QUARREL LOVE.

4.

It was time for me to go to work, I grabbed my bag and walked out of my room. I saw Christine and Devin cuddled up on the couch in the living room, they looked back at me as they heard me closing my door.

"Going to work?" Devin asked, I nodded my head. "Have fun!" Christine jumped in. I smiled at her, "Thank you, I sure will. I'll get going now!"

I closed the door behind me and started my walk to the restaurant. I got a text message from Nick, "Have you already left your house?"

I replied back with, "I just left, why?"

"It's rush-hour, could you please hurry :0"

I smiled at the text and hearted it. I began to speed-walk to the restaurant.

As soon as I arrived, all the tables were full and packed. Ranging from highschool students to adults and elders. Nick spotted me and came up to me in a rush, "Thank God you're here, please start serving them."

"Oh- Okay!" I quickly went to the back to put on my apron and hairnet.

"Here's your seaweed soup with a side of rice! Hope you enjoy!" I said with enthusiasm. I began to walk away when, "Excuse me? This isn't what we ordered. We ordered wonton soup with a side of dumplings?"

"I'm sorry, it's my first time here. I'll exchange that for you. Again, I'm-" she cut me off, "It's your first time here? WELL DO BETTER!?" she grabbed the bowl of seaweed soup and threw it on me. Her husband grabbing her arm and trying to calm her.

I stood there as everyone who was eating around us noticed and stopped to look at me. They were whispering things such as, "Oh my gosh, poor girl." and "She should get fired for slacking."

Mrs. Grajeda and Nick came rushing towards me. Mrs. Grajeda brought me to the back while Nick handled the customer.

"Ma'am please leave the restaurant as we do not tolerate any kind of harassment towards our workers."

She looked up at him with frustration, "Harassment? She got-" he cut her off, "Please leave or you'll have to explain this to the police." she scoffed at him and got up and stormed off. Her husband apologized on her behalf and paid for their meal.

"Are you okay honey? Oh no, it seems like you burnt your arm a little bit. Here clean yourself up. I'll get back to serving the people, just rest okay?" Mrs. Grajeda said while handing me a wet and cold towel. She left and Nick entered the kitchen.

"Did you get hurt? Did you burn yourself?" he asked me, grabbing my arm and seeing a burn on it. His eyes widened, "Oh I'm sorry, I should've just served that table!" he blurted, feeling guilty. I reassured him, "No it's okay, it's completely my fault. I'm okay, your grandma gave me a towel to put over the burn." I smiled at him.

He nodded his head, "Let's get you some cream from the pharmacy after we finish work?" "Sure."

Nick was finishing up closing the restaurant while I waited for him outside. He came out and locked the front. "Let's go? The pharmacy is only 10 minutes away. We can bus there if you want?" I shook my head, "Let's walk instead." I smiled.

On our way there, Nick asked me a question, "You mentioned how you just moved here, is it permanently or temporarily?" that question put me in a deep thought.

I took a deep breath, "I wouldn't say permanently nor temporarily. As much as I want to give you a solid answer, I can't even give myself an answer aswell. Right now is just not the best time for me."  he nodded his head.

"Where did you live before moving here?" "The city."

"If the city called you back, would you go?" I thought hard about this..

"Yes, I would go back."

"What would make you stay here?"

"I'm not sure, the only relation I have with this place is my cousin. If I were to make more relationships with others, maybe I'll have second thoughts about going back to the city. But that's not the case for me."

He nodded his head once more at me and we continued to walk in silence.

We arrived at the pharmacy and the man greeted us, "Hey there Nick, what can I help you with? Oh- who's this young lady that you've brought here?" looking over at me. "Oh this is my friend, Cynthia. She just moved here. Anyways, could we get some cream for burns?"

He smiled at both of us and walked over to the wall of medications. He grabbed a small container and handed it over to us. "Apply this on every day&night. Got it?"

"Got it." I said, smiling at him. "Well we'll get going now! Thank you uncle!" Nick said as we walked out.

"That's your uncle?" I asked, stunned. He chuckled, "Yeah... half of my relatives live here."

He changed the topic, "Let me walk you home." I looked up at him, making a face. "No go home, it's okay, I can walk home from here."

He refused to let me walk home by myself and I gave in, letting him walk me home. I didn't mind, but I felt bad knowing he's already done so much for me for the past two days and I don't know how to return it to him.

The silence came back. But it was the 'comfortable' type of silence. The silence that doesn't make you feel awkward.

But eventually, Nick broke the silence, "You think if we become friends, it'll make you stay?" I stopped walking and looked at him.

"You called me your friend when your uncle asked me who I was." smiling at him. He raised his eyebrow, "So will you stay?" I continued to walk while he followed behind, "I'll think about it!" teasing him.

We got to my house and I waved goodbye to him, "I'll go inside now, thanks for getting me that cream and walking me home! I'll see you at work tomorrow!" he waved back at me, "Yes go
in now, and no need to thank me. I wont be at work tomorrow though, it's my day off! Have fun!" as he walked off.

I found myself pouting. No Nick means no fun at work. Except Mrs. Grajeda who I always look forward working with.