BILLET-DOUX ✦ CLASSIC ROCK

29 - tom petty ²

A follow-up for angelpioo and jimmypageslut !
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The days leading up to your date with Tom passed in a blur. You remembered spending a lot of it as far away from your house as possible. Most of your hours were dedicated to wandering around the woods and swimming in your thoughts. Although you worried about your parents a lot, recently your brain was more focused on Tom.

He had left you with many more questions than you had answers to, and his absence only made you anxious to see him again. But no matter how many times you ventured out to the swamp, you couldn't find him. It was like Tom was some ghost you had hallucinated thanks to your frayed emotions.

Asking around at school brought up the same results. No one you knew had heard of Tom or anyone like him. You didn't see him at lunch or in the halls. You were disheartened at the prospect of not seeing him, but there was always the weekend, you supposed. Every passing minute felt like an eternity.

As soon as the big day came, you didn't spend long in front of the mirror. You wanted to look presentable for Tom, but you grew too impatient waiting any longer. Throwing on a set of cheery clothes to match your buoyant mood, you wasted no time sneaking out of your window and beginning the slow journey to the nearest bus station.

You sat alone on an empty route into town, watching the trees pass by in a shapeless smear and trying to contain your excitement. This was the first date that you had been happy about in quite some time. The prospect of getting to know what made Tom tick, to be that special person of his, made you eager.

Tom had picked out a particular local diner. It was mostly a family establishment that everyone knew about. Joneses had been in business since anyone's grandparents could recall being born and had a reputation for making the best milkshakes in the state of Florida.

As you entered, there was the jingle of a bell and a chipper greeting from the waitress behind the counter. The building hit you with a blast of icy AC that you were so unused to in the sticky southern heat. It was a welcome change as you headed up to the bar to take a seat.

"Hi! Already got an order in mind or did you want a menu?" The waitress asked you, the curls framing her face bouncing with each word.

It wasn't common for Joneses to hand out menus only because the regulars were the ones who frequented the establishment. They always knew what they wanted. And so did you, but you endeavored to wait for Tom to show up.

"I know what I want," you said. "But I'm waiting on someone, if you don't mind."

"Of course, of course." The waitress – you squinted your eyes and read the faded nametag as Tammy – replied. "Hey, aren't you... aren't you little Y/N? Barb and Jeff's kin?"

You rose your eyebrows in surprise, not expecting to be recognized at all, especially when you had no idea who Tammy was in the first place. But Tammy nodded along to herself as if you spoke, agreeing with her own logic.

"'Course you are. I recognize those eyes anywhere. How're your Ma and Pa doing?" Tammy asked, just this side of nosy. She held up her pad and pencil as if she were a journalist taking notes on a good scoop.

Even if Tammy's line of questioning was wholly innocent, you still flinched at the mentioning of your parents. "They're fine, thank you."