You Didn't Tell Me

All Star Diner was the hotspot of the little town I lived in. Everyone would meet there and eat or even just wait for friends then head off to the city. It used to be the main site for dates. That had gone downhill since the new train station had been added to the town. The diner just screamed 50’s retro. It was designed after the type of ones you would have seen in the movies. The red leather booths, the retro jukebox which sat in the corner, the neon light up clock on the wall. It was just the best replica of a 50’s diner I had ever seen. I chucked my bag under the till, behind the counter, and pulled my apron on, tying it at the back. I’d just got to the diner for my usual Friday night shift. Every Friday since I've started here I've done the four till eight shift. It’s long hours but it’s definitely worth it. The money’s alright and since I've been saving up, I nearly had enough for the new guitar I've been looking at. I smiled at the few regulars who were always in from four until five or as I call it the ‘after school rush’.

Originally I had asked for tonight off and I was meant to be getting it off. However, I ended up having broken plans. I was supposed to be going out with the girl I’ve liked for ages. Aimee. She had long black hair and piercing blue eyes. I’ve liked her for longer than I can even remember. She cancelled on our plans though. Today actually. She’d been waiting for me by my locker at lunch and told me then that she couldn’t make it. Her reason seemed pretty legit though:

 “I can’t make tonight, Ryan,” she’d said. “I have to go see my dad tonight.”

I had told her that was cool and that we would just do it some other time. Boy was I wrong.

Six o’clock, I’d been working for two hours now. It had been a pretty hectic night if I’m honest. Well for a Friday. Normally on Fridays, people would head into the city for a wider range of things to do, like the bowling alley. I walked away from the counter and headed to the staff bathroom to check my hair. Yeah, I may be a guy but I was like a girl when it came to my hair. My blond hair had to be sitting right or I would freak out. The blond mess was still sitting perfectly. I swung the door open and walked back out to the front of the shop. I was met with my best mate Joel sitting at the bar on his usual red stool waiting for me. He would always come to the diner and keep me company from six till eight. After that we would usually go back to one of our houses and play Xbox or something.

                “Alright mate.” I said putting through his usual order. A double cheeseburger, fries and a large Coke.

                “Not bad. Gutted about Aimee cancelling on you,” He said as I set his drink in front of him.

                “Yeah well she had to go to her dad’s. It’s fine I told her we’d do it some other time.” I shrugged and headed out from behind the bar to take an older couples order.

I was wiping down a table in one of the red leather booths when the bell above the door tinkled. I was so used to this sound that I was often just brushed it off. However, for some reason this time I looked up when I heard it. Instantly, I was hurt at what I seen in front of me. Aimee holding hands with some other guy. I think his name was Andy, I’d seen him a few times around school. I grit my teeth and headed back to the bar. How could she lie to me like that? Tell me a lie then show up where I work with another guy!

                “Aw mate! Is that Aimee with Andy Brown?” Joel asked looking up from his burger to the booth where the pair of them were sat. Talking and giggling together. In that moment I watched my world disappear.

                “I don’t even want to hear her name.” I snapped and threw the net cloth I had been using down onto the gleaming countertop before pulling my apron off. I grabbed my bag from under the till and stormed out from behind the bar. Aimee glanced up at me as I walked past her and towards the door.

                “Fletcher!” my manager, Adam, shouted at me.

                “What?!” I said swinging round to face him. He was smaller than me so I had to look down at him slightly.

                “Your shift isn’t over for another hour and a half,” he snapped. Short temper for a short guy I thought.

                “Yeah well I suddenly don’t feel well. I need to go home but I’ll take an extra shift next week,” I said trying to reach a compromise with him. He sighed and nodded before I turned and walked out.

I was only just past the diner, in front of the dry cleaners, when I heard someone shouting after me. I kept walking until someone gently grabbed onto my wrist. I turned around to find Aimee looking up at me, apologetic. As if she was sorry for what she’d done. I scoffed and pulled my wrist from her grip.

                “Did I even cross your mind? When you walked into my work with Andy? Especially after blowing me off today! Didn’t think so.” I snapped at her. She didn’t even understand how hurt I was.

                “Look Ry, I am sorry, okay?” she said softly.  A small smile played at her lips.

                I wanted to scream.  How could she still smile at me?!  “Sorry isn’t good enough, Aimee! Do you know how long I've been looking forward to taking you out? Do you even have any idea how long I’ve been wanting to ask you out? I’ve liked you for so long I can’t even remember when I started to like you the way I do. You didn’t tell me that you didn’t want me. You should have just been straight with me. But no, you lied to me.”

                “My dad cancelled.  I was going to call you but Andy just turned up. It was a spur of the moment,” she explained as if I didn’t even matter.

                 “Yeah, it really looked like you wanted to call me.” I could feel my blood boiling if I was honest. I seriously couldn’t believe the way she was treating the whole matter. I spent months and months trying to build up the courage to ask her out and then she turned around and done this. Not only did it hurt me but it knocked my confidence slightly.

                “I did but I thought you would have made other plans.” I couldn’t believe she was trying to pin this on me. I was the one who cleared my night for her.

                 “You know I work in the diner every Friday night though!” I spat at her.

                “Yeah I know but you’d gotten tonight off so I thought you wouldn’t be working even after I had to cancel.”

                “Look Aimee, I don’t ever want to hear your name. I don’t ever want to play your games like this. Trust me I won’t ever make this mistake again. You’ll move on with Andy most likely and I’ll be living with this heartache which you caused. It really sucks because I really, really liked you Aimee,” I said softly however I had a firm tone about it. I pulled my arm away for the final time and walked off, leaving her alone in front of the dry cleaners.