"So, Sierra, tell me why you want this job."

I sit in front of the manager who's seated comfortably in his chair, awaiting my response. I quickly look up at the bar and scan around the room, trying to think of an answer.

"I've always wanted to work somewhere like this," I start. "It's a good environment. And I love speaking to people, so getting orders from customers would be great. I like to make people smile."

He smiles, impressed by my answer. "The fact that you yourself are so smiley is great. That's the most important thing here: making sure the customers feel comfortable and happy. Would you be up for making teas and coffees?"

"Definitely. I've been told that I make a great cuppa," I tell him in an enthusiastic voice along with a wide smile.

"Is that so?" He chuckles.

"Yep. I can show you if you want?"

He motions his hand towards the bar and raises his eyebrows. "By all means."

I spend the rest of the interview showing off my skills at making a simple cup of tea—which he thoroughly enjoyed and even complimented me. By the time I leave the cafe, I have a massive and proud smile taking over my cheeks because I was offered the job just before I headed towards the front doors.

I start on Saturday.

* * *

When I arrive at school the next day, the first thing I see is Hayden speeding down to me. He holds a bottle of apple juice in his hand which is instantly given to me out of sheer kindness. I smile gratefully to Hayden who I hope will be my friend for the rest of our lives.

"Did you get the job?" he asks immediately.

I take a sip of my drink, causing him suspense as I make him wait. A slow grin forms before I say, "I did."

Hayden lets out a loud gasp and instantly smiles the widest I've ever seen him smile before. "That's amazing. Sierra, well done. That's incredible."

"Thanks, Hay. You'll have to come in and grab a milkshake sometime. I'll get you a discount."

"Definitely," he agrees, already blushing.

His words of affirmation only brighten my day further. He manages to put an uncontrollable smile on my cheeks that I can't seem to rub off.

Unfortunately the moment doesn't last long because we soon pass by Tina; my former childhood friend who betrayed me by spreading around lies due to jealously. We were only in our second year of secondary when it happened, so I can't even remember what was said or why, but she still laughs in my direction and whispers as I pass her in the corridor. I should be the one to hold a grudge, but she's the one who makes the effort of making me constantly feel bad. It doesn't exactly work. I just ignore her presence and focus on my own life.

"That's one thing I won't miss about this place," I mutter to Hayden.

He glances back at Tina. "She always talks to me in maths."

I whip my head around so fast that I almost break it. "Saying what?"

"Just casual stuff, like school and class work. She's always been nice to me."

I frown. "Please don't tell me you're friends with her."

"Not friends. Acquaintances."

My mouth makes a sound of disgust as my head rolls back onto my shoulders. "She's horrible. No one like you should be friends with someone like her."

"No one like me?" He stops walking and tilts his head slightly, clearly confused and wanting me to elaborate.

I stop with him, smiling softly. "You're a sweet person. You might just be the nicest person I know."

The side of Hayden's lips lift ever so slightly. His eyes sparkle and a blush creeps up his neck. We remain making eye contact for a few more seconds before I break away and stop the confusing moment.

"So don't get mixed up with people like that," I warn him. "Seriously. You're too good for her."

We walk up the rest of the path to reach the building in silence. I walk him to room 198, waving him off as he steps into his tutor room, before I head off to room 204 where Liliana is waiting for me. She seems to struggle to stay in her own seat as I creep closer and take a seat beside her.

"Tell me everything," she demands, referring to the interview.

So I do.

* * *

I'm cleaning one of tables that a customer has just left. I sweep all of the crumbs into my hand and carry them to the bin where I throw them away. There's four big ones. I imagine they're me, Liliana, Ricky and Hayden. One by one, we're each being dropped into the deep void of adulthood. No way back out.

I can't wait to become an adult so I can have some independence and live my life the way I want to, but I also miss my childhood. The moments where my dad would tuck me into bed or feed me an extra cookie for pudding. The moments where Issac and I would fight over who played on the console but would get along the next minute, acting like we never fell out in the first place. The comfort of it. The safety of it.

"Sierra," someone suddenly says before me. The first thing I notice is the shock in their voice, so my head whips up before I even tell it to.

My heart drops when her face comes into view. I stare at her familiar ginger hair. The same hair I used to stroke all the time because I loved the colour and silky feeling of it. Mum's hair was always my favourite thing about her. She looks the same, other than the blue eyeshadow that she has smudged over her eyelids. That's new. Probably something her stepdaughter showed her.

"Talia," I reply in a monotone voice.

"Don't be like this. You're the one who's been ignoring me for these past two years. I didn't abandon you."

"Didn't you? Because it felt like it."

My mum creases her forehead and takes a step back, clearly confused by my harsh statement. "I've never left."

"Yes you did!" I hiss quietly, trying not to make a bad impression on my first day. Luckily the manager isn't around to see this. "You left dad for another man, left all of us."

"I still saw you. There wasn't enough room in the flat, you know that," she spills out more excuses. "But I didn't abandon you."

"You put his kids before your own. You'd spend every minute with them, even when we were over for visits. You'd tell us off, not them, you'd get on with them better, you treated them better, you loved them better."

"That's not true-"

"Yes it is. Don't you dare tell me it wasn't. You have no idea what that did to me. That's why I stopped speaking to you."

Her eyes are wide and fearful as I finally let out all of my emotions that I've been keeping bottled up for the last two years. She opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Mum knows it's true, she's just been trying to hide it from herself because she doesn't want to accept it.

And then she does say something. And it's not what I expected her to say at all, so my mouth drops.

"I would like a hot chocolate please."

"Seriously? That's all you've got to say?" I ask in an astonished tone.

"That's what I came in here for. You apparently work here now. So yes."

I give her one last glare before I make her a hot chocolate and place it down in front of her, then I have to work the till and make her pay the amount for the drink. She taps her card, waits to hear the confirmation, then sits at a nearby table with her back to me.

I'm so angry that I have to face the opposite way and try to calm myself.

It's my first day, I can't let her ruin this. But how dare she just waltz in here and act like that. No, act professional. First day.

After having a moment to myself, I get straight back to work with a large smile on my face. A smile is easy to pretend, so I manage to keep it up until my mum stands and stares back at me. She waves, but slumps her shoulders in defeat when she realises I won't wave back. I watch her pick up her brown handbag and head towards the door that rings the bell when it opens. I watch her walk down the street through the windows, until I can no longer see her and she slips out of my life once again.

A sudden and unexpected emptiness soars through my heart, making me want to scrunch myself into a small ball and huddle in the corner. An emptiness from a little girl who just wants her mother. I want to feel her arms around me, feel her peck the top of my head and stroke my hair, hear her whisper in my ear, smell her mango perfume. I want nothing more than to have her in my life, but I can't. I know my mum, I know she'd just go back to how she used to be eventually. No matter how much I hope, she won't change.

"Sierra? Everything okay?" my manager asks when he notices me staring deeply at my own reflection through the metal kettle. I jump, not realising he had come back from his lunch, and instantly smile.

"Yep, all good."

"Great. Let me show you where to put the cutlery, then you can go off to lunch."

I watch patiently as he teaches me all these new things, but all I can think about is mum. About the time I heard her and my dad arguing downstairs. They were shouting so loud, I couldn't sleep. So I sat at the top of the stairs and secretly watched them. I was only four at the time, so I can't remember what was said, but I know what it was about. My mum was leaving him. She met someone else at work. My dad was furious — rightly so. For some reason, I didn't cry. I just sat there and watch them with no emotion on my face until Issac grabbed my arm and took me to my bedroom where he demanded I slept. He was ten, so had a better understanding of what was going on. My mind then takes me to the day I met my mum's new boyfriend and his two children. It was months later when everything was all settled, dad drove us to the park, but he didn't get out and he didn't even look in their direction, though he knew they were there. Waiting. My dad didn't want to keep us from our mum, so he agreed to visits. We never spoke about them, he never asked. Dad hasn't mentioned her name for as long as I can remember, so I don't either. I was confused as to why Issac was being so cold towards the man my mum introduced us to, not old enough to understand what had happened. Then we met 'our new siblings'. Lauren, who was one year younger than me, and Finn, who was just a baby. The first time I noticed my mum favouring them over us was when I was nine. I was playing with my barbie in the garden when Lauren came over and snatched it from me, demanding it was her turn. I cried and cried until mum came out and questioned what had happened. Long story short, Lauren got the barbie, mum told me to grow up and show a better example. Things only got worse from there. So eventually, I left. Just like she did my dad.

He didn't even need to ask. I simply sat down at the table with him on the day I was supposed to see her, made a glum face, and didn't speak. He smiled sadly and offered me an apple.

I never visited her again after that.