When people asked me about parents or family members since I look like I live independently, I only talk about my aunt who is a single mother of my toddler cousin.

They are my mother and sibling as I see them. My aunt raised me when I abandoned by my parents when I was 8 years old.

They packed, sold their house and gave the full custody to my aunt who wasn't pregnant at the time and aware about my parent's plan.

I was left on my aunt's doorstep, not even kissed goodbye or an explanation to why they did this. They simply left like if I was their long term pet and got tired.

My aunt instantly took me in without hesitation as she never thought my parents deserved me and she basically hated my father, her brother, and my mother for reasons.

After all these years, my aunt and I thrived, she got pregnant, her baby daddy was killed and I was her only support.

They two are my only family, even if my parents raised for eight years doesn't mean I respect them or owe them anything. My aunt raised me for about nine years, I owe her all of my respect and what I have.

The things that disgust me about my deadbeat parents is that they are together and I have siblings....yeah. Honestly, I don't even want to meet my siblings someday because of course I'll have envy towards them.

My aunt was enough for me to realize I wasn't going to have my parents back to my life. I didn't mind.

So my aunt tried to explain this to me that I was their test or first try to see if they were great parents. They saw they weren't so they left me instead of retrying when I still their child.

I wasn't a bad child, I wasn't talkative because I was shy of the world.

They basically disowned me and I'm happy because some day they'll comeback for me like if nothing happened and I will act like if I don't remember them or they traumatized me.

I forgot about them a year later as I knew they'll never comeback. Eight year old me, waiting each day on my aunt's porch thinking they were lying or playing.

My aunt Lori ( aka Mother) and my cousin ( aka little brother) are my responsibility. Auntie works at night for 6 hours and sleeps about four hours.

She says it doesn't affect her and quite believe her because she looks so fresh. Toddler cousin can sleep for four hours max when Auntie waits for me to come home.

I don't get paid because I feel like if I'm taking my aunt's money and I'm being forced even though it's like a deal, I really don't know how to say. My aunt got trust issues and doesn't want to leave her child with a stranger.

I work as a waitress in a cafe, I know, in a cafe but that place I'd quite big and needs people to serve, take and ordering.

I love my job because they are very fluid with things and give out free pastries if you go home. I take those pastries for my aunt and Cousin.

++++++++++++++++

Star's Pov

I dress up for work and put up my hair into a messy ponytail. Their dress code is brown almost light and dark academia, everything should look comfortable and relaxing.

I put my perfume which the scent was a peach popsicles, I love sweet scents. Put on my shoes and made sure I was dressed properly.

Grabbed my backpack, an urban rucksack, I put stuff inside like extra feminine products just in case someone asks for it, hard candy, and ect.

I walk down stairs knowing my aunt and cousin, Theodore or Theo. I see auntie on the table eating while she was feeding the kid at the same time. I smile as I sat on my seat and put my backpack on the chair.

" Good morning Auntie Lori and the kid?!" I said as I dug in into my breakfast. It was two avocado toast topped with bacon slices. I call my cousin "the kid" because it's just a habit and my aunt doesn't really care as long the kid knows it's him and who I'm referring too.

I drink some for my cranberry juice, it's my favorite drink and I never will drink else other than that and water. " Star?" I heard my aunt call my name and I look up, " Yes?" I responded.

" Today I got laid off at work and us two were wondering if you want to hangout when your shift ends? I heard there was a night food festival"

I frown but liked the idea of the night food market. " What do you mean laid off?" She never gets laid off nor misses a day of work. " My boss had something personal come up and told us we will get laid for the days he'll attend to that serious matter."

She takes a bite of her toast and feeds avocado to the kid, "So we don't know nothing, my boss told us we'll go back to work when he sends us an email. It was confirmed yesterday?!" Auntie looks at me as she moves her head to her left.

I smile at that announcement, " So that means you can come back home from your shift late when ever you want?" I widen my eyes, in my workplace, depending on your choice you can stay behind to help with extra work but the reason people do that because the layer you stay you get free pastries.

We close at 9:00 pm as the cafe is located at a very dangerous area. Many sketchy people roaming around at night, since mostly like half of our employees are female, some are minors. We have a female employee who drives female minors every night to their home to make safe they are okay.

I was quite excited but nervous about this, " Is there something wrong?" Auntie answers as  she frowns. I look at her with fear, " I'm happy for you know small changes but I'm not sure to leaving you guys alone more than two hours?" Auntie laughs.

" We'll be fine, don't worry at least we'll have some pasties!?" I stop smiling and she began laughing her ass off. I sigh as ate one toast and a lot of juice, I stood up and push in my chair. " Star, I'll wash it for you?" Aunt Lori said.

I stop and look at her and I nod no. I grab the other toast and laid it down onto a napkin for on the way to work. I washed my dish and washed my hands to leave already.

I smile at her as I hug her, kiss her on her cheek and did the same thing for the kid. I grab the toast, my back pack and headed out of the front door. I double checked that I have everything so that I would get out my work just to bring my personal needs.

++

My usual work shift are from 7:30 am to 6:00pm. The cafe closed at 9:00 pm, I'm 18 going to 19 next year. I graduated highschool a few months back and I'm now working  more harder for now because I'm trying to fix my salary to pay for my tuition when I enter a University. I want to live a normal life with some type of degree to satisfy my goal that I put up many years.

The cafe door rings as I open it, I get some looks but it were from my coworkers. " Good morning Star!" I heard as I approach the stand of registers. I smile and I see at least three coworkers in the front cleaning some tables.

The cafe was not really empty with six people. Some of them were the same people that come every morning for studying or simply using our wifi. I walk to the back to change into my apron to look for like what the cafe asks for. I hang up my back pack on my cubby and grabbed my apron.

I checked if my pen and notepad is there and they were, I got to the front to see if there is anything with trouble or needing help. I look every where as my shift was already starting in a few minutes.

Then I get a sudden hug from the back which startled as I was in my thoughts. " You left from earth to the moon ?" I heard his voice say and I turn around, my coworker, Chris Scott. He give me a soft smile and nods to grab my attention. " Oh, you scared me and now im focused?" I said.

Chris is one of the best coworkers that we have around. He is always there if you need him and he is the nephew of the manager from the cafe. He is well respected not like if he can do a complaint about us. I am friends with him after I bumped into him as I went home.

He is known to be affectionate with his touches like hugs, pats or things that involves his arms. We like it and love that, but really it be comfortable but I don't really like affection or touches. He understands but just hugs me at the times where I'm spaced out.

It's really comforting but I know he is doing that because I'm not really falling into him. When he was new in the cafe some of the girls gushed over him, mostly single girls and the uninterested had someone in their lives.

I am single but just not interested maybe love blind but I never gave a curious glance at him. Which I think bothers him, but I like reminding him about it when u have a chance.

He nods and looks at the ground, " I heard..... Lex company is departing for a while till the boss of the company announces their comeback?" I stop for a while, Fuck, my aunt works in that company. What the hell that he want and he knows.

I force a smile, " Yeah..... I heard!" I didn't know what to say, " Your aunt told you right, am I wrong?!" I smile even wider, " Yes! My gosh. When she told me I was surprised and you know stuff like that?!" I forced a happy surprised tone on him.

Chris chuckles and runs his fingers into his messy hair, not because I'm fantasizing his shit but he always comes to work with flawless messy hair. " Am I making you nervous?" He said and I look at him closely, " Like it should of been this whole time?" He mumbled under his breath.

I blink my eyes many times with disgust, " No, you aren't you are fine. I'm just impressed of how the successful company would of just depart like that?!" I look at him more closely, this guy is getting more dislikable each day.

He nods, " I feel bad for your aunt-?" I stop smiling as he said that but got cut from our boss' voice. " Chris and star get onto it, now!" I nod as I walk by Chris so fast because he looked like he wanted to say some or continue his sentence.

He doesn't feel bad for my aunt. He just doesn't, he only wants me to agree so that I would want him for his compassion towards people. I walk to the front and see a young couple with their child sat in circular table.

I put up my best self and grabbed menus and utensils for the new consumers. I walk to them as I greet my self. " Welcome to Kiki's cafe. How is your day going for y'all? Here is your menu?" I said with proudness.

The couple smiled as they chuckle, " You are very beautiful, love?" The woman said, I try not to get so excited because of that compliment. Gosh, a woman complimenting you is 10x better than men like you know who." Well thank you Ms.? Do you at least have a preference of beverages today?"

They nod, " Can I get a double shot expresso for me, an Americano for my husband and a strawberry smoothie for the child!?" The married woman said with politeness. The couple sweetly smiled as I excused my self with their beverages written down.

I went to the back only to see Chris staring at me already with those eyes of him. " She isn't wrong.....You really are a beauty of something?"

He smirks after sharing this and walks past to the front. I squint my eyes and have laughed at his shit, " And?!" I said to my self as I went into the kitchen to hand the written note.

Gosh!