Alpha, Not

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

<A/N: This chapter contains homophobic content. I finished editing this chapter and decided to put it up early.>

Avery

The bell over the door jingled and I began to welcome the customer to the diner. It was our practice to greet all customers who came through our doors. "Good afternoon, welcome to..."

'Oh god, not again,' I say to myself when I see the three guys who made my life a living hell in high school walk through the door. They've been coming in regularly ever since they found out I work here after wandering in one afternoon several weeks ago.

"Welcome to our diner." I manage to finish even though my mouth went dry as soon as I saw them.

"Hey little faggot," Dave Smith sneered at me, using his favorite slur, "What are you buying for us today?"

Too bad James and Beth were both in the back right now doing prep work for today's lunch rush. When they were out front, Dave and his buddies always kept their snide remarks to themselves. Since there was nobody else out front, they didn't hold back on the slurs they seemed to think were entertaining. Nobody was entertained... well, I guess they were.

"Dave." I say, keeping my voice neutral. I'm used to their homophobic slurs. I refuse to respond to his comment about buying their lunch - I won't pay for their meals, and they know that - it's their subtle reminder of all the times they took my lunch money from me back in high school.

"What would you like to order today?"

Fortunately Beth came out from the back to help as more people were beginning to stream through the doors as the lunch rush was starting and I was spared from any more of Dave's unwanted banter. They placed their order and when the food was ready, paid and took it with them. Thankfully, they never seem to have time to hang out and eat it at one of the diner's small tables.

I've been working at this diner since I was 16 years old and still in high school. It has always been a place of refuge for me, ever since James and Beth hired me. They're like the grandparents that I never knew and I love them as if they were my blood relatives (I don't have any). Eventually, they want me to take over the diner when they retire as they don't have any children to pass it on to. We've worked out an arrangement where a part of my wages go towards the purchase of a percentage of ownership. They have updated their will leaving the diner to me if anything happens to them, but I want to feel like I've earned it and not just inherited it.

Besides them, I haven't had anyone else in my life since my mother was killed in an accident not long after I graduated from high school. Sure, I have had a few short term relationships, but they'd never developed into anything worthwhile.

My mom had been so proud of me for having a job and keeping my grades up. At least she got to see me graduate before the accident. She had made plans to take me on a trip to Machu Picchu as a graduation present but we never got to go. We'd watched a documentary together about it on PBS and both of us had talked about it as one of the places we should put on our bucket list. After her death though, I couldn't bear to go on my own. It just wouldn't be the same without her there with me.

That was the most difficult time of my life and I don't know what I would have done without James and Beth, they were there for me when I thought I was alone and needed someone's shoulder to cry on.

Shortly after the accident I moved from our old apartment to a studio on the other side of town. The rent of our old two bedroom apartment was too much for me to make on my own at the time and there were too many memories there anyway. Every time I went home, all I could think about was my mom and it was too depressing to stay there. I kept expecting to hear her walk through the door calling "Avery honey, I'm home". I was never going to hear that again, and to be honest, I couldn't bear to stay there any longer.

The studio was more suitable for just one person anyway, and I didn't dread being there alone like I did at the old place. It may have been small, but it was only me so I didn't mind the lack of space.

Another benefit of moving was that the new apartment wasn't all that far from the diner and I could walk when I felt in the mood. I usually took the bus because it was faster, but sometimes the walk gave me time to forget about how alone I was. I didn't want to feel sorry for myself but sometimes I couldn't stop the overwhelming sadness that I sometimes suffered from. Those were the times when walking always eased my worries and calmed me down. Walking was therapeutic for me and there is a little corner of the route that passes through the woods that is so peaceful; it was my favorite part of the walk.

---

"Hey, Avery!" I turned around to find out who it was calling my name. The voice was vaguely familiar but not one I could place easily. I was out doing a little shopping because my fridge was nearly empty. I didn't expect to run into anyone I knew on this side of town; like I said, I don't have many people in my life.

"Oh, hi Andy." I answered, recognizing the man who had called out to me. Andy had been my best friend from grade school through middle school, but we'd stopped talking in high school because he didn't want to face the bullies that went after me. He was standing there holding hands with a girl I didn't recognize.

"How have you been?" He asked awkwardly, a slight blush of embarrassment coloring his face. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, I don't remember the last time we talked." I hemmed, I really didn't know what to say; I still held some hard feelings about the way he had abandoned our friendship when I was having such a hard time at school.

"This is my fiancé, Sheila." He introduced the girl by his side, a shy smile curving up the corners of his lips as he looked at her like she was the best person in the world.

"It's nice to meet you." I smiled at her, extending my hand and clasping hers warmly. "Congratulations on your engagement".

We stood there and talked for a good 30 minutes, my hard feelings towards him gradually faded as we caught up on old times. He even apologized for how he had left me to face Dave and his friends by myself back then. I decided to let go of my grudge against him because, in reality, I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same thing myself if our positions had been reversed. We made plans to get together for dinner later and, somehow, the encounter with my old friend made me feel better than I had felt in a while.

---

I met up with Andy and Sheila at a Chinese restaurant not too far from my apartment and we spent the evening talking about old times. He expressed his condolences when I told him about my mom's passing and I found out that his parents had moved to Florida to get away from the cold winters. They were going to come back for the wedding, which was planned for early next year. They were waiting for her graduation from college before getting married; Andy having graduated the previous year.

Andy's degree was in Architecture and had just started working with a local firm designing office complexes. Sheila was majoring in English Literature and planned to be an English teacher as soon as she graduated.

I told them about how I was working at the diner and would eventually be taking it over when James and Beth retired. Andy was surprised that I had been working there since high school. He didn't know I had been working all that time.

Andy admitted with some embarrassment that he had spent more time partying in high school than studying those last two years before graduation. We all laughed at some of the stories he told; I had no idea some of my classmates had been such party animals.

We exchanged numbers and made plans to get together again before going our separate ways. It felt good to spend time with Andy again. Outside the diner, where I was with James and Beth, I hardly ever spent time with anybody these days; my last relationship having turned sour several months before.

I can't recall a time in the last few years when I had such a nice time. Usually I spent my evenings alone, watching TV or reading. I went to bed that night with a lighter heart than I had had in a very long time.