The Beauty of Everything

chapter two

For graduation my parents gave me an anklet. It was a thin gold chain with small diamonds all around. My mom told me she bought it from an old woman at one of the tourist flee markets here in town. The woman told her that should it ever fall off, I would find good luck in love.

I haven't taken it off since they gave it to me.

"Florence, a party of four just walked in! Booth twenty seven!" yelled Mrs. Hoover through the kitchen door.

Great, more cheery people to wait on.

I was walking through the kitchen door, digging in my apron for my pad of tickets when I saw them. There are table twenty seven sat Keith, Chris, Eden, and another boy named Logan. I froze in place.

"Florence have you seen my ticket book?" Renee came up behind me. "I can't find- What are you staring at?"

Her gaze shifted from me to my new customers. Her sudden laugh made me jump. I gave her a glare.

"You better not keep them waiting too much longer." Renee winked at me and walked away to her tables.

You can do this, Florence. Just go up and take their order. Surely I can talk to him for a few seconds. Eden can't claw my eyes out if it's my job to talk to Chris.

I wanted to slap myself. Talking to myself? I'm going crazy I swear.

"Florence! Why hasn't table twenty seven been helped yet? I'm not paying you to stand around!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Hoover! I was just ah- trying to find a pen!" I felt her hostile glare as I shifted through my apron.

"There's a cup of them at the front desk. Now get to it!" With that the lovely Mrs. Hoover rushed back into the kitchen. Probably to make sure there wasn't a stray fry laying on the floor.

I slowly made my way over to my new customers. Don't say their names. Don't let them know that you know who they are. They'll think you're creepy. Okay, I really need to shut up.

"Hello, my name is Florence, and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you guys something to drink?"

Eden sat to the left against the window, and Chris was beside her. Logan sat to the right against the window, with Keith on the edge of the seat. I felt the four of them look up at me. I felt Chris looking at me. Don't freak out, don't freak out.

Chris spoke up first. "I'll take whatever's on the tap."

"Oh, um, sorry sir. I'll have to get someone else to take your order then..."

"Oh, that's alright. I'll just take coke then."

Stupid, stupid. Quit being so uncool. Now he can't even get a beer because of you!

"It's no problem at all, sir! Just let me grab Jase." I turned to go grab Jase, but I felt a hand reach out to grab my arm.

Oh my geez, Chris is touching my arm. Yes, now please act cool. It's just your arm!

"Really, I'll just take a coke. It's no problem at all." He flashed me a smile. All I could do was stare.

"Uh.. I'll take a coke as well." Keith's voice broke me out of my trance. I could feel my cheek heating up.

"I'll take a water." The devil herself was giving me a glare.

"And I'll take a sweet tea." Logan gave me a smile that looked the result of a laugh. Dear Lord, please don't let them be laughing at me.

"I'll have those drinks right out." I was trying to shove my pad and pen back into my apron, but due to my nerves, I dropped my pen on the ground. My cheeks were on fire. Just as I kneeled down to pick up my pen, Chris's hand shot out and grabbed it. I straightened up rather ungracefully, and he handed it to me.