So I sent the check and she was able to smooth things over with her landlord even though she was still behind. She couldn't stop thanking me enough, I thought it was fine, it's not like I was doing anything better.
My schedule changed again after getting my equipment to create my own dubstep and I felt better about it, happier if you will.
Wake up
Listen to music
Work on dubstep songs
Play drums
Eat lunch
Go to work
Eat dinner
Go home
Work on dubstep songs some more
Pass out with everything still on
Repeat
It wasn't glamorous but I was a bit happier which I guess was better than my old schedule. My mom became very concerned, one day she came up to me and asked if I was doing okay.
“Yeah mom I'm fine.”
“Are you sure? Because you walk around here looking extremely tired,” I couldn't deny it either, I've been tired but it was nothing and felt good if that's possible. “Plus your room is a huge mess with clothes everywhere, you can't even see your floor anymore.”
“Mom, I'm fine, trust me. I've just been busy.”
Her look became stern “With what? Are you doing dope?”
“No mom.” A little white lie never hurt anyone right? “I've just been busy with work and music.”
“Music? You mean your drums? You only play those for two hours and then you're off to work for another seven, how can you be this tired all the time and still function?”
I sighed at looked down at the floor, I returned my attention back to her and explained what else I was doing “I'm creating music.”
She looked confused her face contorted with a question that just rolled off of her tongue “Music?”
“Yeah mom, music.”
“You mean that techno you blast at full volume in your room?”
I sighed “Yeah mom, that techno music I play at eleven.” I didn't feel like correcting her, she'd only ask more questions If I did.
“Well,” She hesitated “Just turn it down, it's no fun listening to your electronic crap at eleven o clock in the morning.” She still had something on her mind but wasn't ready to speak it. This wouldn't be the end of it.
I laughed and nodded my head then left the house. I thought of leaving for good right then and there but at laughed at the thought, I said to myself “Where would I go?” but thing is I already knew where I'd go, just not at the time.
I walked around my small town for what seemed like forever, I figured I'd hit up the closest friend I had here and see what he was up to. He actually works beside me at Greysolon he came in from Coltarado three weeks I had the job, he lived in seclusion with his dad who got a job from Filthy Rich doing whatever Filthy Rich sold.
He came in Greysolon and got it worse than I did from bossman. He introduced me to him and he looked worse than I did first coming in. He got the job because it seemed like I was the only one who was working, bossman figured he'd give me a break and “Give a job to some other loser.”
The urge to punch him came back but I got better at controlling it, maybe he broke me, maybe I didn't care anymore, maybe I felt sorry such an old bastard like him who felt good in making fun of those younger than him. Either way, I just stood there and kept washing dishes like a mindless zombie.
I knocked on his door and his dad answered the door, “Oh hey, is Rayne around?”
He looked just ecstatic to see me for some reason, he even picked me up and spun me around “Hey Thunder! Long time no see, how have you been?” he asked still holding me up in the air
“Just fine, can I ask how you've been?” It was safe to say I was a little frightened that he was going to make a move on me, not that I had anything wrong with those who preferred the same sex. As the old saying goes "Different Folks, Different Strokes."
He put me back down, I shook my head and looked back at him. He had a huge smile on his face, “I just got a call from Mr.Rich and he decided to give me the promotion to assistant manager! Isn't this great news?”
“Yeah, it's awesome news sir.” I didn't sound interested but he didn't notice he was too happy, “So, is Rayne around?”
“Oh yeah! I figured you didn't come here to just to hear the news.” He turned around and yelled out Rayne's name. In the distant corridor you could hear him yell back “WHAT?!”
“You've got a visitor!”
'All this yelling.' I thought.
“Yeah, just come on in, he's probably in his room still asleep.”
“All right thanks man.” I walked past him and through the living room and into a dark room where sure enough, there was Rayne still under his covers half-asleep.
“Who is it? I'm very busy.” he said slightly annoyed.
“It's me, Thunder.” He shuffled around to face me and poked his head out of his covers.
“Oh, hey Thunder, why didn't you call? You know I'm never up this early.” He yawned and stretched half of his body still under his sheets.
I looked at his clock, it was fifteen minutes after four. “Yeah, I don't know what it is but I woke up and it was ten o' clock, it was strange, I felt fully rested and decided might as well stay up and be productive.”
He caught the sarcasm and scoffed at it, he laid back down and pulled the covers up to his face and asked “Well what is it that you had to tell me?”
I really didn't feel like telling him so much but Ember was in class and usually never had free time and if she did it was her calling me so instead of waiting for her call I figured the best I could do was talk to Rayne, talk about settling for less.
“Well, I don't know but I've been restless around here and just feel like,” I lost my thought and noticed that he wasn't really paying attention. “Whatever, it's nothing.” I should've known he wouldn't have cared.
He rose from his sheets and stumbled out of bed, stretching and yawning he scratched his head and then looked at his clock and laughed “Haha! Look at the time.” I checked his clock again and of course that stupid number was on it. “You know what time it is!”
His mood just changed instantly, he went to his closet and searched through it, and under his hill of junk he found what he was looking for. A small red tin lunch box with the Wonderbolts on it. He brought it over to his desk and broke it open inside laid a bowl, a zippony lighter and a small bag with a couple of nugs in it. He opened the bag and carefully placed enough to fill his bowl and proceeded to light it. He took it in and held it, then released it and a big dumb grin appeared on his stupid face. He turned to me and held it up to me “Want a hit?”
I looked at it and then back at him, he waved it in my face and pushed it my way some more, “Fine, but only one.” he laughed and I took it from him, he tossed the lighter my way and I lit it and breathed in longer than I originally thought. I coughed a bit and proceeded to hand it back to him. He laughed and said “You Ponyville folk never could hold your smoke.”
I ignored him and took a seat at the end of his bed. “So, what were you babbling on about earlier?”
“I didn't think you were paying attention so I stopped talking.”
He took another hit then let it out slowly before continuing, “I wasn't, mostly because I was still in bed and hadn't woken up yet.” he laughed “Now what were you talking about?” I looked at him, he definitely wanted an answer and wouldn't let me leave until I gave him one.
I sighed and began “I was talking about a predicament I've found myself to be in.”
“What might that be? There isn't a girl is there?”
I rolled my eyes “No, there isn't.”
“Then what's your beef?”
“Huh?”
“Come on, tell me who put all that spam in your jam.” He took another hit, “What's got you so worked up?”
I calmly exploded and told him “I'd tell you if you weren't always asking so many questions!” he looked at me lazily, took another hit and continued to look at me. “Anyway, I've been here my whole entire life and now that I've been done with school everything I loved about this place isn't enough anymore. I feel like leaving town in pursuit of bigger and better things. You know?”
I thought after giving him something to go on he'd be able to provide some comforting words, anything really but all I got was “Nope.”
I felt like punching him but thought it would only bring repercussions that I didn't feel like dealing with, “Whatever.” I looked around his room and my eyes fell on his clock. It was close to five, almost time for work. “Well, I'll see you later I gotta get to work.”
He looked up and held out his hoof, I reluctantly returned the gesture back, he told me they called it “Brohoofing” back in Coltarado but I had never heard of it. I just went along with it whenever he did it.
“I'll see you in an hour.” I heard him say
“Yeah, later.” and I left his lovely estate. I turned the way towards Greysolon and started walking, I kept to myself and smiled when there was somepony else who smiled, you know, street manners.
It wasn't long before I made it to Greysolon and had to put on a smile for whatever pony was about to enter. I walked through the main part of the joint and made my way to the kitchen where I donned my apron and mane-net. Bossman made me wear that or either wanted me to cut it so I put up with the stupid thing. I went back to my little strip of the kitchen known as the dishpit, where if you need something cleaned hope that it fits in the machine and comes out the other end.
I set my dish racks the way I liked them, and began work on my pile that built up in the previous couple of hours, I got to work on the bigger things, pots and pans. Other dishes just replaced the space that I had made available, I went to the other end dried stuff off and put it in it's known spot, sheet-pans on the bottom of the green rack, silver in the red racks, and random stuff in the random box. I continued this for another another half an hour when Bossman decided to come up and greet me.
“How's it going Blunder?” he chuckled to himself
That was my nickname at work, they think it's cute. “Just fine sir, how about yourself?” I didn't look at him, really only paying attention to these dishes that kept piling up. He was going on about something when he noticed I wasn't paying attention. I think he was talking about his success in life and how I wasn't going to amount to anything. The usual stuff. Anyway, he deemed it necessary to make sure I was listening.
“Hey, I'm talking to you.”
I stopped what I was doing to look up at him, “What is it Bossman? Because if it's another insult or comment on how I won't be going anywhere in this life or the next, I'd rather get to work on these dishes.” he looked surprised that I said that, to be honest even I was.
He gathered his senses and said “Get back to work Blunder, I don't pay you to stand.” he walked off to go do some Bossman stuff.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to my dirty dishes and continued working on them for the next hour or so when I noticed that it was around the dinner rush and Rayne hadn't showed up yet. I had caught up on what was there earlier and decided to go outside and give Rayne a call.
I came out the employee exit and one of the waitresses was outside smoking a cigarette, I sheepishly smiled and she ignored me. But what else did I expect? Nopony really cared for me except when they needed something cleaned.
I took out my phone and dialed his number and held it to my ear.
Ring ring... Ring ring... Then he finally picked up mid-ring.
“Hello?”
“Rayne, why aren't you here?”
“Oh man, I totally forgot I had to work tonight.” He sounded ripped “Is there anyway you can explain to Todd?”
“Explain what? That you can't come in to work today because you woke up at four o' clock and since then have been doing nothing but smoking dope?”
There was silence as I waited for his reply, as if he was thinking of a good answer.
“Yeah, that, tell him that.”
I sighed and lost all hope for this kid “You're fucking lost.” I hung up on him and thought of what I should do. I could lie for him like I've done in the past and work extra hard with no other incentive other than not being yelled at for getting out late, or I could tell bossman the truth and get Rayne fired and not have any friends. I continued weighing the consequences of either action and a different option appeared.
It was something I'd normally never do, but my recent thoughts haven't been normal either so I gave this one a shot. I could go back inside and tell bossman that Rayne isn't coming in because he's a huge stoner and then let bossman know what I really think of him and his establishment and then walk out. I gave it another five minutes for my list to come out and that one seemed to be the worst one.
It was a multitude of things, irresponsible, disrespectful, and immature to even think that way. But to me it seemed glorious, smart, and quite reasonable. I decided to hell with it, and went back in there with a plan. A plan to let everypony there that I was done with this place, I was done with the ponies that came to it, I was done with everything. Starting with my Boss. Todd.
I came back inside and went back to the kitchen where I saw everypony gathered around Todd, all of them laughing probably at a stupid joke he just told. He noticed me and smiled and said “Speaking of the pony there he is, why aren't you back in the pit?”
Here it was, after this there was no going back. “I was talking to Rayne.”
He became tweaked “Hey, I don't pay you to talk, I pay you to wash dishes! Now get back there before I fire the both of you.” he started to turn away but what I said stopped him
“No you don't... Todd” it was when I said his name that he stopped, he focused his attention at me his face full of confusion, everypony else was watching on what was going on, I didn't care. “You pay me to take your shit, and everypony else's. You pay me to be your punching bag because your wife is sleeping with two young colts. You pay me to do all this, because you're a terrible pony.” he was stunned and began to raise a hoof and try to speak but I cut him off “You're so mad at yourself because you didn't become what you wanted to be. Your animosity towards me is proof of it, any chance you get you remind me that I'm not going to amount to anything. All because you're not living in Canterlot with other successful stallions and mares, soaking up the limelight with your non-existent five star restaurant, but instead you're living here in the sticks with your crappy chain restaurant.”
“HEY!”
“NO!” I turned and stormed out of the kitchen and into the dining area, I could hear him yelling after me, I took off and began flying out of the place, I heard dishes crash which brought a devious smile across my face. I buzzed pass a couple of patrons who were just leaving and turned back to see Todd yelling at me, I couldn't make out what he was screaming but I did know he was making a fool out of himself, ponies that were coming in from their vehicles gathered around to see what was going on. I landed and he rushed right up to me, I prepared for a swing to come my way but only got his hoof in my face, I looked up at him and he was red, like a ripe apple ready to be plucked and enjoyed. He was silent with rage, and when I thought when he wasn't going to do anything else he yelled at me as loud as he could “YOU'RE FIRED!!!”
He gave me some breathing room and looked extremely pleased with himself but still had a huge hatred for me. In that moment I felt sad for him, but only slightly and not for long. I laughed as I still remembered I was wearing my mane-net and apron. I took them off and tossed them down in front of him and said.
“Later.” and I flew off
I could still hear him yelling at me.