Hearts of Gold

2.

Jonah's P.O.V

"W-what do you m-mean your niece?" I narrow my eyes at the older woman standing across the counter from me, my head now lifted lightly from my folded arms as I await her answer.

She just hums and gives me a knowing look. "Exactly what I just said, child." She rolled her eyes.

"She's visiting for the summer, might even be thinking of going to college here, she isn't too sure yet. That's what the summers for though, I guess." She shrugs lightly as she grabs some paper napkins from next to her and places them right next to my plate.

I thank her quietly for the gesture as she continues to talk about who I now know is Zea- her niece.

"She's around your age too, I guess," she smirks my way and I try to hide my shy face away from her by using the ketchup bottle to squirt some ketchup over my fries.

"Ahh, but I guess if you'd want more information about her, you'd have to ask her yourself. She's not to keen on me 'putting out her personal business'," she mocks who I'm guessing is supposed to be Zea and I can't help the small smile that takes over my face at her words.

"Because apparently, I'm well known to tend to do that to and about people, but what does she know? Absolutely nothing, I tell ya! Ain't that right, my baby?" She gives me a sarcastically innocent look that I just have to scoff at and narrow my eyes at her.

"Yeah?" She questions my silence. "We'll you're no better, sooo how bout that?" She nods her head once before dramatically leaving me behind to go into the kitchen in the back.

I shake my head at her words before finding myself (yet again) glancing at the girl in the booth.

Mrs. Mary's niece. Zea.

Would she mind if I introduced myself?

She seemed to be content in her own world now- looking at her phone that was placed sideways on the table with her AirPods in.

Would I be disturbing her if I were to introduce myself.

Deciding against it for the moment because she looked at peace (and definitely not because I was a little nervous) I decided to leave her be and finish up my food.

By the time I was finished with my food, I was chewing on my last bit of fries and wiped my hands on my shorts before picking up my phone to check the time.

After seeing it was around evening time now, I glance outside and see that it was in fact evening time and the sun was just starting to go down.

Grabbing a napkin to wipe the rest of the crumbs off my hands, I toss the crumbled up paper onto my now empty plate before pulling out one of the twenty dollar bills my uncle gave me and placed it into the tip jar on the counter- knowing Mrs. Mary wouldn't accept the money herself and it would save us both the time and hassle if I were to try to.

I make sure my area is clean and I'm not forgetting anything before sending a quick text to my uncle that I'm ready for him to pick me up whenever he has the time, and when I look back at the booth I seemed to be looking back at an awful amount of turns today, I'm met with the same sight as all the other times- Zea with her AirPods in, staring down at her phone. Except this time, instead of looking at her phone she's leaning her head against one of her folded hands and staring out the window she's sitting next to- seemingly lost in her own world of thoughts.

I hadn't noticed how long I was staring at her this particular time because my entire body slightly jumps when I feel a light touch on the back of my shoulder. My head snaps in the direction of whoever touched me and I calm down slightly at the sight of Mrs. Mary.