fate always finds a way
fate is by far one of the most interesting things. it just has a way of catching us off guard when we least expect it, it catches us when it needs to, and sometimes, it just makes life that little bit more interesting.
once again the late night shift in the local burger diner falls to me, the neon coloured uniform top can be seen from the moon, with the burger named emblazoned across the front ‘Mama’s meals’ Mama as she refers to herself is out the back in the kitchen frying up more of her glorious meals, while I’m stuck in the empty diner, sat behind the counter, scrolling through social media.
sighing I turn to survery the empty diner, I’m a student pulling every shift I can get just to keep my college fund out of the red zone and into the green zone, or at least out of the red zone, and able to get the train to and from, plus the extras I need for the course. as per usual it is a quitet Friday evening, meaning most people are in the clubs getting drunk, while I’m stuck here earning money, truth be told, most of my friends are working too, but most of them work together in the cinema.
instead, I’m alone at the diner, in truth I am supposed to share the shift with someone else - Cherry, but she never turns up for work, not that I’m complaining Mama rarely needs to talk to me, and the silence is quite comforting in a weird kind of way. Mama’s round face and stature is warm and welcoming, but the night shift is her time, where she creates future rent payers, and sings merrily. her cherry red hair, rosy pink cheeks, cute white button apron, over her cherry patterned dress, with red kitten heels, and cute baby blue bows in her curled hair.
adjusting my top I stare aimlessly around the retro diner, Mama is probably creating another one of her masterpieces, that will no doubt have me rushed off my feet tomorrow. it’s the middle of spring holiday, so those who are still in the area are at parties all night or clubs, and the rest have escaped on a glamourous holidays jetsetting around Europe to update their social medias to brag about for the next six months until their next holiday.
the bell tinkles loudly, alerting to me a customer, glancing up at the clock I realise it is way past 10:30pm, who wants a burger at this time? I glance at the group who have just walked in, I swear I recognise their faces from somewhere, it is a hgue group of boys, at least six of them, “hey Tatya!” so I know one of them, the shortest - Rob Dellane - one of the most popular boys in my secondary school.
if I’m being completly honest, I was under the impression that he had long since left town for some high class college probably in some sun blessed country, where his parents would be footing the bill. “long time no see,” he smiles cheekily, so nothing has really changed about him, standing up and grabbing my pad and pen which I deserted early into the shift.
smoothing out my top, and checking my jeans keep my top tucked in, I walk over to the table that they have managed to squish themselves around, “you do know there are bigger tables right?” I ask, they all look at me confused for a moment, before looking around at the other far larger tables which they can probably fit around far more comfortablly, “ohhh,” I nod at their realisation and they all chuffle around one of the bigger tables.
smiling slightly I follow them over to the table, “so what can I get ya?” they all browse the menu, sharing glances between each other, ignoring the glances, I ask again, “guys is there anything you want?” eventually they all close their menus, “is there a chance of everything on the menu?” one of them asks who I don’t recognise. “do you have the cash for it?” I reply, most people who ask that don’t realise how much money Mama spends on her groceries, “how could you!??! that hurt deep!” one of them fake whimpers.
in turn they all pull out their wallets, with enough money to pay for most of the diner, “do we get you as a special offer?” one of them asks cheekily, “nope,” I smirk glancing at him, I walk out to the back, handing Mama the order, “seriously!?!” she asks shocked, I nod, “I’ve checked, they have the money as well, prepare yourself Mama, you just got money!” she laughs tossing a cloth to me, “clean those tables for me, would ya darling? I know you’ll be back in the morning, but I don’t want to give you more work,” I smile catching the cloth.
“no problem Mama, you just say the words,” hovering at the door that seperates the kitchen from the main diner, “dude, I told you, you are never gonna win over Tatya, we’ve known her since high school, she isn’t impressed by looks.” Rob scoulds one of the other boys, “they saying anything interesting?” Mama asks, “no idea,” I reply, she smirks knowingly, an expression that doesn’t suit her face. “if the wind changes your face will stay like that,” I duck out of the kitchen just in time to hear a clotch hit the small window in the door.
laughing to myself, I set about cleaning the tables, humming cheerily to myself, “Tatya! can we borrow a moment of your time?” Rob yells, “sure,” cheerily with a spring in my step I bounce merrily over to their table, talking with Mama is always a sure fire way to improve my mood, even if I am on night shift or breakfast shift which starts far to early for my liking. “you remember Damian?” I nod smiling, “St Crossford’s secondary” Damian smirks charmingly - ooo I bet that makes other girls swoon - not me.
“did you need something?” chirply I glance across their expressions, “well is your phone number available?” Damian asks, I have to admit, I never remember him being this forward in school, but it is an improvement from what he may once have been. glancing at the other boys faces, eager to hear my answer, “mmmhmm, nope, little boys who play with fire, get their fingers burnt,” leaving them with that remark, I spin on my heel, going back to wiping down the tables ahead of the breakfast rush tomorrow morning.
“Tatya!” Mama yells, placing the cloth and spray down, I walk into the steamy kitchen, “food’s ready,” Mama says cheerily, the pound signs flashing in her eyes. scooping up the food onto trays, I walk through the door, “get your wallets out,” I tell them dumping the trays in front of them, they all smirk, once again turning to Damian, “whatever you have to say, I really couldn’t care less,” walking away I fetch the rest of the food, “that is £400 for all of you.”
a few of them choke slightly, but agree handing over the money anyway, “enjoy your meal,” I smile walking into the kitchen, “MAMA!” I yell showing her the money, she smiles, “poor boys, they shouldn’t come here too often or they won’t have any money left, put it in the till darling.” I nod, walking back onto the diner floor, and placing the money in the till, and then locking it, Mama has had more than her fair share of wannabe burgelers, all which have been vanquished with various materials.
“waitress!” some new customer yells, turning on my heel, I notice how the boys are sinking back into their seats at the sight of the new customer and his group of cronies. “I have a name, use it,” I hurl back at him, “I don’t care, get over here,” gripping my fists tightly, I walk over to the table of drunks, with their particulary volatile leader. on one of the boys’ faces I notice a bandage, “Rigo! leave it!” one of them yells, stopping a metre away from the table, I glance across each face.
plastered. far beyond drunk.
“look what we have here lads, a pretty little fat girl.” ouch. that’s taking it a bit far. tiring of their attitude I start to walk away again, “come back here,” one of them grabs the string to my small apron pulling on it, pulling me backwards, “let her go!” the boys are automatically on their feet from where they have been watching the situation like a film. “I would sit down if I were you lads, don’t you remember what happened to cause you to have to wear that bandage?” the ringleader smirks, trying to pull me on top of the table.
not quite the night shift I had been anticipating.
ignoring his remark, the boys walk closer, fantastic, this was not how I had been planning on spending my extra shifts. Rob’s mouth starts to move, I automatically shake my head, instinctivly reaching for the table antiseptic, twisting the nozzle open, I turn to face the drunk ‘lads’ as they insist on calling everyone else. “I’m going to make this nice and clear to you, you are going to leave our diner, and you aren’t going to dampen our threashold with you prescence ever again. do you understand?”
pointing the spray in front of me, ready to spray it in whoever’s eyes are necessary. they all smirk, making another grab for me, diving out the way, I spray it straight in the first person’s eyes, “I’ll spell it out to you, get out!” Mama hearing the comotion walks in, “I taught you well,” she murmurs, “Mama, they made grabs for her, and then refused to leave when she told them to, so she sprayed them,” one of the boys recounts to Mama. and there goes my spring job.
Mama raises her eyebrows, taking the spray bottle she walks up to them, “causing trouble in my diner, is not allowed, my staff has asked you polietly to leave, which you have refused to do, after making grabs at her, at her uniform, and being rude to her, you have been sprayed in the eyes after one of you attempted to grab at her again, now either leave her like good little boys. or I can think of a nice alternative, splash splash.” Mama tells them, but they are too far gone to understand anything in plain English, and this time one of them makes a dive for Mama, “looks like you made that decision,” she huffs under her breath, spraying him in the eyes, and grabbing the diner phone, calling the police.
darting out the back, I take a seat on the step at the fire exit, I know I shouldn’t desert my position, but it was getting too heated in there for me. “hey,” someone sits down beside me, turning slightly I notice it’s Damian, “hi” I reply staring out into the dark backyard of the diner, which faces onto the highway, watching the blurred car lights swoop past. we stare in silence out onto the busy highway, no noise passing between us, “was I too forward?” Damian asks suddenly, “what makes you ask?” sidestepping the question entirely.
“just wondering,” he replies, “you were fine, I wasn’t too harsh?” gazing out onto the highway where the cars are stacking up, “you weren’t, my fault for being too cocky,” the cars are only to be pushed out of the way by the mob of police cars driving towards the small little diner. sighing quietly I shift, “really?” once again I’m dragged out of my daydreaming, “really, and Rob was right, I don’t settle on looks alone. so while it is nice that you clearly go to the gym, I’m not really into that.” Damian smirks slightly, “darling, I don’t go the gym,” he rolls around in fits of laughter, great. so this was puberty at its’ finest.
he smiles at me, “are you ok?” I nod, “run of the mill on the night shifts,” he rolls his eyes, clearly not believing me for a second, in fairness it does sound feeble, even to me. resting my head on his shoulder, I watch the flashing lights dancing off the diner windows as our drunk friends are hauled into the back of the cars, to be kept in a cell. odly enough I have no resounding feelings, just being sat in a comfortable silence with Damian feels more than enough.
fate always finds a way.
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so there it is! my first short story on Prose! I hope you all enjoyed reading it, leave any suggestions, what you liked, what you didn’t, etc. in the comments. don’t forget to give this a like, and make sure to share it! see you next time! ~