The Boarding House by Sharon Sala

same shift as Tessa because she was lazy.
    Today Randy was taking orders and money while Ellie was in back, filling them from a computer screen. As she was filling up the strawberry syrup, a new order popped up. Two chocolate malts and a hot fudge sundae.
    Ellie began scooping ice cream, adding malt and milk to the cans, then putting them under the mixers before moving on to the sundae.
    Tessa was supposed to be cleaning tables and keeping all of the condiment bins full, but it wasn’t happening fast enough. Ellie had already asked for a container of maraschino cherries and she had yet to get it.
    “Tessa, I still need those cherries,” Ellie whispered.
    Tessa did a blink that might have stood for “oh yeah” and headed for the storage in back.
    Ellie had been working here so long that she could make the orders without thinking. Her hands knew what was supposed to be happening, leaving her free to think. Sometimes thinking was good. Sometimes not so much. Today she was worrying about Wyatt, and just like that he walked in.
    “Hey,” he said.
    Ellie turned. “Hey yourself,” she whispered. “Where have you been?”
    Wyatt shrugged. “Around.” He could see they were busy, but he missed her. He eyed her curiously. He thought she was pretty and wished she had a real life like most of the kids their age, but doubted it was going to happen. He didn’t know this Ellie as well as he’d known her younger self and hated that they’d grown apart as they’d grown older.
    Tessa handed Ellie the container of cherries and gave her a strange look before going to bus tables out front.
    Ellie set the two chocolate malts on the pickup counter and finished up the hot fudge sundae while Wyatt watched.
    “You’re pretty good at this, aren’t you?”
    “I guess. Are you going to be home tonight?”
    “Maybe, why?”
    “I thought we might go to the movies or something.”
    Wyatt frowned. “You know Dad isn’t going to let you.”
    “I’ll do it anyway,” she said.
    “No you won’t and we both know it,” Wyatt said and started walking away.
    “Wait. Where are you going?”
    “What do you care?” he said, and then he was gone.
    Ellie wanted to call him back, but orders kept popping up and she kept scooping and dipping and pretending her heart wasn’t breaking. The pain in her chest was so real that she wondered if she was having a heart attack. A part of her almost wished it were true. She might not mind dying so much. It would solve her problems. Even if she didn’t go to heaven, she already knew her way around hell.
    When Randy went on break, Ellie moved to taking orders and Tessa stepped in to fill them. She recognized a couple of the girls from her class and a few of the boys standing in line. One of the girls caught her eye and started to smile, then caught herself and looked away.
    Ellie frowned. She wondered what they thought about her that made them behave that way. She knew they’d freaked out when Momma had committed suicide. The whole class had acted as if Ellie had been the cause. She knew why she was different, but she hadn’t always believed that it showed. Obviously she’d been wrong.
    Later, a group of boys from the football team came into the shop. As she began taking their orders, she caught one of them staring. When he saw he’d been caught, he blew her a kiss.
    This time it was Ellie who looked away.
    They laughed, but she just ignored it and told herself it didn’t matter.
    When quitting time finally came, she was more than ready to get away. She hung up her apron, grabbed her purse and her keys, and headed home.
    She hadn’t gone far when she felt the car pulling to the right. She stopped at an empty parking lot and got out, then kicked the tire in frustration. It was almost flat.
    “Great. Just great,” she muttered, as she got her cell phone out of her purse. Daddy to the rescue, which was just the way he liked it.
    Garrett was watching the clock and pacing the floor while waiting for