𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞||𝐃.𝐌

Chapter 26

Quick a/n: I could have sworn I gave the other worker at the diner a name but I can't remember or find it, stg I have the memory of a fckn cucumber. I'm js gonna give him a new name, ima go with Dale cuz I'm watching Jericho rn and Erik is all I'm thinking abt LMAO.

It's been a week since I started working at the diner and I never wanna leave. This place is heaven on earth. Break time with Mr. Hassan, Dakota and Dale is so fun, every night Mr. Hassan let's me take some food home with me and I've even become friends with all of the regulars. Working here doesn't even feel like working, it feels like I'm hanging out with a bunch of friends. "Maddie, I need you in the kitchen." Dale said as he peeked his head through the door frame to the kitchen. Today we have an unusual amount of customers, instead of the same ten people being here today there's at least twenty five. Almost every single booth is full.

"Be right there!" I called out as I reached under the counter and grabbed a pair of gloves along with a hairnet. "You gonna be okay out here by yourself during the dinner rush?" I asked as I quickly pulled the gloves onto my hands and put the hairnet on, being careful not to leave out any strands. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I can take orders faster than you guys can cook." He said as he turned his attention to another customer that walked into the diner. I nodded my head before taking off to the kitchen

"Okay, what do you need me to do?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen and over to where Dale was. "I was trying to get table three's order done, but they just keep walking in." He explained as he pointed to a string above the counter with little papers pinned to it. "On it." I stated as I walked over to the string and pulled down the first order. "While you're over there can you open that door? Usually we keep it closed when business is slow but today it's not." He asked as he continued cooking table three's order. "Yep." I replied, holding the paper tightly in my hands as I grabbed the bottom of the sliding door above the counter and pushed it up.

"Oh, hello." Dakota greeted me as we soon came face to face. "Hi, got anymore orders?" I asked as I turned around and walked over to the soda machine. "Yeah, I'll just put them up you look busy." He said as he leaned against the counter that separated the kitchen from the front, and clipped the small piece of paper onto the string. The first order I picked up was simple enough, just one medium coke and some fries. I placed a medium cup under the soda machine and turned it on, filling it up to the top and placing a lid on the cup.

The fries are already pre-made and stay heated, so for this order I didn't really need to make anything. I picked up one of the cardboard french fry holders and used the tongs to shove the fries inside, quickly taking the fries and coke to the counter and placing them down for Dakota to take. "Table two." I stated before grabbing the next order from the string and reading it.

With my help Dale got all of the orders to the customers pretty quick, even though we're understaffed nobody complained or got impatient. "Hey, would you mind closing up for me? My head is killing me." Mr. Hassan asked as he walked out from the back and placed the diner keys on the counter. "Of course, I hope you feel better tomorrow." I replied happily, taking the keys from the counter and smiling at him as he walked out of the store. Due to the fact that we're understaffed Mr. Hassan sometimes asks us to do work in the diner that wasn't in our job description.

I was hired to be a waiter, but if help is needed in the kitchen or cleaning up I have no problem doing what I can. If I had a different boss I probably wouldn't offer to do anything I wasn't hired to do, but Mr. Hassan is such a kind man, so for him I don't mind. I picked up the broom and started sweeping up the diner, ridding the floor of all the food customers dropped and didn't bother to pick up. As I was sweeping I wandered over to the jukebox in the corner. I slipped a coin into the coin slot and selected a random song, waiting until the music starts to finish cleaning.