Chapter 19: Hired!

**Jam:** *The school trip is tomorrow already. Inform us immediately once you make up your mind.

**You:** *Thanks, tell the girls I’m eighty percent unsure if I can come.

**Jam:** *C’mon girl, this opportunity is rare. Don't think about the money. This will only happen once. This will also affect our grades.

**You:** *Of course I know that. I’m just in a bit of a situation.

**Jam:** *Why? What's your problem? Can we help?

**You:** *It's just something. I’m trying to fix it. Hoping to resolve it soon enough.

**Jam:** *Jeez! You never share your problems with us. We're also been friends since highschool you know?

**You:** *I’m sorry.

Sunday morning and the first thing that welcomed my day was Jam’s messages, persuading me to come on the school trip. She caught wind of my current problem but I refused to tell her more about it. We were friends during highschool but I slowly drifted away from them ever since I got entangled with Fire. Lillian was the only person I could open up to since then. I’m guilt-ridden since I was the one who distanced myself from them. So I’m ashamed to ask them for help or receive any from them. It's this pride that will kill me.

“Why are you still here? I thought you were going somewhere important?” I glanced at Shan who's casually lounging on the sofa.

He just finished eating his requested meal and is still hanging around my apartment.

Shan tilted his head and looked at me. “You seemed bewildered.” He paused to take a good look at my face, scanning every corner of it. “Is something bothering you?”

It's as if my reflexes kicked in and I instantly nodded as a reply to his question.

“It's nothing. Just some minor academic pressure.” I know he'll surely help me once he knows what's bugging me, and I’m already tired of receiving help from him. He has helped me more than enough. More than he should help someone like me who’s no more than his neighbor whom he pays to prepare home-cooked meals for him.

He gave me a lopsided smile before stood up and bent down to pick up his phone resting on the low-lying table located at the center of the living room furniture formations amd turned to leave. I walked him up to the door. He looked at me one last time before closing the door.
He leaned on the doorframe. “You know you worries me every time I decide to leave you alone.”

“Why would that be your concern. I’m not a kid anymore and I can handle myself well just like any grown adult out there.” I jerked my chin outside.

“You know that's not what I mean.” He slowly shook his head.

I just stared at him. “Remember to call me when someone comes up. I’ll be five minutes away.” He said after minutes of my silence, and left with his car.

Shan drove not into his apartment’s direction but to somewhere I don't know. But it's weird that I could see Fire’s car driving into that direction everytime he sends me home after going out with him. I then realized how long has it been since I saw him that I started imagining even his car’s presence outside the front yard.

**Unknown number:** *Good day, Solene! This is the West Coast restobar. We are glad to inform you that you’ve been hired as our new manager!

I blinked off the daze in my eyes. I read the text message again and again as the piece of information completely sank down into my pool of disarrayes thoughts. **I’ve been hired!

It's been a week ever since I applied for various establishments with a job hiring poster outside their building. I’m already starting to loose hope because I haven't heard from any of them. West Coast restobar was the least of my choice but went ahead and applied for it when I saw that they were hiring a manager. I thought the incident that happened to me in my previous job at a restobar won't happen here since the job description of their manager is only checking the stockroom and supervising the staff. I won't be serving any guests here. But I still didn't expected to be hired since it's a high position that requires a lot of experience.

**You:** *Are you sure? Maybe you have the wrong number?

I held my breath as I waited for a reply.

**Unknown number:** *If you are Ms. Solene Ramirez, then we got the right person. Please come to the restobar this afternoon so that we can proceed with the process of hiring you. Thank you!

I can't believe my eyes as I read their reply. I am finallyy no longer jobless.

“Hey girl, guess what?” I greeted Lillian at the phone.

“What's it?” She sounded excited from the other line.

“I already got a job!” I screamed and seconds later, I also heard her screech from happiness.

We giggled as she wish me luck at my new job. Then I hung up the phone when I was already going into the shower. I wasted no time to prepare and make myself presentable in meeting the owner of the restobar.

*I wish this is the beginning of a new start for me.