Amber was on her second job of the day. Going straight from the convenience store to the coffee shop was always her least favorite part of the day. No time for a real meal or rest in between, so she ended up snagging a skewer from a street vender as she darted down alleys and side streets to make it on time. She was really hoping the job at the book store would come through since it was right next to the coffee shop. Plus, it would give her a chance to be off of her feet more than a few minutes per day. 

She was working in the college district, so a lot of the part time jobs got snapped up rather quickly, but the school mostly catered to the wealthy, so once the first jobs were gone, there was no worry of anyone else looking, so once a position opened up, it was pretty much guaranteed the next applicant would have a chance. She’d been applying every month for two years and the owner knew her well, so she couldn’t help but be hopeful. 

“You’re late,” the coffe shop manager, Jamison said as Amber rushed in through the back door.

She looked at the clock and sighed. She’d tried her best. “I’m sorry,” she bowed her head, trying to look as pitiful as possible, which wasn’t hard with dusty, threadbare shoes and yet another ill-fitting shirt. 

“Whatever. At least you’re more reliable than all those other kids I hire. Get out there and start sellin that smile. The girls can’t seem to get enough of it.” 

Amber grinned and quickly changed into her uniform, black slacks and a white button up she left in the cafe locker. A pair of black loafers with nonslip traction on the bottom and pale pink bow tie completed the look. The counter was well-organized from the previous worker, but she rearranged the sugar packets like she liked them. A lot of their customers were young, female, college students who liked the cute yellow polka dot sugar packets, so Amber made sure they were in easy reach. She also swapped the full fat and low fat and skim milks around. 

She put her hands on her hips, satisfied, and said softly under her breath with a smile, “Man, I hate working here.” 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

”I kind of wanted to live in a dorm,” Krystal gushed to her older sister as she rearranged her closet, put outfits she felt were suited to college closer to the front. “But, we’re close enough that it’s pretty pointless. Besides, I looked at the rooms and they are way too small to be sharing.” 

She was speaking to her older sister, Jessica, who’d come by for a few hours. She was taking a break from her husband and baby. Jessica had married around the same age as Krystal to a man of Mr. Jung’s choosing and always seemed to mildly regret it. She never said it in so many words, but there was a sparkle that used to be in her eyes that had disappeared months into her marriage. 

“I’m glad you decided to stay here,” Jessica said. “Mom would miss you a lot if you didn’t. Your brother and I have already flown the nest. What would mom do without her baby?” 

Krystal scrunched her nose. “I’m not a baby.” 

“You’re forever a baby to your mother. Trust me.” 

“And how is my little nephew?” Krystal asked her sister, bouncing over to the bed. “Chubby?” 

“Yes,” Jessica said with a laugh. “I’m trying to teach him to color. He’s awful at it though. His father feels I should just leave that to his nanny, but he’s my son...” the smile fell from her face, then twitched back on. “Anyway, I’m proud of you, Krystal. You’re going to make a wonderful business woman, I just know it.” 

Krystal felt her heart swell with love for her sister. She may be leading a completely different life than the one she’d envisioned for herself, but Krystal respected her desire to honor their father’s wishes, though it seemed to be causing her some pain. One day Krystal would be brave enough to ask her what it was and why she’d felt the need to follow through, but she wasn’t quite yet. 

After they’d had dinner with their parents and her sister had returned home, Krystal went upstairs and logged onto her school website. Excitement b, she printed out her class schedule and poured over which books she would need to buy once she made it on campus. She also considered if she’d need to shop for a new bag or purse that could hold her books and laptop but would still look cute. She sighed, tapping her chin. University was already proving to be rather thought provoking.