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Honey sat at the large table in the dining area of the girl's home she had been residing in for a couple of weeks now. It was an unwritten rule that they had their meals together unless there was a legitimate reason why you couldn't attend. At first it was daunting: being surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces.
Luckily they were all girls like her, and no one had been rude to her. They were all quite the opposite: nice and friendly. Very welcoming as well.
It was simple the new environment that Honey hadn't been introduced to before. However, she was getting used to it more and more with each passing day. Sometimes, there's be an altercation but nothing too serious or else the owner would have to step in.
Ms. Delores ran a tight ship, you could say. She didn't allow troublemakers or problem girls into her home. She'd had her experience with that and it wasn't something she wanted to deal with. Not at her age, and no one else wanted to deal with it either. Things outside were already tense as it is, they didn't need problems at home too.
It was a written rule to be kind. Literally written down in the contract that each girl signed. If you couldn't, then avoid the situation altogether. Everyone had two warnings and on the third, they were asked to vacate their room and find another place to stay.
It wasn't something Delores particularly enjoyed doing. She knew how hard it would be to find another, affordable place to stay, but it was for the good of everyone else. She had rules that she wasn't willing to bend on and the safety of all her tenets was what mattered most to her. If another person endangered that in any way, they'd have to go. It was simple.
These rules had been stressed to Honey during her tour a few weeks ago. She'd heard it at least three times that day and once every day since. Now surrounded by many other young women who chatted animatedly with each other, Honey felt more at ease than before.
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to chat. She focused more on eating quickly. Not because she didn't want to but because she was in a rush. She had a job to get to and she didn't want to be late.
After all, she was still technically a newbie. She'd only been working for about a week so she still had to prove herself. Fortunately, Delores was once again a lifesaver. She had some good connections in the town, one of which helped Honey get her current job. It was at a multi-functioning place.
In the mornings, it was a bakery that sold sweets, breakfast, and coffee. When afternoon hit, it became a diner of sorts. That was one of the busiest times as well and the conversion over was extremely hectic. They didn't even close down, it happened while they were still open and welcoming customers.
Add in alcohol and a lot of hungry customers ready for lunch, the entire atmosphere shifted. It was a full 180. That's when everyone was up and about. The sun was at its peak and so was the energy of everyone else.
It was hard getting acclimated to the ins and outs of it all, but Honey wasn't a quitter. She persevered through, constantly remembering her "why". When things got hard, she would picture her little sister with a large smile as she got that new dress or skirt she'd wanted.
