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Chapter One

Zoey

There area waitress at The Greasy Spoon, and not just how uniinative its name is My boss, Clive, seems to think I’m on call every day of the week, even on my days off, many of the customers are rude and talk down to me, but most of all it’s the fact I have to buy et stained… and neversome ketchup on me

I sigh as I walk under the bright lights of the shopping center,to echo all around me

I find h the passersby are going to stop and spin on lints in their eyes

“How dare youelephants?” I i “Just who do you think you are?”

I stare at the floor as I walk, annoyed atmy self-consciousness flurry so effortlessly intonew I start the day by telling myself, firmly, I won’t behave so anxiously, so obviously uncomfortable

But shyness will laugh atsentient or so

I head toward the Goodwill that sits at the very end of the shopping center, hoping they have some plain white T-shirts in my size I don’t like to think about that

My size

I’m not exactly what you’d call swimsuit ready

Again, there it is, that niggling voice, that you’re-not-good-enough voice

I hate it

I would’ve had enough to buy soed on art supplies at the start of thehts from my mind

The thoughts co into htmares

It’s your fault, a voice hisses, a tangled cross between Moh me You could’ve saved us

I shakethe internal nored part of uilt, the ever-present gnawing accusations that flurry into me like a ind of pain

“Excuse me?” a lady calls out

I keep walking, certain she’s talking to someone else

“Miss?”

She strides out in front of me, a tall woman with hair cut into a short pixie bob, her features sharp as she stares down at me hat looks like a kind smile