Pancakes at The Diner (on pause)

05: In Which Andrea Gets In A Fight

Andrea doesn't like Sundays. Chatham often organizes student activities, and the only way Andrea can avoid them is hiding away in her bedroom. It's dark and stuffy and reminds her of too many nights spent crying alone, shaking under the blankets. The Diner doesn't open until four on Sunday afternoon, which leaves her with hours upon hours of empty time. It's a relief to finally be in downtown Midland, pulling off her coat and settling into her regular seat.

She's so focused on placing her bag down that she doesn't notice there's already a boy sitting on the other seat, staring strangely at her. "Excuse me, I was sitting here."

Andrea jumps, clutching her chest in surprise. She thought her table was empty. She tries to open her mouth, to apologize, but the words are stuck in her throat. He's about her age, and even sitting down looks like he towers over her. His hands, which are resting on the table, look thin and bony.

He seems to notice her impending panic, and tries to smile reassuringly. "Hey, it's okay, you can sit here too," he says.

She nods, sliding down into the seat and staring at the floor.

"I'm Gregory Carter," he says reaching out a hand.

"Andrea Merrick," she whispers, and her hand shakes as she takes his.

They sit in silence for a while. Gregory seems content to turn and stare at the rest of The Diner's patrons, observing their every movements. Andrea curls in on herself, wishing he would leave so she could breathe easier.

Milo comes to take their order, and she can tell he's shocked to find her sitting with another human being. Gregory orders a glass of water, and Andrea gets her usual.

"I've got your jacket," Milo tells Gregory. "The pancakes are cold now, though, so I don't know if you want those as well."

Gregory shakes his head, and Andrea raises her eyebrow. That's something she had to learn. She'd see her mom do it constantly, raise a single eyebrow whenever Andrea said she wanted something, was scared of something, whenever she was anything but quiet. Andrea would stand for hours in front of a mirror, using her hands to raise and lower her brows, frowning and smiling until her face hurt. Now, it looks effortless. "You can have some of mine," she says.

"It's really okay," Gregory insists. "I'm not hungry."

When Milo leaves, the two return to silence. Normally, this is what Andrea loves: peace and quiet away from Chatham, a place alone with her thoughts. With Gregory across from her, she feels watched, even though his face is turned away. It's a charged silence, full of things unsaid.

She wonders why he took her seat, and wonders even more why he wanted her to stay. She's sure she's seen him before. Not at Chatham, or she'd have already known his name, but somewhere else. She's almost positive she's seen him in The Diner, in one of the corner seats. Why he moved is a puzzle where the pieces don't fit, mostly because she knows only his name.

Her leg is bouncing, and the longer they sit in silence, the more agitated she gets. She opens her mouth a few times, and quiet, strangled noises come out. She's sure Gregory hears them, because there's a hint of a smile every time she does. That just makes her mad.

She collects her thoughts, and before she can second-guess herself, she asks, "where do you go to school?"

"Midland High," he says. "You probably go to Chatham, right?"

Andrea nods, fiddling with the sleeves of her shirt.

"What's it like? I heard it's intense. I'm surprised they even let you leave." He's joking, of course, but it's so close to the truth that Andrea can't bring herself to smile, even a fake one.

"I'm getting a good education," Andrea says eventually, a rote answer she employs when talking to relatives or prospective students. The fact that it comes with the price of her sanity is something she never mentions.

"The kids are nice? They always seemed a little stuck up, you know, private-school types." Gregory's teasing her now, he nudges her leg with his, but Andrea shifts slightly to move away.

"They're nice enough."

Andrea's saved from more conversation by the arrival of Milo and a plate piled high with pancakes. She gives him a grateful smile and a heartfelt "thank you," to which Milo laughs and knocks her on the shoulder.

"They're just pancakes," he laughs.

Andrea smiles the way only Milo can get her to. "More like my lifeblood."

"Is he your brother or something?" Gregory asks as Milo recedes back into the kitchen.

Andrea looks up from her plate of pancakes in surprise. "What? No. Why?"

Gregory shrugs. "I don't know. You just seem more at ease with him than anyone I've ever seen."

Andrea looks at him strangely. "You've just met me."

"But I've seen you before," he says. "I see you all the time. Right here. On the verge of an absolute breakdown if someone other than Milo talks to you for more than five minutes."

"Excuse me?" Andrea asks, glaring at him. She's so insulted she forgets to be anxious. It's a response that feels foreign in her body. She's so used to dissolving under conflict that confrontation is an alien reaction.

Gregory, sensing that he had said all the wrong things, quickly backtracked. "I mean, you guys just have an easy way of talking to each other is all."

"What are you trying to do?" Andrea interrupts. "You've seen me before, you know I always sit here. Are you trying to start something? Making judgements about my mental state? What do you want from me?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," Gregory says. "Please."

"I want you to leave," Andrea says coldly. She feels as though she's watching herself from afar, floating above her body, seeing someone else in control. It's like the person she's always wanted to be has possessed her, someone who isn't afraid to confront others and defend herself.

Amazingly, Gregory doesn't try to argue. He stands up slowly and picks up the jacket Milo left at the table for him. "I'll see you tomorrow," he says quietly, before heading out.

Andrea watches him go, her stomach working itself into knots. As the door closes behind him, she begins to shake. Andrea really doesn't like Sundays.

----

hey guys. i just wanted to let you all know i'll be updating much more infrequently in the future. someone important to me passed away recently, so it's been really hard to bring myself to write since. 

 school is also starting soon as well, so i'll have a lot more work going on because of that. but i hope you enjoyed this bit- andrea getting feisty! she and gregory met! milo being his cute adorable self!

as always, please tell me what you think of this bit. i adore getting comments from you guys and talking to you all. if you have any ideas/theories/anything for how you think the story will progress, i'd love to hear them!!