In the end, I managed to arrive at the convenience store where I took the part-time job just before the rain fell. The store was empty aside from a woman behind the cashier.
"Hi, Nina. I'm sorry I'm late."
My female colleague smiled at me as she shook her head. "No, you aren't. My shift won't end for another five minutes, so sit down first. You looked exhausted."
Yeah, I was exhausted. I needed to run from school to the bus station, standing on the bus, then running again to the store. I was on the verge of collapsing when Nina handed me a bottle of water.
"Geez, you don't have to rush like that. The manager wouldn't know if you are late anyway."
I gulped a mouthful of water, feeling a little bit of energy coming back to me before answering. "I don't care about the manager. I don't want you to be late for your appointment."
