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The turn of the season gives power to the waves and churning of the sea. Tregethworth is back to being enchanting and peaceful now that the tourists have all returned to their homes. Unfortunately, Molly’s only opens part-time now, so my shifts are limited to the weekend, but it’s better than nothing. Besides, I have homework to occupy my restless mind.
It’s the week before November, and the summer warmth is long forgotten—stolen from the air. I’m glad of the later starts to my weekend shifts. Working so much over the summer and now keeping up with my college courses means I’m constantly tired and need the weekend to catch up on sleep. Luckily, I don’t want for much in Tregethworth, so the few shifts I still have cover my expenses and leave a little for me to save towards a car next year.
Of course, Tegan wants to go shopping out of town, rent movies or just about anything that costs money rather than spend time together, which sometimes is really lovely. I think she does it just to keep me busy sometimes, and I love her all the more for it.
She’s not mentioned Jayce since the first week after he left, but I’ve caught her looking worriedly at me a few times.
Forcing myself out of bed, I wrap up in one of my winter hoodies. It doesn’t bode well. Chills now could mean a long, cold winter, and winter won’t help the cold that’s already seeped into my bones. Winter is not my friend.
I think about Jayce and his escape and where he might be—somewhere warm and tropical? The urge to contact him again fires to life, but I kill it with a look out of my bedroom window and the reality of my life. My email remains empty. He never returned my attempt at staying in touch. I’m not sure if I’d rather I’d never tried. Rain drizzles through the sky, and the clouds look so grey they’re sad.
A little pain now, rather than drag it out—it’s what I keep telling myself, only the little pain hasn’t let up. My plan sucks, and doubt over whether I’ve done the right thing plagues my mind.
I head to the bathroom and realise I’ve got my period. Maybe that’s why I’m in such a bad mood today.
All I want to do is go back to bed.
A few minutes later, Tegan bursts into my room. “What are you doing later?”
“Working.” I pull the covers back over my head, pretending to hide.
“No, after that?” She sits at the end of the bed.
“Sleeping.”
“Zennor, come on. You’re the older sister. Please don’t make me disown you for being boring. Come on. Pleeeese?” She starts bouncing up and down.
“Stoppp,” I plead, my voice wobbling with the movement of the bed.
“Only if you agree. Come on.”
“Don’t you have your own friends to harass? It’s the weekend, after all.”
“But I don’t want to hang out with them. Look,” she stops bouncing, “I know you miss him. I want to help, okay?”
My cold and weary body feels a little warmer after that comment.
“Fine. I’ll come back after my shift, and we can hang out or do something together.”
“Great. See you later.”
I drag myself into Molly’s for the start of my shift.
“Oh, hun, you don’t look so good. You coming down with something?”
“No, I’m fine.” I grab my apron and start setting up the tables, refilling the saltshakers and stocking the fridges. My lower back aches a bit, and I stretch it out as I kneel in front of the fridges. The weather outside means it won’t be a busy shift. It worried me that there weren’t many customers. I didn’t want to see Molly’s business suffer. She’s become a good friend as well as a boss. She’s nice to work for, and she’s trying to do something for the people in Tregethworth, and not just cash in on the tourist trade, by having the shop and post office, too.
Two hours in, and I’m right. We’re pretty dead, so I offer to clean all the shelves in the store end of the shop. It’s not glamorous, but I’d feel guilty not doing anything with my shift. I pull the small stepladder out of the stock room at the back and climb up. But as I reach for the top, my stomach grips and twists, sending me doubling over in pain.
I shove my arm out to catch myself from falling and clamber down, gritting my teeth. My cramps are never like this. Another cramp digs in, twisting my stomach as if the tissue is being pulled apart. My feet hit the floor, and I bend over in pain.
“Zennor?”
I can’t even turn around to answer Molly’s concerned call.
“Zennor, honey. Oh, gosh. Look at me.” She stands in my line of sight, and I focus on her. “Is it your tummy?”
I nod, clutching my stomach.
