My eyes flutter open to see a splotchy, unfamiliar ceiling. It took me a moment to realize where I was, remembering the events of the previous day. Arriving in New York, finding an apartment; this was my new life.

I let out a sigh as I reach up to rub my eyes. There was one thing I needed to do as quickly as possible after moving here. I needed a job. There was no way I'd be able to pay for the rent without a job for very long. Sure, I had some money left over from what I'd saved up, but this rent was $200 a month. Without a job, I would only be able to stay here for a couple more months before I ran out of money to pay for it.

It wasn't that I wanted to have to get up every morning and serve other people in some mundane way, it's just that I had to in order to maintain my livelihood.

I stretch out my limbs as I sit up from my slightly squeaky bed. I recalled what the landlord had said the day before, that there was a coffee shop just around the corner or so that was looking for employees. It seemed like it would be within walking distance and the easy kind of job I needed until I could look into Broadway jobs.

That's what I was planning to do once I got settled into living in New York. I wanted to be on Broadway; as a tech, of course, I know I'm not talented enough to be on the stage. Not that I didn't want to be on stage, but I knew better than to try something that would ultimately end in failure.

With a yawn, I pull in some fresh clothes and lace up my shoes. I hadn't had time to buy any groceries upon arriving in New York, so I skip breakfast with the plan to buy something at the coffee shop.

The cool air of New York hits me in the face as I step outside. No one batted an eye at me despite my possibly strange attire. I had on a hoodie that was so old it had been falling apart until I had fixed it up with some ripped patches from a purple flannel I had at the time. The clearly visible, thick white stitching was a display to all that looked at me that it had not be made by a skilled craftsman. I didn't mind though, I liked the Tim Burton feel of it once it was finished.

The sidewalks were bustling with people. Some were dressed in suits who were talking into their phones as they walked with a hurry in their step. Others were dressed like tourists, looking around in awe as they tugged their suitcases along, looking for their hotel.

Noise overwhelmed my senses, making me squeeze my eyes shut momentarily. I didn't like New York that much, but it was my new home. I'd have to get used to this.

I begin to walk, forcing my feet forward one step at a time as I make my way toward the coffee shop around the corner. The screens, the cars, the people... they were all overwhelming and overstimulating my senses. I focus on the ground beneath my feet. It's solid. It's firm. My steps are sure even if I'm not.

The coffee shop looks pleasant. It's called The Coffee Bean, an easy to remember name. Nice, large and clean windows that allows those walking by to see inside. A pleasant, sleek design greets me as I enter. A small jingle above my head tells me there's a bell on the door. I ignore it, looking around the shop.

There's dark wood tables with matching chairs along with booths with dark purple cushions. The walls were dark brown with black accents and what looked like hand painted white patterns and designs; I see a pair of doves among them. There are couples flirting and sharing their drinks, there are groups of friends  laughing and joking amongst themselves, there's people sitting alone, some quietly sipping their drink as they enjoy the nice environment of the shop while others had their laptops outs clearly working.

My attention shifts to the counter. There are three baristas behind it, one at the cash register, awaiting to take an order while the other two mixed drinks and cleaned their workstation. There was a little black sign next to the cash register that read 'Help Wanted! Ask one of our employees for details!'.

"Afternoon sir, how may I help you?" the young man behind the counter greets.

My eyes land on him, looking him up and down. His hair was light brown and slightly curly at the ends. He had on these shimmering gold, circular glasses, but through them I could see honey colored eyes that seemed to sparkle with joy. He had on the uniform of the shop, a deep purple polo shirt with dark brown slacks, a black apron and a name tag on his chest that read 'Patton'.

"I'm interested in a job," I reply, nodding to the sign, hoping he can't sense my nervousness. "I'm new in town, and would like to start as soon as possible if you'll have me."

His eyes widen and his smile broadens. "Oh! Wonderful! Why don't you have a seat and I'll interview you during my break, it's around 11:30 if that's alright, I know it's probably not ideal, but you see, we have a very small staff and we give our workers a lot of leeway for when they work. They're almost like volunteers, but we can talk more about the in a bit, alright?"

"Okay, and may I order a double dark hot chocolate?" I add. "And a chocolate chip muffin?"

Patton smiles and nods. "Coming right up," he says as he rings up the price on the cash register. "That'll be $7.08, and I need your name."

"Virgil," I say as I dig out my wallet, handing him a ten dollar bill. "Keep the change."

He looks grateful as he puts said change into the tips cup. Maybe I should be more of a penny pincher, but I just felt the want to make this other man smile. He seemed nice, and I could use friends.

Patton hands my ticket over to one of the baristas and I go over to sit down at a booth in the corner. I watch as the barista makes my drink and the cashier grabs a warm muffin from their heated rack. Once the drink's done, Patton takes it from the barista and holds it up. "Virgil!"

I stand and walk over, taking the drink and muffin from him with a mumbled thank you. I had a tendency to mumble... I should work on that...

With a sigh, I make my way back over to the booth I was sitting at, feeling my stomach rumbling at the lack of food. It occurs to me now that I didn't have dinner the night before; another bad habit of mine I should try to break.  I tend to skip eating when it's inconvenient, or I just forget. In my defense, I just arrived in New York yesterday and my only options would've been going out to eat or order something, which most likely would've been a waste of money because I'd just throw away half of it.

As I sit at the booth, I realize that I should've brought a sketchbook with me for in case this happened, but it was too late to go back. The traffic has gotten worse and there's even more people out. I'm not going to go back to my apartment when I have a phone.

I pull it out of my hoodie pocket, tapping my password in and then frowning. I didn't really have that many apps, and I didn't really have anyone to talk to...

Trying to push away those thoughts was unsuccessful, so I open a note in my phone and begin to spill my mind in the form of a quite long and angsty poem. It's something I hope no one ever discovers; it's like a window into the darkest part of my mind, a place where nobody has any business seeing. I keep it locked away on a rectangle of glass, plastic, and wires.

I absentmindedly eat my muffin and drink my hot chocolate, subconsciously realizing just how amazing it tastes. I make a mental note to order this more often.

"I'm sorry for the wait!" Patton says, catching my attention. I hadn't even realized that he'd come over, or that it had been over an hour since I'd arrived at the coffee shop. "So! About that job."

I nod, setting down my phone and giving him my attention. "Yes, I'm new in town, so I need a job to pay for my apartment," I say. " I don't have any other engagements at the moment, so I can start whenever you want me too. My apartments just around the block so I'll be able to come in early and stay late without much hassle."

"Well, you seem certainly eager enough," he replies with a laugh, making me flush with embarrassment. "No, I understand, you're anxious to find a job, I get it, I was the same way when I first moved here... oh! Where are my manners?! Patton Valentine, delighted to meet you!"

I smile a little as he extends his hand to me. I shake it with a nod. "Virgil Black," I say simply.

"Well Virgil," he begins. "We open at 6:30AM and close at 5:00PM Monday through Friday. Saturdays we open at 7:00AM and don't close until 7:00PM. Sundays we open at 9:00AM and close at 6:00PM. You can take a shift of just working everyday through all our hours, or we can give you a half time we you come in for half the day, or there's the weekly set up where you come in for Monday through Friday and you get Saturday and Sunday off."

I blink taking in the information. "Um, could I change my hours if my situation calls for it?" I ask nervously.

"Yup! We're pretty understanding," he says with a nod. "If you'd like a position, you could come in early tomorrow and we could get you started."

"Really?" I say with a gasp. I hadn't expected to find a source of income that quickly. He nods. "Yes, that works, thank you so much."

Patton smiles brightly. "Hey! No problem! I love helping people and making them smile!"