A Royal Deception

Season 1 - Chapter One

"You're fired."

You wouldn't think that two words could shatter your world, but these two did. Not just my world, but my Mom's world as well.

The fateful words were spoken by Sharon, the manager of The Lucky Goose, a failed themed restaurant that only served goose. It was a nightmare, and Sharon, with her hairstyle from a 70's Better Living magazine and a nasal snarl, was its nightmare queen.

I was on a hard, plastic chair, the kind that somehow had bumps and ridges everywhere you didn't want them, in Sharon's office. I stared across her overstuffed desk into her bloodshot eyes as she destroyed my world. I wasn't sure how I'd gotten here. I had done well in school. I had gotten a degree. I was going to be a teacher back before everyone (apparently) couldn't afford them. Now, the best I could do was this...serving in a goose-themed restaurant, and now even that was gone.

Well, going.

"What?"

You always hope you'll have something badass to say at times like this, but in my case, I just ended up stuttering and gasping just like I always feared I would.

And here I am, thinking my awkward teenage phase ended in my teens.

"F-I-R-E-D," Sharon had the decency to literally spell out for me. "Edwina, did you hear me?"

'Edwina.' I hate my name. It sounds regal and formal and — frankly — like an asshole I'd rather not be.

"It's Eddie," I said.

Sharon rolled her eyes so hard I was worried her cheap fake eyelashes would fall off. "Edwina, honey, you're fired. Would calling you 'Eddie' really help?"

I gritted my teeth.

"Sure would, Shar-Shar."

Her ruby red lips pulled into a sharp frown.

"That's NOT my name — "

I didn't let her finish. "Yeah, it's annoying when people screw up your name, isn't it?"

The frown deepened, stretching her spray-tanned features into a grotesque approximation of Grumpy Cat.

"Clear out your locker and leave. NOW."

It's funny, looking back on this now — on who I was then. There are a lot of things that are still true, but a lot has changed. I can't help but wonder what the girl I was then would think of who I am now.

Can't help but fear that she'd be disappointed in me.

That said, one of the things about me that hasn't changed is that I'm a people pleaser. I always have been; so, when Shar-Shar told me to stand, I stood. I was about to do my walk of shame to the staff room and clear the few things I had out of my tiny locker when I realized what Shar-Shar was not saying.

"What about my tips?"

Shar-Shar carefully avoided my eyes, suddenly fascinated with the papers scattered on her desk. It was clear she'd been hoping I wouldn't remember to ask about it.

"Hm?"

"My tips," I repeated more forcefully. Almost all the business we did at the Goose was on credit, meaning the majority of my wages from the past two weeks were sitting in internet-land, waiting to be added to a paycheck I might not get. "You still owe me the money I made."

Shar-Shar sighed.

"We're not doing that."

"That's not fair!" I hated how petulant I sounded, but it was all I could do to stop myself from swearing at her.