Paper Cuts Read Online Free Page B

wood beams and lariats nailed to the walls.
    After hanging my stuff on a fake horn hook in the tiny staff office and grabbing a cup of coffee, I join Dan on the stoop outside the back door, where he’s enjoying a cigar and reviewing his grocery list.
    ‘That’ll stunt your growth,’ he says, eyeing my mug.
    ‘The damage is already done,’ I say. ‘But I’ll give it up if you quit smoking.’
    He grins at me, and our ritual is complete. He will continue to enjoy his nicotine, and I my caffeine.
    ‘Coming, Lu?’ Shirley calls from the kitchen. ‘We’ve got six minutes.’
    The first dinner break at Donner’s starts at 5 p.m. and at precisely 5:06, workers arrive at the door.
    I gulp my coffee. ‘On my way.’
    Dan follows me inside and cuts me a piece of coconut cream pie. It’s my favorite, but it’s also popular with the factory crowd, so he never lets me at it until the end of the night.
    ‘What’s the occasion?’ I ask, digging in before he changes his mind.
    ‘First day of school,’ he replies. ‘How did it go?’
    I hit the day’s high points, and he listens with an enthusiasm Mom couldn’t muster. He’s delighted at the idea of my writing an anonymous column and insists I bring him copies of each one.
    Dan is like a fond overprotective uncle. I was only ten when Grace started busing tables here, and I had to come with her most of the time. When she dropped out of school, Dan promoted her to serving and gave me her old job. Along with the paycheck, I get plenty of advice, because Dan’s afraid I’ll follow in my sister’s footsteps. He doesn’t need to be. First, it would be hard for me to get pregnant, given the scarcity of B in my life. Second, while I dislike school in general and Dumpfield in particular, I intend to stick it out until I graduate. I admire my mother for raising us alone onso little, but I want an easier path if I can find it.
    Cowbells ring, signaling the start of the rush, and I head out front at a run. You need to be on your game with shift workers. They know exactly what they want, and they want it fast. If you get them fed and back to work on time, they tip you well.
    The first group in the door includes Paz Medina. I chant a silent prayer that he’ll sit in Shirley’s section, but naturally he chooses mine.
    ‘Swap sections?’ I ask Shirley. ‘I’ll give you half my tips.’
    She shakes her head. ‘Not a chance. It’s your turn, kid.’
    Paz and five other guys in brown Donner coveralls slide into one of the front booths. As shift lead on the truffle line, Paz is well respected by his crew. Despite his supreme stupidity in getting my sister pregnant, he’s actually a smart guy, and if he’d stuck it out at Dunfield one more year, he’d have graduated. After Grace dropped out, he got a chance to go full-time at Donner’s and took it, saying he’d finish school part-time. That hasn’t happened, and it probably won’t now that he’s making good money.
    His Donner posse varies, but aside from different coloring and size, they’re all pretty much the same. Each is a smart-ass dropout just like Paz. They surf in here on a wave of testosterone and laugh so loud at their stupid jokes that non-Donner customers complain. I try hard to ignore them, because if they have an audience they get worse.
    Be nice, I tell myself as I walk over to their table. Do not let them get to you .
    ‘Hey, Shorty,’ Paz says, as the rest of the guys debate therelative merits of the new burger choices on the menu.
    He calls me that because he’s height-challenged himself. I have a few nicknames for him too, but in the interest of keeping the peace, I don’t use any of them. ‘Hey, Paz. You guys ready to order?’
    ‘Where’s Grace?’ he asks, his usually brilliant smile at half-mast.
    ‘Not here. Ready to order?’
    ‘Where is she? It’s her night.’
    The rest of the crew stops talking.
    ‘I took her shift. And I’d love to serve you guys some dinner. How about you,