The next day Hailey went out to actually look for a job this time, accompanied by Dave in the same bag she’d stuffed him in at the hospital and carried him when she met with Himari.
She wasn’t sure what kind of job she’d want, but as she had barely turned sixteen, she was at least old enough to legally get a job.
Though, the biggest problem with that fact was how she knew most employers would prefer her to be eighteen at least.
However, she was confident that there was some kind of job she’d be able to get, though she wasn’t entirely sure what it might be.
Although, she supposed she could try finding a gig online that would allow her to make money, but then there was the chance of scammers trying to find a way to get either free labor out of her or find some other way to try and get her to give them money for whatever.
She went to the usual grocery stores to see if they had any openings, leaving an application when they didn’t, and continuing on with her search.
However, while she conducted her job search, she couldn’t help but have her mind going back to the night before when after she couldn’t fly anymore, her body felt sore all over.
She couldn’t say that it was because she’d run out of magic, since she had still been transformed at that time.
While Hailey wasn’t completely sure, she had a feeling that it was because of her body getting tired.
Dave agreed that it was a distinct possibility when she spoke to him briefly on the subject while she walked.
She was so focused on why her flying had ended so abruptly that she almost passed by a used bookstore that looked like it had seen better days.
Although, she didn’t care if it was about to fall down as long as she could get a job there.
As she opened the door, a young girl at the register turned to face her.
“Welcome!
Feel free to ask if you need help with anything.” Hailey nodded, not sure how to respond, as the girl looked like she was eight or nine, much too young to have a regular job like this.
The girl also had hazel eyes with light brown hair that came down to her shoulders and was braided into pigtails.
However, she needed to get a job so she couldn’t be picky.
After all, while her father had some patience when it came to her getting a job, it wasn’t infinite, meaning that if she kept failing to get a job sooner or later it’d run out.
Which she knew wouldn’t be good for her.
Which in turn meant that the sooner she got a job, the better.
“Um, I was hoping to try and get a job here,” Hailey said, hoping that the girl would direct her to someone who was in charge.
“Okay,” the girl said, then turned towards the main part of the store and called out, “Grandpa!
Someone needs you to help them!” Hailey hoped that the girl calling out for her grandfather merely meant that she only worked here because it was a family business rather than her family being unable to find a better place for her to be.
Not that Hailey considered the family business thing much better.
However, she knew better than to criticize things like that when she was asking for a job.
That would be a quick way to being told to try and find work elsewhere.
“Can’t you help them?” an elderly voice called out from the back.
“I was busy brushing my tooth!” While Hailey assumed that statement was supposed to be a joke, the girl didn’t seem very amused.
“Grandpa!
I’d help them if I could.
You know that!
She said she wants a job here.” “Okay, I’ll be there shortly,” the voice replied, not that it satisfied the girl any.
Instead she pouted a little before turning back to Hailey and giving Haile a smile that would have made her think that nothing had happened if she hadn’t witnessed it herself.
“Grandpa will be with you shortly.
In the meantime, feel free to browse the books we have here.
Many are hard to come by.” Hailey nodded slowly.
She was never much of a person who cared for books, but she at least knew some people did.
Which was part of the reason she was willing to give the bookstore a try.
While she waited, she looked at the books but didn’t take any off the shelves.
She wasn’t sure what she should expect as she couldn’t say she’d ever been to this store before.
Not that she went to many bookstores to begin with.
If anything, this might be the first bookstore she’d ever visited in her life.
Then without warning, an elderly man was suddenly beside her.
“My granddaughter said you were looking for a job?” Hailey nearly jumped out of her skin.
She doubted the man had intended to surprise her like that, but it still happened.
“Sorry about that, didn’t meant to startle ya,” the man said.
As Hailey looked at him, she could see that he certainly had more than a single tooth, which made her wonder if he’d have other joked similar to that one.
Not that she cared to try and ask.
At least not right then.
“But, you were looking for a job, right?
Part-time?” “Uh, yeah,” Hailey said to both questions, snapping out of her thoughts and coming back to the present.
“I was hoping to get a job somewhere and I saw this place as I was walking by.” “Oh, so you’re looking for any job you could get, huh?” the old man said, chuckling to himself.
“So, I guess that means you didn’t have dreams of working around books, then.” “Um, not really,” Hailey said, not sure if she was supposed to respond to that.
“I just had an accident and need to pay my dad back for the expenses.” “Were you the cause of the accident or was it the other driver?” the man asked, making Hailey wonder if this was an interview or an interrogation.
Although, she supposed she did bring it on herself with bringing the subject up in the first place.
“It was a rafting accident,” Hailey lied, not wanting to get in the details of how she’d allowed herself run into the rock headfirst in the hopes that it would end her life.
Especially since she was confident it would kill her chances of getting a job here.
“Oh, I see.” The old man paused for a moment, turning towards the front counter where his granddaughter kept watch over the register.
“I assume you’re looking for part-time work rather than full-time?” “Uh, yeah,” Hailey said, making her realize she hadn’t given that much thought.
Even though she supposed she should have with school starting up again soon.
“Well, this is my granddaughter, Alicia and I’m Greg,” the old man said as he started walking towards the counter, Hailey following him, unsure if this was a job interview or if he was taking her to a place to fill out an application for the job.