Two: Dream She Has

|Chapter 02: Dream She Has|

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|AVA SANDERS|

Like normal days, Mira and I went out even though the sun wasn't still up.

We would go around our town, looking for shops and places to find a job. It was really hard for us who didn't even have the chance to graduate from school with diplomas. Well, not all people could have the chance but continued striving hard in their lives.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mira asked me while were resting on one of the benches that we stopped at.

We decided to make a stop first because the sun was already striking at our poor skins. We've been walking around for hours now and all shops that we went to was already closed for hiring. We were exhausted and we could only rest for a while and watched people around us getting their rest day, bonding with friends and their loved ones, and with their partners.

"I'm numb," I told her and leaned my back on the chair we were sitting at.

I could hear different voices and I don't know why bitterness dripped on my saliva. My throat hurts.

"I wish, I can also do what people normally do,"

"You're already doing it though," I mumbled as I flashed my eyes open and fixed myself. 

"What do you mean?" I could only roll my eyes as I heard her talk like that. It was as if she was too tired to talk as she normally does. Her voice right now? You could notice tiredness on it.

"You're breathing the same air," I nonchalantly said but I could hear her grunting in annoyance.

I guessed, I did pull her normal self successfully.

"And you don't?" the sarcasm was evident in her voice and instead of arguing with what she said, I shrugged my shoulders.

"I think, we could try the shop you were talking about the other day," I blurted out as I stood up from my seat. 

I put my hands in the pocket of the black jeans I was wearing and looked around. We were at some park that people usually go to whenever they wanted to rest or bond with their loved ones.

I hope I could go here with my mother. She deserved rest and a peaceful day.

"I told you that we can go there first thing in the morning yet you chose to walk around the whole town, Avie! Imagine how tired I am?" I rolled my eyes and continued walking the lane that will lead us to the shop she mentioned.

"Well, opportunities are everywhere! We just can't let it pass!"

"See what opportunities you were talking about! We ended up at nothing,"

"Whatever," sighing, I stopped at the side of the road facing the pedestrian lane.

"Can't we fix ourselves first? I smell like sh!"

I puffed air as I rolled my eyes.

"You had it since birth," I grimaced in pain when she slapped my right shoulder. I glared at her but she only rolled her eyes at me.

"I will really cut your tongue and feed my dog," she mumbled in a lower voice because there were other people around us, afraid to be called out.

"Then do so," I lazily mumbled and started to walk when the light turned green. I bet she was already rolling her eyes to the bits. it would fall to the ground at any moment. 

We crossed the road to the other side as we continued to walk to nowhere. I was just walking with Mira because she was the only one who knew where that shop was.

"Let's retouch first. I feel sticky," I scoffed but said nothing. I was tired to argue with her and also, and I could already feel the sticky sweat on my neck down from my back. It felt bad. 

In angry moments, we minded our own business. I washed my face and It was refreshing. I felt like I was blessed once again, though the thought make me want to vomit. Tsk. I also fixed my shoulder-length hair which was already messy with how we walked in the streets for hours. Pollution got it bad.

"Are you done?" I blinked my eyes when I heard Mira's voice.

"Yea," I whispered and shook my head a little. 

It was like we were already drained for the day that we continued to walk in silence. The air was swaying Mira's long hair and it suddenly felt sad.

Mira could graduate in no time but her parents died in a car accident that caused her to fail her exams. It was already a thin line before she could manage to finish her studies but that just happened. We were devastated by the news and all we could be to mourn her loss.

I looked away and stared ahead of me. We were surrounded by people who were busy waiting for a cab to go home, to go to work. to go to school, and to chase the time.

"Are we there yet?" I asked for me to forget the thoughts that wondered in my mind.

"We'll just have to turn right and we'll be there," I nodded in response.

Even if I wanted to rest my feet, I couldn't. Life is moving so, are we? We can't just stop because time wouldn't stop just for us. You must go on, continue even if it was hard to do so.

"We're here," my thoughts halted as I raised my head to see the place.

We were already in front of a not-so-big shop but It was a catchy place. It was like what you see in the movies. The shop was full of different people, but mostly students. I turned around to face Mira but an enormous gate caught my eyes. My brows furrowed until I saw the words carved at the top of the gate.

Hardent Academy.

A school. Just the mere word of it picked a little part of my heart, it started to get bitter. I gulped down the lump in my throat and looked at Mira who was also looking at the school in front of us.

"Hey, let's go. It's hot in here," I got her attention for a while and, looking at the school again couldn't miss my vision.

"Come on," I dragged her and push open the glass door as the wind chimes created a sound, indicating that we walked in.

"Tsk. You can just go inside already," 

I didn't mind what she said and looked around the shop. On our left, there was their long countertop. It also has different lanes for ordering and for taking outs. At the far end of the counter, is the cashier lane. On the right side, there were at least 12 tables with at least 3 to 4 chairs around them. 

Cool thing was, there was a mini-second floor at the far end of the shop. It was like a whole floor cut into half. That was a cool idea for the interior of the shop. It really has a calm ambiance, perfect for people who wanted peace and a relaxing place.

I was starting to love the idea of working here already. I hope, we would pass all their requirements.

"Hi, Ms! I've heard you're hiring? We both want to apply," Mira, as she was, confidently talked with the girl who looked our age on the other side of the counter. 

I looked at the name clipped on her upper left chest. Shida, what a cool and weird name she has there.

"Oh, perfect! You can turn right over there," she pointed to her left that was why we also looked in the direction of it. There was a mini hallway, probably the corridor to the Manager's office.

"And you can see the only one door, that's already the door of our Manager. The owner's office is on the top floor but visitors are forbidden for a while. Good luck to both of you. We're really short of staff," we smiled at her and mumbled our thanks.

"This is it," Mira whispered and I couldn't help but smile at that.

Yea, this is it.

Silence ruled between us as we walked out of the glass door of the shop. We were both weighing the atmosphere between us. We really looked crazy from someone's point of view. If only they knew what was happening in the back of our minds.

It was pure chaos.

We walked side by side until we couldn't control ourselves anymore and shouted in glee, not minding the people around us who were perplexed by our sudden outburst.

"We passed!" Mira shouted as I joined her jumping out in excitement. We didn't care about our surroundings and hugged each other in the middle of the street. 

The happiness in our hearts was overwhelming that we couldn't help but smiled at the people who were passing by. Greeting them a good day after tiring work. I couldn't remember when was the last time we felt happy like this. 

Since the day we felt like life, gave up on us, we haven't felt like this for once. 

The dream we fought for, vanished just like that. The life we wished for fell in our hands in a second. The tears that dried after the pain we felt before we became numb. It was all lifted a little bit, hope trying to seek our attention.

It was all worth the exhaustiveness we experience all day.

"Mira, we can already start over," I told her while clinging to her left arm.

"Yes, Avie. This little achievement is still an achievement. We still have the chance," 

Our lips formed a hopeful smile. Maybe it was true that after a storm, there will be a rainbow. I just hope, it'll not disappoint the tiny hope planted in our hearts.

I could

strive hard for my dreams for my mother for that was the only thing I can do so much as her daughter. 

To live for her dreams.