Overdue Conversation

The trap was set after the debacle caused by Leigha with the salad. Cyrus concluded he had to force Leigha and Miles to talk to each other and make amends. It was affecting Leigha’s mental state and it would only be so long before Miles’ snapped too. And take a spontaneous visit from their mother and the world might freeze over.

“Leigha, can you help Sierra in the storage room real quick? She needs something from the higher shelves,” asked Cyrus as Leigha and Anita began to head to the changing room. Leigha nodded and entered the storage room. She looked around the top shelves, realizing that  he had never said what Sierra needed.

“What did she need?” 

Leigha looked back to find the door shutting on her, locking her in.

“Cyrus? Cyrus, this isn’t funny. Cyrus, open the door right now!” 

Cyrus smiled, quite pleased with himself.
“What are you doing,” asked Anita? Right, she was with Leigha.
“What needed to be done a while ago. And if they aren’t going to learn to do it by themselves, then someone needs to help them.”

Anita thoughtfully looked at the door, “ Possibly, but is this really the best way? How long until Miles even gets here?”

The door slamming became louder, as Leigha tried to throw her weight against the door, drawing the attention of the rest of the staff.

“Or the door will hold,” added Sierra.

Not a moment too soon did Miles open the back door, allowing Ramona to enter before him. He looked at the storage door, surprised by the pounding.

“What’s going on?” he asked. 

Cyrus grabbed him, opening the storage door and tossing him at Leigha. He slammed the door behind them, leaving the two siblings on the floor of the dark storage closet.

“Who’s that?” asked Leigha, feeling around for a face.

“It’s me, get off,” he snapped.

“Get off me first!” Leigha shoved him off, both retreating to either side of the storage closet.

“You guys, let us out!” commanded Leigha.

“Not until you talk it out,” said Cyrus from the other side of the door.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” responded Miles.

“Yes, there is. We’ve been nice and have put up with both of your moodiness for several days. But today it ends. You are not leaving this closet until you both talk things out. If you can’t reach an agreement, one of you quits.” Several people gasped on the other side of the door.

The Sonatas glared at each other from across the closet, as footsteps moved away from the door. They sat on the floor for what seemed like hours, neither refusing to say a word to the other. They were both hoping everyone else would tire and open the door. Or they would release Miles to work the dinner rush, but time kept ticking away. They had never known Cyrus to threaten before.

“Talk already!” Sierra kicked the door, startling the silent siblings. When they were confident that their audience was gone, they went back to their silence.

“Who do you think he’ll fire?” asked Leigha.

“What?”

“It will probably be me. I haven’t been here as long as you have. Plus, Ramona needs you. And I made a mess for everyone the other day.”

Her voice began to deteriorate, a sniff ending her logic.

“I don’t think Cyrus is going to fire either of us.”

“Why?”

 “Because it’s too much effort to fire and hire people.”

Leigha snorted as Miles smiled to himself.

“Funny, the one time we have a normal conversation, it’s about Cyrus firing us.”

Miles looked up, not seeing anything, and unable to recall a normal conversation with his sister.

“I guess we never talked before you… changed. And now,” he shrugged, “I don’t know where to start.”

“I guess I could start explaining myself since we have the time now,” sighed Leigha.

“That would be nice. You came in like a whirlwind and haven’t stopped since you got back.”

Leigha ignored him. “Right before Christmas, we have to take tests, the same as any other school.”

Miles frowned but said nothing. If anything, he adjusted himself to get a little more comfortable.

“These were the second to the final tests, very important for applying for residency in the spring. So like normal, I studied. Nonstop. I took only breaks for class, but otherwise I kept studying every spare minute. To the point where one night I fell asleep at my desk and didn’t wake up for a whole day.”

Miles raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had never known his sister to be so overwhelmed by studying. As far as he knew, it was part of her to always be studying.

“When I woke up, I felt so terrible that I wanted to go to the hospital, but my roommate brought me food, and then I slept some more. I couldn’t push myself to study anymore. I couldn’t even go to the test. I had no motivation to leave my room or touch anything to do with school. Mom would have freaked out for sure if she knew I did that.”

Miles nodded, knowing that hell would freeze over hell before her child flunked a test.

“What made you decide to come back home? You could have taken a break over winter vacation then gone back to school once you felt better.”

Leigha looked surprised that Miles had spoken up, smiling to herself before beginning again.

“I realized I didn’t want to do medical school anymore. I saw Mom as a role model when I was younger and copied her path, only to realize that medical school isn’t for me. At least for now. But I didn’t know what else to do. The few friends I had would be continuing their medical studies and I didn’t want to be around that.”

“So, you came home?”

Leigha nodded, “When I did, it felt freeing.”

“I think it was the alcohol.”

Miles felt a kick to his leg.

“Let me finish and then you can talk.”

Miles grunted, pulling his legs back.

“I liked making my own decisions for once, deciding to come home, deciding to work here, deciding to make my friends, and deciding to be near you again. It felt nice. I know it was wrong to quit school without telling Mother. But it felt liberating not to have to worry about her pressuring me to go back to school.”

“So, the personality switch…”

 “It’s still me, just free me. And maybe a bit overboard, not really sure what a normal sister is.”

“Free you and alcohol.”

Another kick to the leg.

“Wait until you’re older, you’ll like alcohol.”

“I will wait until then.”

He could hear his sister harrumph, crossing her arms as she did.

He sighed, “I’m sorry for yelling the other night. And everything else. I should have given you a chance to explain.”

“Well, to be fair, I wasn’t exactly the best sister to you either. And was hoping I wouldn't have to explain, just threw everything on you. I’m sorry and I will be better.”

“And we’re good.” The storage room door burst open, revealing most of the Tormino’s staff.

Anita immediately jumped on Leigha.
“I’m so sorry Leigha, I had no idea!”

The two girls started crying, while Miles accepted Shasta’s hand to stand.

“Alright, alright, enough crying, get back to work! We have a restaurant to run,” announced Cyrus, heading back to his closet.

Sierra left the can by the door, so the girls could continue their crying. Everyone else was returning to work.

“How long were we in there?,” asked Miles, noticing the floor was empty.

“About twenty minutes,” said Shasta as he and Sierra entered the kitchen. Miles and Ramona headed to the breakroom

 “It’s good to have you back, Miles,” whispered Ramona, pink in the cheeks.

“I never left.”

“True, but I’m glad you are back to your old self.”

“Same.” Miles looked around; the room was feeling a little warmer.

“Cyrus?”

Cyrus looked around the corner of the breakroom door hearing his name spoken. 

“Who would you fire if it didn’t work out?”

He scowled, “None of your business.”