Page 101 of Valley Girls
In the lightening purple dark, the sleep-hazed faces of Braeden and Christian stood by the entrance’s stone columns—still fixing their uniforms. She’d hung out with them often around HUFF, but had never seen them at work.
“What you doing here so early and so dressed?” Braeden asked as Rilla came up.
“Taking over for Allie today.” She smoothed her skirt.
“Ugh. Allie is smart. Can you get us coffee?”
“I have to clock in first,” Rilla said. “Where’s the coffee?”
“Go to the kitchen and ask Darien to make it,” Christian said. “Please.”
She nodded and headed inside.
“You’re the best,” Braeden called as the door swung shut behind her.
Inside was a whole new Yosemite. Freshly polished wood floors stretched under her feet, and the weak light of new dawn filtered in the southwestern patterned stained glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling. Leather couches were arranged around solid tables in the lobby. Giant copper pots held succulents and ferns. Above it all, the coffered ceiling was trimmed in southwestern painted designs and from the beams, lights made to look like candles on circular wooden chandeliers hung, giving the whole room a warm, cozy glow.
It was the nicest building she’d ever been in, except for a field trip to a museum once.
Rilla tried not to look out of place, practically tiptoeing down the quiet corridor to find the employee room and the kitchen.
At the end of a hall, past the bathrooms, she found it—using Allie’s card to open the locked door. Inside, she breathed with relief. The hotel lost its veneer, going back to linoleum and dingy painted drywall. An old-fashioned punch clock sat on the wall, with a hanging file of cards. Rilla found Allie’s and punched it in.
The timestamp read 5:59A.M. Just in time.
She relaxed and stuck the card back in. A notice on the bulletin board beside it caught her eye and she looked closer.
Shit.
REWARD: $1,000 FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST AND RECOVERY OF STOLEN HISTORIC AWAHNEE HOTEL PLAQUE.
Pictured was the plaque she stole with Caroline and Petra.
Her stomach dropped.Ranger Dick Face.At least he couldn’t possibly know it was her. Right? She rushed away from the bulletin board, feeling like her guilt was written all over her. Unless someone talked to a ranger, they probably wouldn’t find out. It was fine. She’d just make sure to tell Caroline and Petra.
It was a good thing Adeena hadn’t come with them after all.
Back in the hotel, she found her way to the kitchen through the massive dining room, already bustling for breakfast and the few early risers sitting at tables. After delivering coffee, and getting one for herself, she found Allie’s supervisor—Tammy—and began.
Tammy was also a temporary employee and liked Rilla, so she’d been fine with her switching out with Allie. With minimal instructions she sent Rilla wheeling a room service cart and taking the stairs to deliver whatever the guests kept calling down to the desk for. In between calls, she restocked housekeeping carts, watered plants, swept the lobby, and dusted off the tops of doors.
Allie would keep her day’s wages, but Rilla kept the tips.
She shoved fives and ones into her pockets and ran back down the stairs for the next call, trying not to think about the stupid stolen plaque.
After Allie’s shift ended, the sun was low in the sky. Rilla changed in the employee locker room, took the uniform back to Allie, and immediately went to the outdoor store and pushed over all her tips and collected wages from the last week, in exchange for a shiny cam.
It was fuchsia and silver, and glinted in the evening sun, glimmering without a scratch. She couldn’t wait to get it dirty.
Running back to the house, she burst in to find Thea sitting at the table, filling out paperwork.
“What’s that?” Thea asked, staring at the shiny cam.
Rilla looked down. “Um.” Rilla hadn’t talked to Thea about climbing, and even now she was afraid if Thea found out how much time she’d been spending on the rock, she’d be forbidden from it. The last thing Rilla wanted to do was startthatfight. Casually, she moved the cam behind her back and changed the subject. “I want to take a GED test.”
“You want to drop out of high school?” Thea said.
“Not drop out. Just ... finish differently.”
