Six

Chapter Six

Shelly opened her eyes, her surroundings blur, and a massive headache tormenting her as she remembered the strange incidents happening.

"...not stable right now to be left alone." She heard the doctor's voice as he spoke not fully hearing all nor understanding what he said. So she listened more intently.

"Your daughter is going to be fine, it's just stress there's nothing to worry about," the doctor was saying, "and it's too early to start conducting any test on her."

Wait! What tests are they talking about? She was perfectly fine and didn't need any doctor or hospital. She just needed to confess her feelings to Chase and get the hell out of this universe—world—whatever the fuck this is.

Holding the edge of her bed, she stood up trying to leave the room quietly but that wasn't possible when she bumped into something hard.

"Ow!" She cried rubbing her forehead.

"Shelly!" She heard her friend's voice and they all came running to her room.

"Why the fuck aren't you wearing your glasses?"

"I'm very much fine without it, thank you." Shelly rolled her eyes.

"Of course, you are." Kiara's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she grabbed the glasses off the nightstand and placed it on the bridge of her nose. "There, much better."

"I don't need glasses," Shelly grumbled before noticing what she had bumped into. "A freaking wall!"

"You got that right, honey," Kiara smirked.

"I can see clearly without glasses how did this happen and I had to bump into a freaking wall!"

"Damn right." Kiara snickered.

"Sweetie, you've got to start using your glasses I don't want you to hurt yourself." Shelly grimaced as the woman claiming to be her mother walked into her room with a tube-like cream. "Come, let me apply this to the swelling."

"I can take care of myself just fine," she snapped moving away from her.

"Aww, c'mon Shelly don't talk to the poor woman like that. She's your mother," Kiara reprimanded her frowning.

"You and I both know I don't have a mother she abandoned me years ago." A sob ripped out of the woman's throat and she fled from the room.

Kiara shook her head frowning and worrying slightly at her friend's condition. She watched as she walked to the mirror staring at herself and massaging the now swollen red bump on her forehead muttering under her breath. She wasn't the same Shelly she was used to this was an entirely different person. An alien probably, Kiara grinned at that thought.

"Wipe off that stupid grin!" Shelly's bossy voice interrupted her happy thoughts. She rolled her eyes. Exactly what she's talking about, bossy Shelly. Since when?

"I'm going to work, Shelly." She picked up her bag, standing up and smoothing her skirt, staring at the full-length mirror before dabbing a touch of red lipstick to her already full painted red lips. She smacked them together and gave a toothy perfect grin, practicing her opening line, "Hello, welcome to Chili's Cafe. What can I get you?" She gave her signature smile—reserved only for customers.

Shelly snorted. "You work at a cafe!"

"Duh! We work at a cafe." Kiara rolled her eyes.

"Like I would ever work a day for anyone in my life," Shelly fired back before sitting down on the bunk bed.

"Of course," Kiara stifled a smile, "you won't have to work because you'll be losing this one soon."

"Kiara!" Shelly shrieked.

"Yup, I'm guessing our boss isn't going to be too merciful."

~~~~*

After thirty minutes of arguing, Shelly stood outside a huge building painted creamy white color and yellow. Chili's cafe was written in bold yellow letters in front of the shop.

"Ready?" Kiara glanced at her, concern evident on her face.

Shelly gulped. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Opening the glass door, they stepped in as the bell chimed. All eyes were instantly on them. Shelly lowered her gaze down to the floor feeling overwhelmed by the curious eyes staring at her and feeling oddly out of place especially in her bland plain white shirt and knee-length floral skirt.

"Why again didn't we use the back door?" She asked Kiara but before she could get a reply from Kiara she was interrupted.

"Shelly!" The gruff annoying voice snapped at her.

Glancing towards the direction of the voice she saw a tall, bald man wearing spectacles with an outrageous beard! He looked pretty imposing and she suddenly felt demure.

"You are late! Get in here!!" He barked orders.

Walking as fast as she could, she followed Kiara who wore a grimace muttering under her breath about being screwed. Well, she may be screwed but Shelly knew she wasn't.

"Sit down both of you!"

Shelly found herself sitting inside a tiny office clustered with lots of paper. She sat on the seat opposite Kiara.

"Good day, Sir." Shelly followed Kiara's direction and greeted him too.

"Any reason why you yelled at me over the phone?" The man asked.

"I'm sorry but who are you and I still don't understand when and how I got a job here." Shelly looked around the office that was fit to be a broom closet. She still couldn't understand what she was doing here.

"Have the doctor diagnosed her?" The man asked Kiara ignoring her.

"Not yet, he said she's stressed out." Kiara sighed.

"She has to be of course," he huffed, "always having her nose stuck in a book."

"I've told her before apparently she's too engrossed in it that she's now fantasizing about it." Kiara raised her hand to run it through her hair but stopped suddenly when she realized that her hair was pulled up in a tight bun. She settled for biting her lips. Something she rarely did except when she was worried.

Shelly stared at the two people as they conversed about her like she wasn't there. She was already annoyed at being here she won't take any more insults from them.

"Listen here, I'm Shelly Champman I'm not supposed to be here just point out Chase Parker's office for me and I'll be out of your hair." They ignored her while Kiara and the man shook their head in pity.

"That bad?" The man questioned.

Kiara nodded wiping off an invisible tear—or was that real tears? She was so upset right now to care.

"Ok, I've heard enough I'll find him myself." The scraping of her chair on the floor altered them that she was leaving.

"Shelly, no comeback!" She ignored Kiara's pleas and marched out of the office back into the cafe almost running into someone.

"Hey! Watch it!" She heard a high pitched voice she'd recognize a heartbeat. It sounded very much like her own voice when she was still Shelly Champman which she is she's just stuck here as someone else.

Looking up at the owner of the voice her heart stopped beating in her chest. There standing before her was a young gorgeous lady dressed in a black knee-length off-shoulder gown that clung to her like a second skin showing off all her curves. She heard a beautiful blonde hair with baby blue eyes as bright as the night sky. Her skin was fair, radiant, and flawless. The face looked familiar, very much familiar.

"Cindy!" She exclaimed, mouth agape.

"Duh! I know I'm sexy." Her voice was so different, she sounded like all those stuck up bitches.

"Oh please, we both know I'm way sexier than you," Shelly fired back.

Cindy cocked a perfectly arched brow. "Sure." She looked around the shop bored, then continued typing away on her phone.

For the first time in her entire life, Shelly felt insignificant. She felt like she could die right now and the world would still move on and not talk about it.

"You're lucky I'm in my best mood today," she heard Cindy saying still staring at her phone and giggling.

Shelly said nothing just stood staring at her. She heard Kiara whisper her name from behind but she ignored her.

"Get me a cappuccino," she ordered.

Shelly stared at her shell shocked. "Excuse me!"

"Oh, bloody hell!" She facepalmed, "I need a cappuccino."

"I heard you before but why should I get it for you?"

"Uh because you work here." Cindy rolled her eyes.

"No, I don't work here I'd never serve you!"

"Ugh! Now you're also stupid, I'll add that to all the qualities of my nerdy character." Cindy smirked.

"I'm not a bloody nerd!" Shelly screamed, "you are the nerd here!!"

"I don't wanna be seen quarreling with an ordinary waitress. Daddy will not like it least of all my baby, Chase so get out of my way."

Shelly didn't move an inch. "I'm not in your way, Cindy."

"Not anymore." With that, she was roughly pushed aside as Cindy walked past her muttering "crazy" under her breath. She landed on the floor with her butt and laughter rang out from the people present at the cafe.

"Shelly!" Kiara ran up to her.

With tears streaming down her face, she pulled away from her and ran outside accompanied by the mocking laughter. She had never felt so humiliated in her entire life. Why was nature being unfair to her by humiliating her with none other than Cindy?

"Shelly, wait up!" She hears Kiara's voice behind her. She didn't want company, she just wanted to be alone.

Immediately she broke into a run not caring where she went as the tears flowed freely. She just wanted to be away from the world.