I made my way up the front steps of the building in the down pour and I finally reached the big glass doors of Cherry's Diner. The thunder was still booming loudly and lightning continued to flash. The open sign that was written in black cursive ink was still hanging on the doors.
Wait, I thought to myself holding my index finger to my cheek, I feel as if I forgot something... No it's probably nothing important, I thought to myself again.
I closed my umbrella before I opened the glass doors to head inside. I knew it was going to be a long day and not to mention all the customers I have to serve... I'll probably be working until midnight again.
I sighed as I opened the doors and the bell chimed to say that someone entered. As I walked in I was greeted with a "Hey, Alice!.." from my best friend and working buddy, Eva Leighton. Oh, and Eva also went to the same school as me, she was in my class.
Eva was your average everyday girl with long brown hair that was tinged with neon pink and blue, tied up in a high ponytail. She looked a bit Chinese with brownish golden eyes and a round face completed with a pair of big but cute looking black framed glasses tinged with a bit of purple.
She always had an awesome sense of style but she was in her work uniform today which consisted of a pair of black heels, a grey flared skirt, a black and white stripped long sleeve shirt that was tucked into her skirt and black nail polish with white tips on her fingers. The whole look made her look like a "French girl." Well, a cute Chinese looking French girl to be exact.
"You're early today..." Said Sam, one of the other girls who worked with us. She had blonde hair, olive green eyes, an oval face and she wore the same uniform as Eva. She didn't go to my school though but we were friends and in the same grade.
"But not as early as Eva..." Said James looking towards Eva. He was one of the cute guy waiters who worked with us. He had ice blue eyes, silver brown looking hair and wore his work uniform which consisted of a grey suit pants, a white long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black bow tie. He also didn't go to my school but he was also in the same grade as me.
"You don't say..." I said sarcastically as I looked at James rolling my eyes.
"What?!" He said in a stupid tone... "I was just stating the obvious."
Although I thought James was cute, he was also the definition of "irritating." He was a sweet talker with an idiotic sense of humour and a smart ass when it came to back chatting, but he... was going out with my best friend Eva which prevented me from killing him. Honestly, I don't know what Eva saw in James, but hey... If he makes her happy, I'm happy.
Ignoring him, I greeted Eva... "Hey, Eva!" I said in a cheerful tone.
"So... who's the guy who dropped you off??..." Said Sam, who's a very nosy person to say the least.
Oh, no... I thought, damn these people are nosy. Then again, they are my friends...
"Yeah, who was that guy?.." Said James in a serious tone while furrowing his eyebrows as he looked at me.
Oh, I thought to myself, that's what I forgot, I knew I forgot something, I forgot to ask that guy for his name, I said goodbye to him but I didn't even remember to ask for his name... What the heck is wrong with me!!!... and he wants to take me out.. on... a date... What?!..
I was still stuck in my thoughts when I heard Eva... "So, who is that guy Alice??.." She said in a soft yet loud tone. Eva isn't usually one to pry but today she seemed very curious to know.
Eva, not you too?!... I thought. I have no idea how I'm going to get myself out of this one??...
"What are you guys stalking me now??.." I stated.
"No, we just curious..." They all said.
"Curiouser and curiouser..." Maybe I can change the subject... I thought again, before, you know... "Curiosity kills the cat."
"Curious about what?!" I said. "The fact that this is none of your business."
"Tell us man..." Said James.
"So.. I look like a man to you??.." I stated sarcastically.
"Okay, okay... Sorry.." He said.
"Just please tell us who's the guy??.." They said in union.
"Okay... fine, I will tell all of you guys in a moment..." I said still thinking.. "Just let me change into my uniform first."
Hopefully they'll forget by the time I get back... I thought to myself.
I went to the back section of Cherry's Diner where the changing room was. I opened my locker and put on my uniform. When I was dressed, I turned around and Eva was behind me sitting on one of the benches.
I knew it wasn't going to be that easy... I thought.
"Alice... so who was that guy?.." She said.
Why??.. You had to ask... I thought to myself again.
"Eva, I don't know..." I said while I platted my hair into a fish plat, "He just gave me a lift because it was raining and I forgot to ask him for his name so... I have no idea who he is."
"Oh, okay... I thought he was your boyfriend that's all." She said with a laugh, grinning ear to ear.
"No, it's nothing like that," I said waving my hands in the air like a weirdo.
"You sure?.." She said still grinning.
"Yes, positive... just stop grinning at me like that... you starting to creep me out..." I said jokingly to her. "Yeah, I'm positive... even though he did kind of ask me out on a date..." I said thinking and was just about to finish when she stopped me.
"He what?!" She said in a shocked tone.
What did I get myself into?!.. Is what I was thinking.
"But it's nothing serious, it's just going to be as friends, you know..." I said.
"Wait, did he use the words... date??.." She asked.
"Yeah, he did... Why??.." I asked confused.
"That means he is making a gesture to say that he likes you..." She said.
"Yeah, I know but as friends... Right?.." I stated.
"No, not as friends..." she said in an annoyed tone placing her hand on her face, "in other words he like, likes you... which means he obviously wants to be more than just friends."
In case you wondering, I don't do "Ships" and by that I mean "Relationships." I haven't been in one since I started high school and let's just say I am a one sided person. Well, that is until I met this "guy."
"Well, Eva... you know I'm not good at this relationship stuff..." I stated.
"Yeah, I know..." she said, "you haven't gone out with anyone since you started high school."
"Yeah, see... and you and James have been going out since we started high school so you would obviously know... And me... well... I just don't.." I said still smiling.
"Hey don't worry about it I'm sure you will be okay... just don't forget to come and visit me so that I can do your hair, makeup and not to mention... choose an outfit for you before you go on this "date" with him." She said with a smile.
"I won't forget..." I said before I walked out of the dressing room to the others with Eva walking behind me.
As soon as I walked into the room... all of the others except for Eva, who now knew of course since she was my best friend, asked me, "who the guy was?"
I needed a good excuse and I had to think of something fast... I hope this works... I thought to myself.
"U-uh.. okay... you guys..." I said, "Um... that guy who dropped me off is.. just uuh... a friend... yeah, a friend... that's all."
"What?!" Everyone said in union.
Epic fail... I don't think they bought it... I thought. I'm a terrible liar.
"That's not what I heard when I put my ear against the door in the changing room..." Said Sam looking at me with her eyebrows furrowed.
Oh, crap... She knows... I thought. What, now?!..
"Sam... you did what?!" I stated... "You were eavesdropping on mine and Eva's conversation, weren't you??.."
"Yeah, and so what if I was..." she said bluntly, "we your friends too, we also deserve to know so that we can be there for you."
Busted... I thought to myself as I looked at them waiting for me to answer.
Here we go...
"Okay, fine..." I said reluctantly and Eva then, after me giving her the word to tell them, announced... "Alice is going to have a future boyfriend."
*Face Palm*
Talk about Embarrassing!.. Well, for me anyway...
And then everyone who was in the Diner at the time clapped for me, which was only the four of us to be accurate.
"So... what's his name?.." They all asked except for Eva, of course, who knew my dilemma.
"Well, that's the thing..." I said putting my index finger to my cheek while looking up to the ceiling, "I don't know his name.."
"You don't know his... What?!" They said in confusion.
"Yeah, you heard me right.." I said, "I forgot to ask him for his name but I do know that he goes to my school."
"Okaaay..." they all said in a sarcastic tone, "well, good luck with finding your Prince Charming."
I was about to say something when we got our first customer... And then tons of other customers came flooding in through the big glass doors. Our manager then entered the building and told me to serve table 7.
I looked over to who he wanted me to serve and saw an odd looking man wearing a black top hat with a silver pocket watch in his right hand and a big newspaper which covered his entire face that he seemed to be reading.
I was hesitant to serve the man but I knew the manager was already burning holes into the back of my head since I was just looking at the guy instead of taking his order. So I began to walk towards the man for the fear of being fired.
When I eventually got to the man I looked at the clock against the lime green wall with vibrant pink flower patterns on it. The clock's time read... 12 o'clock. But that can't be right?... I thought, I only got here a few minutes ago and this is my first customer for the day... How is this possible?..
Now that I was just a few inches away from the man I could see how he looked and by what I could see he looked to be some sort of magician who was possibly in his middle ages.
The man then looked at me while flipping through his newspaper and said in a mild tone... "How is what possible?.."
Did he just read my mind?! I thought... but I brushed it off, maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me.
"Are you going to take my order or be on your way?" He asked in a polite English accent.
"Oh, sorry Sir..." I said, "I'm Alice and I'll be your waitress for tonight, can I take your order?"
"You don't have to tell me who you are..." said the man, "I already know who you are, the question is... are you going to take my order."
I looked at the man strangely before saying anything... "Yes and what will your order be, Sir?" I said as calmly as possible.
If you wondering... yes, I have to go through this everyday... Everyday!...
"A red apple pie with extra source and cream... since I do have a sweet tooth today." He said a bit more at ease.
I went to place his order in by the chef and brought it to him once it was done. When the man finally finished eating he paid for his meal and left me a hundred dollar tip... with a note on the table saying, Don't spend it all in one place, kiddo.
"So, I guess helping old people isn't so bad after all."
I served a bunch of other people after that and a few weird ones too. That night seemed rather strange though. Almost like it was that odd time when "witches" and "wizards" would come out to eat or something like that and the odd thing was I never took note of this until now.
The last person I had to serve was the weirdest though... She was a lady who looked very young and beautiful. Her lips were a crisp pink apple colour and her eyes were a frosty grey colour.
She smiled at me as I asked her what she wanted but instead she asked me if I, by any chance met a boy with emerald green eyes... she then mentioned that she couldn't get to the boy's name and she seemed to have forgotten his appearance.
Her question was very vague so I just said, "No, mam... unfortunately I can't say if I saw that person or not cause there are tons of boys with green eyes... You have to be more descriptive."
"Okay..." she said in a polite tone, "I will be leaving then... but for your time I will give you a tip..." and she placed a two hundred dollar bill in my hand.
"No, mam..." I said, "I can't accept this."
"Trust me," she said as she walked out the glass doors so that I wouldn't be able to return it back to her, "you need it more than I do."
With that, it was the end of another long working shift and after cleaning up plus counting all the tip's I made it was time for me to head home.
To be continued...