Meet My Dedication

My alarm went off, screaming at me to wake up and get ready for work. I fumbled around before finally turning it off and getting out of bed. My head pounded from last night's repercussions. This hangover was gonna go great with my inability to sleep last night, and now with a 8 hour shift at work ahead of me.
I was so not ready for the day.

I got my work clothes, and my phone and headed to the bathroom to shower. I practically ran into the door when my sister, Milly, ran into the bathroom, beating me to it.
"God dammit, Milly!" I mumbled, my nose still touching the cold door. I leaned up against it, slightly soothing my headache.
"Sorry, Mike! I had to pee!" Milly called from inside. I hit the door with my fist, and groaned. Milly barely opened the door, before I lost my balance a little bit. She looked at me with an almost-entertained, almost-apologetic look. "Too much to drink again?" She crossed her arms over her chest, and practically giggled the words out.
I looked up at her, feeling like I was about to hurl. "Shut up, and let me get ready for work."
She moved out of the doorway and went back to her room. I shut and locked the door behind me, before turning on the water.
I took my time, knowing I had plenty of it, to wash my face, body and hair, and shave. Once I felt clean enough, I got out and brushed, blow-dried, and straightened my hair before brushing my teeth. I added little make-up, trying to look not like a zombie, and got dressed into my work uniform. I still felt like a zombie, but at least now I looked less like one.
I looked down at my phone to see how much time I had left before I needed to head to work, 6:45 AM. I had enough time to stop and get coffee on the way. I grabbed my keys and shot out the door, before my mom could stop me.
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I got to work early, and set up everything to open. I brought out all of the blenders, lids, and flipped the fruit into fresh containers. My co-worker finally showed up, twenty minutes late... again. All she did was clock in and go to the back to sit on her phone to play Candy Crush. I hated working with her, but I had to, if I wanted to get paid. The mornings were always so slow, and didn't pick up until around 10:00. The hours went by a little faster when my sister's boyfriend, Gavin, showed up to ease my boredom a little. The guy, like me, practically lived at Planet Smoothie, and knew how to make just about every smoothie on the menu.

"So what's it like, finally being shift manager, after two years?" Gavin jumped up on the counter, singing his legs back and forth, hitting the wall with his heels. I rolled my eyes and pushed him slightly.
"Same as it was before I was shift manager, except longer hours and pay raise. So, quite nice, actually. How's dating the Spawn of Satan?"
He stuck his tongue out at me, and I stuck mine back out at him. He knew how to make me feel a little bit better, mostly because he knew what I've been through. "Doesn't that also make you the Spawn of Satan, since you're- oh, I don't know- her twin?"
I shrugged and clocked out, before heading to the back room to hang up my hat and apron. When I came back out, Gavin was sitting at one of the tables.
"So, are you actually going to go to Warped Tour with us this year, or just sit in your cave and read your gross poetry books?" He batted his eyelashes at me. I swear, if he wasn't dating Milly, I would have guessed he was gay.
"I don't know, Gavin.... You know I'm not a social person."
"Oh c'mon! All you do is work and sleep, and sleep and work! Have a little fun!"
"I do have fun..." I lied, I knew I was pretty much an empty shell of a person, at least that's what my mother tends to call me.
"Drinking until you pass out is not fun. Besides... Some of the bands have already been announced and you'll never guess who's in the line up!"
I raised my eyebrow at him, he knows the only band I'd really ever go see is almost never in Florida, even for Warped Tour. It's almost like they purposefully avoid this state. "Go on..."
"Of Mice & Men are gonna be on the Main Stage this year! They'll be coming to Orlando, and Milly and I already got you your ticket, so you can't say no!" He jumped up and opened the door for us, and we walked to my car.
"Alright, fine. I'll go to Warped Tour with you guys..." I'm sure the moment I said that, I was going to regret it.

I hadn't left my house, except to go to work and get groceries, in almost 2 years. To be honest, I was scared, more like terrified. But one thing was for sure:
I was going to see Of Mice & Men live.

Notes

I know the beginning is a little slow, but I promise it gets better!