The Restaurant

Chapter 2

"Ready for your first day back?" Kat asked, as she walked up and took the eggs I placed in a bowl on the counter.

"I am...a little nervous, considering it's been a while since I've been to school and I don't know what to expect. But, all in all, excited. Bacon? Sausage?" I held out a plate for her and she eagerly grabbed a few pieces of both and scooped up some potatoes, dumping it all into her bowl along with an obscene amount of hot salsa and ketchup and stirring it all together into some sort of breakfast concoction. "You certainly have a strange way of eating your food that I never quite understood."

"Thanks! I got it from my brother. 'It's all going to the same place anyway.' He's a little kooky but I love him." She laughed as she scooped up a bite. "And it's surprisingly not bad! *Hic! So long as you don't put too much hot sauce." Her face turned red. I almost fell over as she tried to drink her water but kept hiccupping into her cup and water kept spilling out of her mouth. "Stop laughing, it's burning so much! Is this made with real lava?" Tears welled in her eyes.

I laughed harder, "If by lava you mean habaneros then yes! You probably shouldn't drink water, either."

"Why not? *Hic! Oh my gosh! Did you put salsa in there too?! My mouth is on fire!"

"I wish I could help you, but I'm going to be late for class, so I gotta go. Oh, maybe you should try some soda," I shouted as I ran out the door and jumped in my car. I never was one of those guys that would modify his car to look sleek, but I enjoyed doing little things and keeping her in good condition. My car wasn't special, but she was mine, and she got me where I needed to go. As I turned her over, Gaslight Anthem blared out of my speakers. I rolled down my windows so my neighbors could hear; checked my mirrors, backed up, popped her into first and was headed for the city.

Our town consists mostly of one to two-story mom-and-pop shops selling everything from hardware to vegetables. We didn't have a farmer's market; mostly because we were an all-the-time farmer's market. No one would bother tagging on our buildings since they weren't big enough and the town is so small, no one would even consider it a town, more like an area to drive through. It is made up of three streets, each two lanes wide, with small shops on the center street, also known as Main. People would come from cities around to the stores in our city to get fresh produce and little souvenirs. Our apartment was on the outskirts. The younger crowd liked to go to the city to have fun since the town was so quiet and peaceful. It was, basically, the unspoken treaty with the locals: we, the younger crowd, go to the city to have fun and get loud, while the locals won't complain about or bother us.

My first class was uneventful, college algebra, my teacher didn't mind that I was a high-functioning music-aholic and that my headphones would be on for all of the classes and tests. Music helps me focus on work, I feel like when I put my headphones in, I can concentrate so much better. While the music plays, it feels like my other senses sharpen.

My second class was where things got interesting. I reached out to open the door and immediately was hit in the face by it, knocking me to the ground. As I looked up semi-angry at whoever just put me on the ground, I lost all train of thought. There she stood, five-foot-five-inches, body of a pin-up, face of an angel, brown hair with blue undertones, milky white skin with tattoos trailing her arms, looking at me, as confused as I was about what just happened.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" she asked. I just sat there on the ground too stunned to say a word. She sat there for a second longer waiting for a response, "I didn't see you on the other side of the door." Still nothing, but I was able to close my mouth. "Did I hit your head and it made you lose your voice?" she joked, smiling down at me.

Finally, I came back to reality and stuttered out, "Uh...," Really Jimmy? Smooth. Say something! "I got a voice!!!" Sounding more like I was proud to be able to talk than anything else.

"Well good for you!" She laughed as she reached out to help me up. When I realized what she was doing, I reached out and tried to grab her hand to help me up; but being the klutz I am, I pulled a little too hard, surprising her as she fell on top of me. I was ready for the beating of a lifetime and all I could think was 'she smells so good too.' "Wow! You do have a voice and you don't know your own strength." She laughed as she got back up this time preparing herself for my weight. "Talk about sweeping someone off their feet."

"HAHA! Yeah!" Great...now I sound like a braying donkey. "Sorry...that was funny" Why can't I be cool? "You hit me but it's ok. I don't mind."

"Oh, so you're a masochist?" She joked. "Well, I'll remember that next time I see you. I'm Tina by the way."

"Oh no no no! I'm not into getting beaten up. I mean I don't mind you hitting me...well I mean I mind but it's ok because it's you...I'm rambling."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Rambling. Maybe I'll run into you again somewhere." She smiled at me and walked away.

"Uhhhh...Jimmy!! That's my name!" I shouted to her. She turned, waved, and walked away. I sat there for a moment longer just dazed by her. Forgetting where I was and what I was doing.

"Ahem...Jimmy is it?" I turned to look straight into a teacher's eyes.

"AAAAH!" I screamed when I turned to see the frowning wrinkled face of my professor staring at me.

"You may want to come in for class before you're late," the professor said, handing me a napkin.

"Am I bleeding?" I asked, wiping my face.

"No Jimmy...you're drooling." He chuckled and opened the door for me. "Welcome to my class."

'Oh boy,' I thought, 'first day of school and I've been knocked out, forgot how to talk, and one of my teachers thinks I'm not all there. How can this get any worse?'