Someone Help Me!!!!!!!!

I need help figuring out how to put more personality into this first chapter!!! Help!!!

Chapter One:

“Are you sure it’s going to be a good place to work, Roxanne? I mean, your interview lasted what, five minutes? And it was in a park. Maybe you should keep looking.” My mom’s voice on the other end of the phone was nagging, high pitched and proper as usual. I could just picture her in her bedroom with her legs crossed under a tight pencil skirt, pursing her lips and picking at her fingernails.
“Mom, it’s just for a summer, okay? And it’s a restaurant! It’s not my life long job. I’ve just gotta get my feet on the ground, you know, before I can dive head first into ’the real world’”. I licked the end of the cookie dough spoon I was holding, and dipped it back into the batter to finish mixing it before scooping it onto the tray waiting for it on the stove.
“You know honey, I think you should come back home. Sell the apartment, quit the job. Just come home for the summer and then we can figure out the rest of your life together. I just don’t like the idea of you going off alone. You’re only nineteen!”
“Mom, I’ve been out of high school for a year now, and I have no idea where I’m going with my life. I need this. I’ll call you tomorrow night, okay? After my first day, and I’ll tell you how it goes.”
“Okay, honey, but-”
I hung up before she had the chance to say anything else, and stuffed the phone into the drawer beside the stove. With the cookies spread across the pan, I pushed them into the stove, and snaked my way through the unpacked boxes to where the couch waited for me, half covered by clothing waiting to be hung.
My mom was blowing things out of proportion. Sure, this was the first time I had ever lived on my own. But I was going to be fine.
The distance ringing coming from the kitchen at first seemed to be just in my ears. But after a few seconds, I realized that it was probably coming from the drawer where I shoved the phone. I almost didn’t get up and grab it, but it had a tug that I hadn’t expected.
“Yes mom?”
“Oh honey, I know I just got off the phone with you, but I just wanted to remind you of one more thing, if you insist on staying over there.”
“Alright.” I said, taking in a big whiff of the cookies that were wafting in from out of the stove.
“I know you really love all of those earrings in your body, and all of that dark makeup and clothes, but I was hoping maybe for work, you might leave all that stuff at home-”
“Mom, I’m gonna dress how I always have.”
“Honey, here, you’re known as you know….a punk. You’re in Maine now! Why don’t you try and start a new image for yourself. At least that didn’t follow you from New York.”
“I like my clothes mom. I like my earrings. I like my makeup. I’m keeping it all. Thank you though, for the suggestion.” I hung up again, this time ripping the battery out of the back of the phone.
I yanked the cookies out of the oven, before they were even ready and dumped them into a Tupperware dish, stuffing that into the fridge.
  I had been in this apartment for three days and only unpacked enough to cook and cloth me for a while. The space was big enough for me; a bathroom, a joint living room and kitchen, and a bedroom. My mom was paying the rent until I got enough to take up the bills, then I would start paying her back.
My mom had wanted me to go off to college as soon as I got out of high school and get a degree in medicine. I had passed high school with flying colors. I got all A’s in all my classes, took all honors and AP classes. I had to admit it, I had a bright future. But it was too bright. Being the youngest of five kids, I was the last chance my mom had at creating a successful child.
Not that my siblings weren’t successful. They just weren’t up to my mom’s standards. None of them had made it into meds school. Three of them were married with families, and the other was in school to be a beautician, but that still wasn’t enough. Mom needed her doctor, and for some reason, she thought she had found it in me, forgetting that I hated blood and people.
I should have been out looking around the town, getting used to it and finding where everything was. I didn’t even know where the nearest grocery store was. Except for looking for a job, I’d stayed at my apartment. The only reason I had found the restaurant was because it was only a few houses up the hill from me. If not out on the town, I should have been unpacking. But instead, I found myself clearing a human size hole from my bed and falling into it, promising I would relax for a few minutes and then get up and get to work.
Next thing I knew, the sun was streaming in on my face, and my stiff body was beginning to move, more by itself than by my command. I sat up straight, the glow of my alarm clock shocking. Nine in the morning! I couldn’t have slept that long. I had to be at work at ten!
I took the quickest shower of my life, dressed in my light blue jeans, black studded belt, charcoal black t-shirt, and added on my silver studded choke necklace. I also added silver hoop earrings and pushed in my black nose ring and snake bites. I brushed my dark black dyed hair out and used the hair dryer to dry it. My mom would have suggested using a hair clip to keep my bangs out of my eyes, but I liked them there. Having my hair up showed off to much of my face.
A whole caked on load of dark black and brown makeup later, I was ready for work. My black and green snake tattoo could just be seen peeking out from under the color of my shirt, the head resting on the jutting out heap of my collarbone. My mom and I had fought for weeks before I had made the appointment to get the tattoo done. She thought it signified sin. I tried explaining to her that it wasn’t supposed to mean that; it was about good vs. evil and plus snakes were my favorite animal. But to mom, there was no way it couldn’t be related to Adam and Eve.
I wasn’t used to the fresh air that I stepped out into when I walked out the front door. In New York City, my lungs would have been heaving right now, and my whole body clogged with smog. But here, I could hear the waves, I could see them, I could even feel their breeze. I could breath.
I walked slowly up the hill until I came to the tiny shack of a restaurant with the white and blue plaque above the front door announcing Craig’s Bites. The dining area was big enough for only two booths and two tables. The walls were painted with pictures of sunsets and dogs playing in the surf. There was even a picture painted in a corner of a girl laying out on a plaid blanket in a bright yellow string bikini.
There was no one at any of the tables or booths. I couldn’t see anyone from the front in the kitchen either, but it was three minutes of ten, so I moved the swinging half door aside, and walked back.
“Hello!” I called as I went.
“Come on back, honey!” A head rocked back into view out of the office door. It was a girl around my age. Her bright red hair was tied up in a sloppy bun atop her head, her bangs hanging sloppily down the side of her face.
“Oh, hi. I’m Roxy.”
“Yeah, I know who you are darling. Roxanna Jacobs, the new girl.” The red head shoved a hand out, tilting her head to the side. Her voice was deep and throaty, like someone who had smoked one too many cigarettes.
“Roxy, actually,” I corrected her, shaking her bony hand.
“Ellis.” The girl smiled brightly, hoping down from the desk she was sitting on and glancing around the otherwise empty office. She slipped her phone she was playing on back into her pocket, and headed back into the kitchen. “Everyone else will be back soon. Some of them are coming in late, others went out for some things. I was told to wait for you. So, tell me, how old were you when you first dyed your hair?”
“Excuse me?”
“Honey, come on. You can try to die your roots and eyebrows as much as you want, but they can’t fool me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cute. I’m just curious.”
“I was fifteen.” I finally admitted, running a hand self-consciously through my already tussled, dried out hair. “Do you uh, do you dye yours?”
“Nope!” Ellis bopped up on her heels and placed her round bottom onto the counter, swinging long tan legs out from under her short pink mini skirt. “All natural. So, what brings you here to the little town of shit ville?”
My mouth fell open again, as I searched my head for an answer that wasn’t the truth. The truth sounded petty and stupid, even to me. That was if you didn’t know the situation, or my family. Thankfully, I was saved by a loud booming voice coming from the back room.
“I’m here!” A woman was calling out. “Elly! Elly, where the hell are you? I have things to tell you about last night! Remember that date I had with blonde buff guy? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!” The voice spelt out the word, her voice sing songy and somehow soothing, although it was squeaky and kind of nasally. Ellis didn’t answer, but waited for the girl to round the corner from the back door.
Her blonde hair was chopped into a pixie cut around her face, enhancing her beautifully smooth features. She was wearing a yellow and blue printed sundress that enhanced her curves; a bit more than curves, really. Her plump figure was held up by black heels, her lips covered in red lipstick.
“Ah, you must be Roxy. Alright if I call you that? Roxanne’s a mouth full.”
“Prefer it actually.”
“Great! Maggie’s the name. Waitressing’s the game.” Maggie patted me on the back before turning to Ellis. “Anyway, like I was saying. I orgasmed three times.”
“What? Please tell me you’re seeing him again?” Ellis gripped her long slender fingers down over one of Maggie’s wrists, holding her tightly next to her. Maggie scrunched up her nose.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’. Mags, if I had a guy like that, I’d never leave his side. Are you losing your mind?”
“I just don’t think I can be in a relationship. I mean, I have three other phone numbers hanging on my wall. What if I don’t call them, Elly? I’ll never know if they’re the one.”
“But what if this….what, Liam…that was his name right, Liam guy, is the one?”
“I don’t think he is.” Maggie shook her head again, leaning up against the counter and examining a very used and bent up menu.
“What do you think Roxy? Do you think Liam could be the one?”
“Well, do you have a picture?” I held a hand out, expecting a phone to be plopped into it, but instead, Ellis reached behind herself to the counter and grabbed a magazine, landing that in my palm and pointing to a model standing by a surf board, flashing a brilliant smile and flaunting flawless abs.
“Liam mystery guy is a model?”
“Well, yeah, but so is the other guy I have a number from. There was a whole bus of them over here the other day. They had this shoot thingy.” Maggie grabbed the magazine back and gazed longingly at the picture. “He’s even better looking in person.” She sighed, running a finger over the paper.
“Okay, Mags, why don’t you go make sure the stove is hot.” Ellis rolled her eyes and yanked the magazine back, stuffing it into a drawer and hopping down from the counter. “Costumer’s usually start coming in around ten fifteen, Roxy. So, study the menu, k?”
“Is anyone else coming in to work?” I asked, grabbing the menu she shoved at me and opening it’s weak pages.
“Oh yeah, of coarse. Everyone works every day at some time. They’ll start filing in. No one’s ever on time.”
The pages in my hands weren’t just starting to fall apart; they were yellowed and the ink was smeared in places. Things were crossed out with sharpie and written over. The paper was taped in places.
“I like the menus.” I finally said, setting it down next to the register.
“You’re kidding?” Maggie scoffed, standing up from the crouched down position she had been in, lighting the stove. “Those things were alive when George Washington was still kicking.”
“Seriously. They add a nice touch.”
A bright white smile spread over Ellis’s face, from ear to ear, the corners almost getting lost in her shockingly red hair.
“Where did you come from, kid?” She finally asked, resting her hands on her hips. “I think we’ve hit the gold mine with this one, Mags.” Maggie nodded in agreement, though her back was still turned, this time as she cleaned over the surface of the grill and got some pans down from a shelf.
“What do you mean, hit the gold mine?” I raised an eyebrow, curious as to what that possibly could mean. How long had they been searching, what for, and why in hell was I it?
“Ellis, this stupid thing isn’t working right. It’s not hot enough to cook my finger, let alone this fucking soup Lena sent over last night. When in hell is Zeke gonna get here? I’d even settle for Phoenix right now.” Maggie spun around, knocking an empty pot off the stove and almost simultaneously taking out a tub of red and green soup.
“Did I hear someone praying to me?” The voice was coming from outside. No body seemed to be attached to it, but both Maggie and Ellis were starring at the same place; a small piece of brick between the window and the door. “Don’t worry meer mortals. You’re God has heard your pleas.” The voice continued, before a body finally emerged outside where they had been starring and swung open the screen door. “Should really close these windows, you know, ladies. It’s way to easy for people to eaves drop.”
“Zeke baby! Get over here and do your magic on this grill thingy.” Maggie whined to the man now tying an apron around his waist.
He was clearly older than any of us, telling by his aged features. His brown hair was almost blonde, but could still be qualifed as brown, as long as in the right light. He had a beard, a massive one that touched his chest, which was also massive. A black shirt pulled tight over the expanse.
“I’m coming sweetie. Don’t get your panties in a twist. Welcome to the party there honey! I’m Zeke. Head chef here. Also funnest Gay man around these parts. Know any single guys looking for a party?” It seemed as if all of this was out in one breath, all as Zeke was twirling in circles to reach Maggie, spinning around Ellis and I, and bending over to flick a switch and watch flames burst into light. “Yah never turn it far enough Mags. Never.”
“I’m Roxy. The new girl-” I started.
“Hey! Wait. Hold it! None of this new girl bullshit round here baby cakes. We’re all equal here, alright. You’re not new, I’m not old. Those snake bites aren’t ugly and neither is my beard. One and only rule we’ve got here babe. No judging.” Zeke’s eyes were boring into mine. I could almost feel the heat radiating off from his body. Suddenly, he had gotten so fierce so quickly, and the beard was no longer comical.
“Got it.” I spoke solidly I hoped. I felt as if my voice might have been quaking, but it was all I could do not to faint against the counter I was now holding onto for support. “Please tell me there are no more surprises here. I don’t know how much more I can take. My mornings are never this eventful.”
“Sorry if I scared you there doll. I just take my rules seriously.” Zeke clapped a hand on my shoulder, before it was replaced by Ellis’s much tinier one.
“I’d take a seat if I were you, Roxy. The surprises haven’t even begun.”