holy ground ★ conrad fisher (1)

crush culture ★ conan gray

fourteen | 1x02

RORY LAUGHED SOFTLY AS THE two girls approached him. 

"Hey," She replied, with a matching smile, and Belly looked between the two of them before Chase turned to the younger girl.

"Hi, Belly."

"Hey, Chase. How are you?"

"I'm doing good kiddo." He glanced behind them, before asking, "Table for two?"

"Mhm." Rory nodded, and he stepped out from behind the counter, grabbing two menus before leading them to a booth at the end of the diner, by the windows looking out at the street.

He let them sit down, before turning to Rory with a teasing smile, "So, you new in town this summer?"

"I will hurt you Chase Reynolds."

"Only joking." He raised his hands making both girls laugh again, before grabbing a notebook from his back pocket, "What can I get started for you guys?"

"We'll take two cheeseburgers, with a side of fries?" Rory looked over to Belly who nodded, "Bells, you want something to drink?"

"Do you guys have cherry coke?" she asked Chase, and he nodded.

"Yup. Do you want that with ice?"

"Yes, please." He turned to Rory, who set down the menu in her hand.

"I'll just do water, and then we were thinking of mini ice cream sundaes after we're done."

"Sure. I'll get those drinks out."

The girls took this time to make note of anything that had changed at the diner since last summer.

They had first gone to eat here when Belly turned twelve, and Rory had been babysitting all year before she got to Cousins, and wanted to treat Belly to a nice lunch with her hard-earned money.

They had made it a birthday tradition, and last year Taylor, Belly's best friend, had joined them since she was visiting.

The diner had been around since even before the mothers started spending their summers at Cousins.

It had also been the place where Marie had first met Edmund when they were nineteen.

Growing up, Rory believed she would meet her person in Cousins too. Someone else, just like her, who adored the sounds of the beach, the kettle corn at the boardwalk, the ice cream at the tuck shop by the bus stop coming into town.

"Here you go." Chase set down two cups on the table and the girls thanked him. He left to go get the rest of their food, and Rory looked at the end of the table for napkins but the holder was empty.

She stood up and told Belly she would grab some from the front before walking back over to Chase, who was working the cash register again.

He handed an older couple a to-go bag before turning to Rory, "Hey, did you guys need something?"

"Just napkins," Rory replied, and he handed some over to her. She turned to walk back to their booth but stopped when Chase called out her name.

"Hmm?"

"I was thinking, we should hang out sometime." Chase wore his most charming smile, and it made Rory feel warm in her chest for a second.

"Me and Sophie were thinking of planning a day at the boardwalk. Like old times?" She replied and he shook his head, and Rory figured if it wasn't held back by the hair net, his blonde locks would messily sway across his forehead.