3. Chapter 2
Scottie
I yawn as I place the tins on the shelf, pulling the older stock forward and the new stock to the back, trying to keep my dry, tired eyes open, but I’m struggling.
It’s six in the morning, and I’ve been working at Prince's convenience store since nine last night. I had a twenty-six-hour shift at the hospital that ended at eight yesterday morning, after I was asked to stay on for two more hours.
I tried to sleep as much as I could, but I failed. I kept waking up every hour knowing I had to work tonight and the next three nights before beginning another twenty-four-hour shift at the hospital.
I’m exhausted, and the constant calls from my mother aren’t helping with my sleep either.
After she exploded on my voicemail when I refused to put my sister before my job, it was radio silence for a lovely whole month.
It was bliss, despite finding my nephew in my home every time I got there because my sister is a neglectful bitch.
After a blissful month of peace, the calls started from Mama again.
Apparently, Rachel had found old pictures of Kavan and me in his home office, and I was at fault somehow.
I have had barely any contact with Kavan since I found him screwing my sister on prom night and each time he’s tried to speak to me when he’s popped up at the hospital I’ve walked away.
What basically started a war was that Kavan had a vasectomy, so while my sister was trying to get pregnant again, Kavan was firing blanks, and I only know this because of the constant voicemails from my mother.
Heck, even Lorenzo blamed me when my sister found the report.
According to Lorenzo, who showed up on my front doorstep, waking me from my sleep after a twenty-four hour shift a few months ago, our sister went off the pill without Kavan knowing. After a few months of nothing, her suspicions upped, which is when she went snooping.
So right now, Mama is pissed at me, my brother is calling me a home wrecker even though I have no contact with basically all of them.
I only watch my nephew most weekends when I’m not working, picking him up from school then taking him to school on the Monday.
All to be accused my sister who is raging mad believing I’m having an affair with her husband who I again, ignore.
I swear my family is just pathetic, and all this negative treatment because I wanted to be a doctor, I mean, you’d think they’d be proud, right?
Ha!
Shaking my head, I grab the empty box and flat pack it before putting it on the pile I’ve already created.
I pick them all up together before walking towards the back of the shop, using my back to push open the back exit.
I put the cardboard in the recycling bin.
I sigh heavily as I look up and notice the sun starting to peak through the buildings.
I’m going to burn out at some point. I can feel it, and the hardest part is I’m only halfway through paying off my student loans, and I can feel myself slowly fading.
I think I resent my family. My brother lives at home with his nasty wife, living off our parents' wealth despite owning a home. My sister gets an allowance that pays for her home after our parents put her through law school, and then there’s me, struggling.
Huffing, I walk back inside, knowing I only have a few minutes until I can leave and hopefully try to get some sleep, but I silently groan at seeing Dino, the store owner's son, behind the till, looking over the books.
Crap, I forgot he was on shift today.
Ever had attention from someone so persistent that it makes your skin crawl and won’t take the hint when you turn them down? No, just me then?
I’ve been employed at Prince’s convenience since I was fourteen, stocking shelves.
Before that, I did the paper route because my parents never gave me money.
I had to fend for myself, but anyway, since starting here, Dino has taken, I guess the right word is a shine to me, and the man doesn’t seem to want to take no as an answer.
Eyeing the office door where my bag is, I slowly head that way, hoping he doesn’t hear me, but unfortunately my tired self is not that lucky as he calls, “Hey, pretty girl…”
Seriously? Pretty girl? That is a new one. Last week I was baby.
“Hey Dino,” I say, giving him a tight smile, “I’m just going to grab my bag.”
He nods as his piercing blue eyes take in my black collared tee and denim shorts, and I try not to shiver with disgust at the lust that overtakes his features as I hurry to the office.
“The sooner I pay off my loans, the freaking better,” I mutter to myself as I grab my bag and jacket before I take a deep breath, ready to face the douche. Sammie called him that the few times that I’ve had to bring him to work because my sister was too busy to pick him up from school.
Eyeing the door, I grumble under my breath and walk out, only to silently curse when I notice Dino standing on the other side of the counter.
Why am I not surprised?
I plaster on a fake smile, seeing his attention on the office door, his eyes instantly coming my way as I put my bag strap on my shoulder.
“You off to sleep?” he confirms as I walk his way, which happens to be right near the door.
A sarcastic response is on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it and mumble, “Yeah, I’m back again tonight.”
He hums as he eyes my body yet again. I swallow a sarcastic comment, like you know, maybe claiming sexual harassment at work.
He’s the owner's son, so whatever complaint I make, it’ll be me that gets fired, not him.
At the moment, this is the only job that is willing to work around my residency.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I could just have my residency, but then I’d be up my eyeballs in student loans longer, and I wouldn’t be able to buy my home.
“What are you doing this weekend?” he asks as I get to the door and I give him another tight smile.
“I have my nephew,” I admit, not lying because I do, because again, it isn’t his fault his parents are assholes.
“You seem to have him a lot,” he grunts, and I swear if I keep this tight smile in place, then it’s going to stick.
“He’s my nephew,” I remind him before I check my watch and say, “I’ve got to get going, uh, all the shelves are restocked,” then without allowing him to reply, I quickly walk out of the shop and head to my Toyota Corolla that I managed to find on the cheap a month ago when my civic broke down.
Whereas my siblings have everything handed to them, I have had to figure everything out on my own, and that is just how life has been for me.
***
My phone rings for the eighth time since I left the store twenty minutes ago. I sigh as I throw my keys on the kitchen counter along with my jacket, then grab my phone from my bag and check the caller ID, not wanting to answer if it is my mama.
There are only so many ‘I’m so disappointed in you’ calls I can take lately.
It isn’t my fault my sister screwed my boyfriend and got knocked up. It isn’t my fault that her husband got a vasectomy behind her back.
I pause, seeing Dad flash on the screen, and hover my thumb over it before the call goes to voicemail, giving me my decision. I begin to relax, but of course Dad doesn’t give up.
My phone rings again, and I sigh, knowing he won’t stop, meaning I won’t be able to sleep, and I answer, “Good morning, Dad…”
“Scottie, I have tried calling you several times. Do you know how rude it is to ignore your father's calls?” he snaps with a condescending tone, and I roll my eyes before I eye Felix weaving in and out of my legs.
“I was working, Dad,” I reply, hoping my tone is light, while not taking my eyes off the villain cat.
“You work a lot at the hospital,” he mutters, and I swallow hard.
No one knows I work two jobs, only Sammie and that kid, well, he has my back, and I really don’t need my judgmental father finding out, because then he’ll berate my job.
“I’m a surgical resident, Dad, I have to work twenty-four-hour shifts three to four times a week and sometimes the shifts last longer,” I mutter as I take a seat on a stool, still eyeing my demon cat.
Yesterday while I was trying to sleep, the little shit clawed at my foot because he wanted extra food, and honestly, I should have called him Demon not Felix.
“Surgical?” he gasps, “You’ve gone down the surgical route?”
I clear my throat and admit, “I did, and I’m leaning more towards general surgery because that dabbles in a little bit of everything, but in the ER.
” I twitch my nose before I add, “I also graduated med school a year early, I’m nearly a year into residency and next month I’ll be taking my final medical license exam. ”
Felix meows, and I narrow my eyes at the thing just as Dad clears his throat and mumbles, “Your sister said you failed college and was a cleaner at the hospital…”
“No offense, Dad, but Rachel has seen me at work several times, even tried dropping Sammie off with me after I just started a shift and I was with a patient,” I retort, fed up with my sister being treated like the best while I’m treated like the worst. I add, “I even sent you tickets for my graduation, but I’m guessing they got lost, huh? ”
“Scottie,” he sighs, but I cut him off and demand, “Why did you call, Dad? I just finished a night shift, and I’m tired.”
I don’t want to hear his pathetic excuses. I’m fed up with being treated like a disappointment, when I’m the only one of his children who paid their own way.
“I didn’t know you sent tickets, Scottie. I’m sorry,” he says, and I grit my teeth, my anger building, and he sighs, “I’m calling because I wanted to know if you were still hurt over your sister marrying Kavan?”
I raise a brow at that and state, “First of all, Dad, lets call it what it was, my sister cheated with my first boyfriend and made sure I caught them. Call a spade a spade and second of all, no I’m not, once a cheater always a cheater as far as I’m concerned.
My job is all I can focus on right now, first year of residency is the most important.
It shapes you in front of your peers, heck, Dr. Thomas has even let me stitch people up, already proving to the other attendants that I’m top student. ”
“You sound passionate,” he whispers, and I swallow the lump forming.
This conversation is weird. Normally, he puts me down with whatever accusation has been made and then hangs up.
He’s never taken an interest in my life or sounded, dare I say, proud?
I don’t like it.
“I am passionate because my job is my life. I love helping others, I love the people I work with and how fast the environment is,” I admit quietly, “I love the thrill I get seeing that I help to fix someone. The ER is amazing and fast, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else in my life.”
Dad quiets for a moment, and Felix paws at my leg, causing me to narrow my eyes at the little demon.
I swear, I am not opposed to spraying that thing with water or kicking it out of the window.
“So, you having so-called jealous tendencies is not why you’re not coming to the party Friday then?” he confirms, and I frown.
“What party?” I ask, completely confused, and Dad huffs.
“Your sister and Kavan are throwing an anniversary party. The date they started dating- and your sister said that you refused to go because it reminds you that Kavan chose her,” Dad grunts, anger etching his tone, anger at me? I don’t know.
“I haven’t spoken to Rachel, Dad. The last text she sent was demanding I take Sammie on Saturday.
She knew I was working until late afternoon Friday,” I mutter, “But you are right, I wouldn’t want to attend to remember my sister having an affair with my boyfriend for a year before I found out.
To then have my whole family acting as if that was okay and normal.
I’m getting fed up with being treated differently because we both know if I screwed Rachel’s boyfriend and announced I was pregnant at her prom, you would have disowned me. ”
I sigh as I gently rub my forehead and I state, “Sammie is innocent in all this crap. It’s why I don’t deny having him if I’m not working.
But honestly, I need to take a further step back from the family, from you, Mama, Rachel and Lorenzo.
I’m being blamed for things I haven’t even done, and now you’ve just called me to accuse me of refusing to attend an anniversary party I didn’t even know about.
That is how pathetic Rachel is. She’s supposed to be this big badass lawyer when in reality, she’s still acting like she’s in high school.
You and Mama always take her side, always take Lorenzo’s side because he backs whatever lie Rachel tells. ”
When am I going to finally be put first?
When are my parents finally going to open their eyes and be proud of me?
The answer is never, and I think I need a break. When I say break, I mean no contact.
Felix presses his paw against my leg, and I narrow my eyes yet again and mutter, “I need to go before my cat claws my leg and need to get some sleep before my night shift tonight. Goodbye, Dad.”
I hang up before he can say anything, but soon I shout when my demon cat scratches my leg. My leg kicks out, and my cat goes flying across the small kitchen.
My eyes widen, and he screeches as he lands with a thump that makes me wince, and he hisses at me, his fur all up.
Crap…
“Well, he’s definitely going to claw the shit outta me later,” I grunt just as my phone rings, but I silence the call from Mama and head to the pantry to feed the thing.
It’s going to be one long, sleepless day.