The Eight Amulets, Vol. 1

Chapter IV - Diner

After being convinced, the two kids had a great time, with Robert finally finding a friend to hang out with and William finally feeling like he belonged. Together they played pranks on stray cats, and even vandalized a local car that was rusted and old. Sitting from a street corner, the pair watched intensely as an old lady returned from the dry cleaning and stood in shock as her car was heavily damaged. Poor lady probably had no way to pay, but to William it was funny.

Once night began to settle, Robert suggested the idea that they go out to the local diner and he'll show him around, but they needed money; and his mom had aplenty from her shoplifting and illegal businesses that she possessed. She sold illegally shoplifted items online for cheap, and she was rich.

Of course, every few weeks she had to change phones and swap cars, but that wasn't much of a problem with the lot of money she has.

With great intention, Robert, mouth covered in chocolate ice cream from devouring the fridge, slipped the door open into the room, where his mom was snoring loudly with her partner.

"Are you sure about this?" William warned as Robert slowly as Robert looked interested at the brown purse on the bedside table. He rubbed his hands, before turning to William.

"Yes. Now keep it down. I've done this plenty of time before, just sit and watch and give me the thumbs up." Robert whispered, clutching the door mischievously.

"Fine. But if you get caught I'm ditching and you're dead." William said almost a little too loud. Roberts Mom clutched the covers, and turned over. They thought she had woken up, but was just moving around. They held there breathes in.

"Nice try, lunatic." Robert snorted as he tip-toed across the fuzzy carpet and spotted his moms brown purse. With malicious intent he made sure his mom was asleep by peeking over before going back to his plan.

He opened the purse and blindly dove his hand in the purse and pulled out a black wallet, looking quite rich. It's edges were smooth and Robert flipped the flabby wallet open and pulled a Benjamin from one pocket, he tossed the wallet on the table, before riskily making dash gently with socks. Hurrying, the pair clambered downstairs and made there for an 80's style diner, colored blue and white. They got inside and it smelled like beef.

"We don't need that much money!" William argued as they got into a line, gasping at the prospect of a hundred dollar bill in there hands. Williams parents had always had much money, especially since a big mansion when they were together. Him, his brother, his mom, and his dad. But now he had it in his hands, one hundred buckaroos.

"Are you complaining?" Robert jokingly snapped, holding the hundred dollar bill in his hands for all the diner and its poor staff to see.

"Well- I guess." From the corner of his eyes William spotted a girl in the corner of the diner, hanging out with a beefy boy. They shared a milkshake, laughing and drinking.

"Is that who I think it is? Bill Walter? Keep your head down. Don't make eye contact." Robert warned, shading William eyes and averting his attention from the couple.

"Who is that girl?" William asked, interested. As he said this, "Bill" got up from his seat and went to the bathroom, leaving the girl alone.

"It's Hannah Kennedy. She lives down the street, teachers pet." Robert said sourly, keeping his head down as they were next in line.

"Oh. Is she dating that Bill guy?" William asked, as they stepped up in line to order food.

"Two burgers, some fries and uh- is that all?" Robert ignored the question as he looked the cashier in the eyes, hands in his jacket pockets and smiled.

"A milkshake. Two straws." William added as the waiter typed it into her little machine.

"It will be 7.89. Your food will be out shortly." The cashier smiled and handed them a white receipt, and they nestled in a booth seat despite Robert warning William of Bill. Within a short amount of time, Hannah scuttled over to there table, and pulled up a chair, interrupting Robert and Williams conversation.

"Excuse me. I'm Hannah. And you are?..." Before Hannah could get an answer out of William, Robert interrupted her.

"Robert. Robert Bach the thir-" Robert interrupted, as Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Not you. I know your name. I'm talking about him." She gestured towards William.

"I'm William." He blurted. "William Manchester. You are Hannah? I've met you're dad." William confidently smiled.

"Nice to meet you. You were that poor kid who was involved in the accident if I'm correct. I'm so sorry." Her palm stretched over to his hand, clutching it warmly.

"Oh yeah. My leg got hurt but I'm better now. Moms badly injured though." William admitted, as they waitress came over and placed a tray of a milkshake, burgers and a bag of fries to go with. Like a kid in a candy store and beside eating almost all the food in Robs house, he dug into his burger violently and tore it apart.

"That must be terrible. Mmm what kind of milkshake, Chocolate?" She wondered at the sight of another icy milkshake.

"Perhaps. You could try it if you'd like." William suggested as Hannah flirting-ly sipped the chocolate milkshake the Chocolate milkshake through a straw.

Suddenly they heard a door unlocked and a cracking sound as Bill cracked his joints masculinely. He stared angrily at his girl who had her hands on another boy, and waddled over as Hannah stood up to defend herself.

"It wasn't what you think I swear-" Hannah leaned against the table but the angry Bill instead pushed her aside, throwing her into the booth beside her.

His next move was to grab the milkshake, and splash it onto William. He was splattered with a chocolate covering, seeping into his clothes as Bill picked William up by his collar, being suspended midair. He felt the cold chocolate make contact as Bills burger breathe pushed against his face.

"Don't mess with her again." Bill warned, throwing Williams back onto the table onto the food. Mustard was now rubbing off on his pants and Robert tantalizingly grabbed a spare form and shoved it into Bills arm and he stumbled back in a daze."We need to get out of here!" Rob advised, dropping the metal fork onto chocolate covered floor. He grabbed a slightly smashed burger as William slipped off the tables. Staff members were shocked by the incident, but apparently Bill hadn't had enough."C'mere big boys!" Bill croaked as he regained his strength and sent a skull-crushing punch into Tons face. William was left stunned and picked up a chair for self defense. Bill was smarter than him, lifting the chair out of Williams grasp and smashing it into the table.

William swore he was dead, until Hannah appeared from nowhere with a bright red fire extinguisher, aimed right at Bill. With no warning, she pulled down the black trigger and blasted a streak of white cream right into Bills face. He screamed in agony as she dropped the fire extinguisher onto the floor and the trio ran from the mess of a restaurant. Once they were a few houses down, Hannah cheered of freedom.

"Did you see the way that fork stabbed his stomach?" Rob recalled, cackling with laughter.

"Holy shit! His face was priceless!" William fell onto the ground, laughing hysterically and rolling on the floor.

"Did I just do that? Did I really?" Hannah asked herself, placing her hand on her knees and bending over on the sidewalk.

William paused when he realized it was late and he needed to go home. Checking his phone he slipped it back into his pocket and waved goodbye.

"I gotta head home. I'll be dead meat if I stay out any later. She's probably worried sick." William informed, turning back towards his house. Little did he know she was a different kind of sick. A sickness that pained her whole body, making her feel like her throat was caving in. She had a bad case of the curse of Springfield, and by far there was no cure, but William had no idea.