eyes of the mind

chapter 5

Weeks have passed, Brock and I have been spending almost every lunch period together.

He claims it's because he's tired of the crowd he's usually with and hanging out with me he doesn't have to be a fictional character.

We talk about everything and anything, text and call every other night about books, films and music.

With August, we are like your shadow you see on a sunny day. We sneak to my house or his and get intimate.

Make out everywhere from the school bathroom stalls to the stoner bleachers.

He and Alissa, the girl who he had his arm around in the hallway, were getting  close. I asked if they were serious but he would brush it off and deny it.

I brought August and Alissa's relationship up to Brock and he told me that he's never seen August this happy, so in love.

That. That hurt me. Which led to me ignoring his calls, texts and distance myself more.

So his calls stopped, he would ignore me in the halls. If he saw me coming and he was with Alissa he would grope her in front of me.

So with that, I lost a friend and a possible romantic companion.

—

Standing outside of the diner I work at, I'm taking my smoke break as the crisp air of October hits my face.

I hear the sound of wheels hitting the gravel nearing the entrance.

I look up to see a guy around my age if not a year older. He had tan skin, a big curly afro in a loose pony tail. He had on baggy jeans with emerald sambas along with a fitted crop white shirt.

We make eye contact and I notice he has a septum with a hoop nose ring. He then smiles as he walks up to me.

"Sorry I'll be right in to take your order as soon as I finish up here" I say about to take a drag.

He then takes my cigarette, puts it out and flicks it across the parking lot.

I look stunned as he says, "First thing, I don't know if you've heard but that's not good for your health. Second thing, I'm sort of hungry so I would like it if you came in now."

I looked at him shocked like I couldn't believe he did that, I couldn't keep up. He proceeds to walk inside the half empty diner and sat himself at a table while looking at me expectantly.

I smile forcefully while pulling out my pen pad to take his order.

He picks up the menu, looks puzzled and then proceeds to say, "Hmm golly gee I may need a minute, could you come back in a few minutes?".

I ask, "Are you vegan?". He shakes his head no, so I snatch the menu from his hands and walk back to the kitchen to put an order in for him. A burger, fries and a strawberry shake.

When I come back with his food he grins like I read his mind.

"You know smokey, I commend you because this looks amazing" he says as he bites his burger.

I roll my eyes as I take a fry off of his plate and dip it in his shake. Leaving no time for him to say anything insulting while I eat the fry I took. I make my way to the front to finish out my shift.

—

It's about closing time and skater guy is still taking his time with his shake, eyeing me down like he's getting off on my agony.

I then hear the door open and see August, Alissa, Brock and Carol.

It took a second for my mind to comprehend the scene in front of me. Brock and I are just friends, and  I know he does have a life outside our friendship but I never see that side of him.

August is the first to go up to me and he smirks while Alissa is glued to his hip looking at me with distaste. But in a turn of events I see that Carol is looking at Alissa the way Alissa is staring at me.

"So are you going to seat us somewhere  or just analyze us?" August says while staring into my soul.

I take them a few booths behind skater boy and take out my pad and pen waiting to take their orders.

"So what would you guys like to drink?" I say with a forceful smile.

"Oh my, Lav I didn't know you work here, do I get an honorary friend discount" Brock beams at me.

I smile at him while shaking my head no while continuing to take the rest of their orders.

As I walk back to the kitchen I stop at skater boys table as he is taking his last sip.

"Are you about done here?" I question.

"Landon. And are you about finished working?" he asks.

"After I put these orders in" I reply.

"Well when you finish, meet me at your smoking spot" he says.

"You mean at the side of the diner?" I ask incredulously.

He stands up and mocks me while rolling his eyes as he walks out of the diner, skateboard in hand.

As I put the order in and about to hang my apron up I feel an intense stare on me.

I look up to see August staring hard at me. Like he's shocked at my audacity to speak to another guy in his vicinity.

All the while Brock is smiling and winking at me with his thumbs up mouthing 'good choice'.

I laugh at Brock while ignoring August and walk out of the diner to meet with Landon.