The Lightning Mage

50 | The Failed Interview, Part I

✿∅✿∅✿

Sin-Ni scouted around for a job—at every shop, restaurant, cafe, grocery store, whatever it was, as long as it was near the Dawn Avengers headquarters. It wasn't easy, since most employers did not like that she could not operate appliances. Thankfully, she found a waitressing job three streets down. It was at a small and cozy cafe, and her boss, Jennifer, was a kind and sympathetic lady.

The job itself was simple enough—going around the cafe taking orders. It was a bit tougher whenever people dirtied the place, which occurred way more often than she had hoped. And right now, a bunch of teenagers had, of course, spilled their drink all over the floor.

Sin-Ni sighed and looked around. Jennifer was in the kitchen talking to the pastry chef, so no one else was available to help. Letting out yet another sigh, she grabbed a cloth and rushed over to the table.

"Ah, so sorry about that." Three high school girls sat around the table, pouting at one another. "Gretchen over here got a bit clumsy."

Gretchen scoffed as she folded her arms. "It's not my fault you brought up Aaron's messages right as I'm adjusting the straws."

"It's okay," Sin-Ni mumbled. She swiftly mopped the table and the floor clean, before glancing at the girls. "Do you guys want a refill?"

Three pairs of perplexed eyes bored into her face. "What's wrong with you?" blurted one of the girls. "Can you not use magic?"

Sin-Ni felt her cheeks heat up. "N-No, sorry..."

"What? Why can't you?" another girl asked.

"Erm..."

"Oh my God, Karen," Gretchen scolded, "you can't just ask people why they can't use magic. Some people are magic disabled."

"There are people like that?"

"I've heard of them, but I've never seen anyone like that in real life." The third girl leaned forward and gave Sin-Ni a strange grin as if examining an exotic object from space. "I can't believe such people really exist. How do you even survive?"

The heat in Sin-Ni's cheeks shot up all the way to her head now. "S- Sorry, I- I have to get back to work now..."

With that, she scurried over to the kitchen, threw the towel into the sink, and hid behind the door. Jennifer exchanged a knowing look with the pastry chef, before approaching her.

"Sydney, are you okay?" Jennifer asked, as she gently placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Jen, I'm- I'm okay, someone- someone spilled something..."

A mixture of realization and regret flashed across Jennifer's face. "Ah, okay, I will take care of it." She smiled and handed her a stack of flyers. "Here, why don't you take a break from cafe work and give these out instead?"

"You sure? But the customers—"

"Don't worry, I'll take over for now. I need these given out anyway; we need more publicity."

Beaming with relief, Sin-Ni grabbed the flyers and darted out of the cafe.

This was yet another job that was simple enough, although she had always found herself in front of the Dawn Avengers headquarters. Why did she always gravitate here? And right now, she was here again—and, of course, Lyn the lightning mage was marching out of the building.

She was flanked by her usual group of friends. One of them was a black woman with a maroon hoodie, dreadlocks, and helix piercings. She was hitting Lyn on the arm as they roared in laughter.