going with them.”
“Well, he changed his mind,” Gabrielle said sharply. There was no time to waste; the medical minds were nearly to the host station. She turned to the guests, a pleasant smile lighting her face.
“Welcome to Les Poissons!” she greeted cheerfully. “Is this everyone?” The doctors looked around, all nodding. “Excellent! If you would follow me, please.” She led them to the back of the restaurant, where a small section had been partitioned off just for them. Gabrielle waited patiently for the guests to seat themselves. “Now, what can I get you to drink?” She went around the table, mentally noting where each drink would go. Then, with an elegant nod, she stepped away, hurrying to the kitchen. She wrote the order on a spare order pad, and then rushed back to the medical minds. She stood off to the side, basking in the wonder that she was actually in the same room with such esteemed doctors.
“Excuse me, miss? I have a few questions about some of these menu items.” Gabrielle stifled an amazed gasp. Dr. Zarcharoff, the leading mind in the field of heart surgery, was talking to her! He needed her help! She kept herself from letting a goofy smile spread across her face as she glided over to him. He asked her what some of the dishes tasted like. He wanted to know which she preferred. She answered him eagerly. After several minutes, he thanked her for her help. Gabrielle seized her opportunity.
“Dr. Zarcharoff, I really admire your work. I’m a pre-med student, and I was just wondering what medical schools you would recommend. I’m not sure where I should go. I want to be a doctor and follow in the footsteps of the great medical minds such as yourself.” Words spilled out of Gabrielle’s mouth. Dr. Zarcharoff laughed kindly at her eager words. Gabrielle felt her face turn red.
“My dear,” he said, “it doesn’t matter where you go to school. The only things that you really need are an open heart and mind. Schools and brains don’t necessarily make a good doctor.” He smiled at her. The words made Gabrielle’s head spin. All she really needed? She had always been told that only the smartest, best-schooled people could ever hope to become doctors, but this man, a medical genius, was smashing that belief apart. She was stunned.
Gabrielle was jerked out of her spinning thoughts by a shove from behind. She cried out as she fell on top of Dr. Zarcharoff, knocking him out of his chair. Cold liquid seeped through her clothes, and she knew what must have happened. The waiter had bumped into her and lost control of the tray. She pushed herself back to her feet and helped the doctor to his feet again. Once he was safely seated again, she whirled angrily to face the culprit. It was Sofia.
Something inside Gabrielle snapped. She heard herself yelling at Sofia, calling her worthless and clumsy and foolish. Words streamed from her mouth, some of which she never dared use before. Before her eyes, Sofia seemed to shrink, hunching her shoulders, her big blue eyes filling with tears. Gabrielle hated those eyes. So innocent, so sweet, everything that Sofia was not. They should have been Gabrielle’s eyes, and suddenly, she was yelling that at Sofia. It would have continued for a long time, if Mr. Vick had not intervened.
“Gabrielle, stop yelling this instant!” Mr. Vick bellowed over her angry shrieks. Immediately, Gabrielle fell silent. He opened his mouth, about to continue berating her, when Sofia spoke up.
“I quit.”
“What?” asked Mr. Vick, surprised.
“I said I quit! Obviously, I’m not wanted here. I’m only making things worse. Thank you for letting me work here, but I can see that I’m not helping at all.” With that, Sofia ripped her apron off and ran towards the door. The entire restaurant watched her leave. Once she disappeared out the doors, all eyes turned to Gabrielle. Mr. Vick pointed a finger at her; he was shaking with anger.
“Listen here, Gabrielle. I’ve put up with you for the past year, and you’ve been walking a fine line the whole time. You’re rude to the guests and completely anti-social. I’ve had enough of this. You’re fired.” Gabrielle gasped. “And if you don’t go find Sofia and bring her back, I’ll make sure you can’t find a job anywhere in this town. Got it?” Gabrielle nodded. “Good. Now, get out of here.” Mr. Vick gave her one last hard look before turning to the medical minds.
Gabrielle shuffled to the back, numb with shock. Her job was gone. Her roommate had disappeared, and she had to find her, somehow. She picked up her phone and car keys and walked out the back entrance. She hardly noticed the cold. As she drove out of the parking lot, she tried to decide where to look for Sofia first. The apartment was the last place she would go, but aside from the apartment, where would Sofia go? Frustrated, she stabbed at the radio. The volume was low, so she turned it up. Familiar notes poured out. She let the gentle sounds of the piano fill her mind. And suddenly, she knew exactly where to look.
Inside the music building, all was quiet. The rooms were all soundproofed, of course, so silence was quite common. Gabrielle made her way swiftly to the piano practice rooms. Only one room was lit. Sofia had to be in there. She hurried towards it. She noticed a sapphire ribbon on the floor in front of it; she was sure this was the right room. She opened the door quietly. Sofia was sitting at an upright piano, her hands moving gracefully over the notes. Gabrielle realized Sofia was playing her favorite song, and it was beautiful. She stood in the doorway, transfixed by the music. When the music finally ended, Sofia sat silently for a moment.
“You know, Gabrielle, I learned that song because of you. You listen to it non-stop. I wanted to learn it so maybe you’d see that I’m actually competent at something. But you think I’m worthless.” Sofia laughed bitterly. “You hate me.” Her words stung Gabrielle. No words could be truer, and she wanted nothing more than for them to be untrue.
“Sofia, I didn’t mean what I said. You do get on my nerves, but that doesn’t mean you’re worthless. I hate that I have to depend on you just to stay at college.” She paused, unsure how to continue. “I’ve been unfair to you, but I’d like to change that.”
“You say that now, but by tomorrow, you will have changed your mind.”
“No, I won’t. I promise. Please believe me.” Gabrielle waited for a response, but she got none. “Mr. Vick said he wants you to go back to work; he didn’t accept your resignation,” she said awkwardly.
“I’m not going back,” Sofia said flatly. She stood and walked up to Gabrielle, looking her in the eye. “I’m going back to the apartment, packing up, and leaving tomorrow. I’m going home, where I belong. And you’ll be going home, where you belong.” She grinned sardonically. “At least you don’t have to deal with me anymore, right?” With that, she swept out of the room, leaving Gabrielle alone with her broken dreams.
 nepie · Sun Sep 30, 2007 @ 10:26pm · 0 Comments |
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