Letters & Leather | The Outsiders

~Chapter 10~

Audrey Belle was officially a waitress. She wouldn't really describe herself as a waitress, afterall the one thing that came first on her resume was that she was a runaway. A troubled teenager, longing to escape her harsh reality. Was this what she was always going to be? Is this what she was always going to label herself as? Really, being a waitress at Marco's, an old diner in town, was the least of her problems right now. The hours were flexible and it certainly did pay reasonably.

There was ultimately one problem with Marco's, and it was that for all obvious reasons, it was in the middle of town, making it technically soc and greaser territory. The diner was 5 blocks down from the Curtis house and about 3 streets away from the highschool Ponyboy and most socs attended. It wasn't the fanciest diner in Tulsa, but Audrey couldn't have probably gotten an easy job there. There were other diners filled with more socs then Marco's so she couldn't really complain that much. So the socs at Marco's were not just your traditional socs, but they were the most socs Audrey saw in one place. However, none of the diners had the personality Marco's did or in fact, the people.

When she arrived, asking for a job, Marco, who she easily guessed was the owner, excitedly had rushed her inside, prepping her instantly on the basics to waitressing. It was pretty simple, if Audrey was being honest. Her two main jobs were taking orders and working the cash register.

Marco had a mainly family business, his origins making him of American Italian descent. His accent was more thick then his two sons, Dante and Benny and Audrey and they got along quickly off the bat, making working there for her even more settled.

Tonight, the music was already loud enough to paralyse her ears, she tied her apron and tried to focus on taking orders the best she could, wearing a smile that could hopefully earn her tips. This was the trick you see, fake it until you make it. Act as nice as possible and the more tips you'll earn. Of course, it helped that she was a young girl, just for this, Audrey was willing to overlook her beliefs in feminism and use her womanly features to her advantage.

"Gee," Dante whistled, "I love this song. Turn it up, Benny!" He snapped his fingers on beat, grabbing a wooden broom and improvising it as a microphone. 'Baby Love' By the Supremes started to surround the walls of the small diner. Audrey couldn't lie, she didn't mind this song and the uplifting atmosphere of the diner made her forget her troubles for a while. Well, while there were still little customers. Benny came up behind her, grabbing her hand spontaneously and spinning her around, she couldn't help but laugh as he did this, letting herself loose while the song continued to play.

The bell on the door chimed and Marco came up behind the three of them, whacking them with the tea towel across his shoulder. "Back to work you fools! Customers are here." His voice was still lighthearted despite his speech, his words juxtaposed his personality.

Close to the middle of her shift, four boys came through the door, letting a cool hiss of a breeze through the front doors. The nightly air of Tulsa filled the diner, a mixture of aromas such as alcohol and weirdly enough, burning wood. Near the door, by the boys their charming faces were lit by the illuminus flickering red sign that read Marco's. The boys were dressed in letterman jackets that covered their big builds, the one in front seemed to be showing the ones behind some sort of magazine he had in his hand. Socs, Audrey thought glancing their way.

Dante rushed past her with the wooden broom still in hand, "You've got this order right?" The four boys had slid into one of the booths, the tallest already flicking through a menu. Audrey didn't want them, she had promised herself she wouldn't talk to anymore socs. However, it came with the job, there was no avoiding it.

Reluctantly making her way over, she held up her pocket-sized notepad, flicking it open. "What can I get you guys?" She asked, her smile appearing without hesitation. It surprised herself just how good she was at faking.