ALL NOVEL Chapter 5: Ready Or Not
Ethan stumbled out of his apartment, half-hopping, half-limping as he jerked his trousers up with one hand.
The other clutched his phone, and he muttered curses under his breath as he nearly tripped over his untied shoe.
"Gotta look decent," he grumbled, pausing just long enough to straighten his belt. His shirt was wrinkled, but at least it was clean.
His black hair, still damp from the shower, was combed back for the first time in weeks. The reflection in the mirror earlier had been better than usual, but it was still far from perfect.
He glanced at the clock on his phone. 5:30 AM. No time for the bus today.
Ethan tapped on a ride-share app, his fingers moving faster than his brain.
A cab was only a few minutes away, and he didn't want to risk missing the market's morning rush. He stuffed his wallet into his pocket and headed out the door, taking the stairs two at a time.
The cab pulled up in front of the storage lot just as the sky began to lighten. The guard, the same one from yesterday, gave him a nod from inside the booth.
"Morning," Ethan said, trying to sound more awake than he felt.
The guard yawned. "You're up early. Big day?"
"Yeah," Ethan replied, flashing a quick smile. "Thanks for keeping an eye on the truck."
The guard waved him off with a grunt, and Ethan jogged across the lot to where his food truck sat waiting.
It looked surprisingly good in the early morning light, the metal panels gleaming faintly under the rising sun.
He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine, grinning as it purred to life.
"Alright," he said, patting the dashboard. "Let's do this."
The streets were still quiet as Ethan drove to the market, navigating through the city with a mixture of caution and excitement.
He kept the radio off, the silence in the truck broken only by the hum of the engine.
His first stop was a wholesale grocer just a few blocks from Midtown Market. The store opened at 6:00 AM sharp, and Ethan was one of the first through the doors.
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as he grabbed a cart and started loading it with ingredients. Fresh vegetables, meats, spices, and a few boxes of disposable food containers quickly filled the cart.
He checked his list twice, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. The last thing he needed was to run out of supplies halfway through the day.
The cashier, a young woman who looked just as tired as Ethan felt, gave him a curious look as she rang up his items.
"Big order," she commented.
"Starting something new," Ethan said, giving her a small smile.
She nodded, handing him the receipt. "Good luck."
Back at the truck, Ethan packed the groceries into the small refrigerator and storage compartments, organizing everything as neatly as he could.
He glanced at his phone. 6:30 AM. He still had some time before the market officially opened.
"Alright," he muttered, pulling out his laptop and setting it on the counter. "Let's see how this works."
He'd saved a few cooking tutorials the night before, simple recipes that didn't require fancy techniques or equipment. Burgers, tacos, grilled cheese — comfort foods that were quick to make and hard to mess up.
The first tutorial, a video on making seasoned beef patties, played in the background as Ethan pulled out a cutting board and a package of ground beef.
He followed the steps as carefully as he could, mixing in the spices and shaping the patties with slightly trembling hands.
The sizzle of the grill filled the truck as he cooked the first batch. The smell was intoxicating, filling the small space with the rich aroma of seared meat.
"Not bad," Ethan said, flipping the patties with a spatula. They weren't perfect — some were uneven, and one had almost fallen apart — but they looked edible.
Next, he moved on to slicing vegetables: lettuce, tomatoes, onions. His knife skills were rusty, but he managed to get the job done without losing a finger.
By the time 7:00 AM rolled around, Ethan had a small stack of neatly assembled burgers and a growing sense of accomplishment.
He leaned against the counter, wiping his hands on a towel as he surveyed his work.
The food truck smelled like a real kitchen now, the faint scent of grease and spices lingering in the air.
Ethan glanced at the system phone sitting on the counter. No new notifications had come through, but he didn't need the system to tell him what to do next.
He packed up the food he'd prepared and made sure everything was secured for the short drive to Midtown Market.
As he climbed back into the driver's seat, a sense of determination settled over him.
This was it.
He wasn't just sitting around anymore, waiting for life to get better. He was doing something, taking a step forward — even if it was a small one.
Ethan started the engine and pulled out onto the street, the food truck rumbling beneath him like a faithful companion.
Today was the beginning of something new.