We're All Burning (Contest)

Chapter 04: The next

The next day, Eden got a call from Tony's diner, asking if she would be available for an interview in the afternoon. Of course, Eden said yes, and Brooke began to prepare her, both mentally and physically. It was quite odd for the younger sister to be preparing the older one, but Brooke used to babysit, so she was a pro at interviews. Eden, however, usually barely did okay.

As the girls dug through their suitcases for anything suitable to wear, Brooke was ransacking her brain for possible interview questions. "He's going to ask you why you want to work there," she said, "and it's best to be genuine."

"I need to support my family," Eden deadpanned, for it was the first thing that came into her mind.

"Good, now you get to spice it up a bit. Say, 'I need to support my family, and this diner offers an amazing environment to do so.'"

"But that's not entirely true."

"It's not entirely false, either."

And so the girls continued on as such, searching for appropriate clothes to wear and arguing about interview questions. With a half an hour left to spare, Eden was almost ready.

"Can I do your hair?" Brooke asked as they stood in the bathroom, facing the mirror. She grabbed a flat iron that was provided by the motel and made a move to plug it in. Eden grabbed her by the wrist forcibly.

"Please don't," she whispered.

It was her fear of fire. She would never want such an object on and ready to burn down the house, much less near her. She swept her hair into a ponytail instead.

"You look just like mom," Brooke told her with a wavering voice. "I miss her."

Eden turned around and wrapped Brooke in a loving embrace, squeezing her tight. She felt so terrible that she couldn't be her mother, that she couldn't give back what the fire took away, that she couldn't be as strong as she needed her to be. She wished that she could hold Brooke like that forever, comforting her to no end because she deserved it. But if Brooke ever wanted to eat again, Eden would have to get going.

"I love you, Brooke, but I gotta go."

Eden grabbed her keys and went downstairs, her high heels clacking as she went. When she reached the lobby, the manager looked displeased as usual. When Eden tried to smile at her, the frown on her face only got deeper. Shaking her head, Eden pushed the front door open and was greeted by sunshine. It had finally stopped raining, and even though there were still an abundance of puddles scattered throughout, it was still a calming effect.

She slid into her car and sped down the road, for she was already running late. She pulled into the driveway of the diner, and rushed inside, only to find Jo talking with a man at the table.

Jo threw his hands up in exasperation. "Who does she thinks she is? I don't want to talk to her!"

The man shook his head and buried his face in his hands before looking back up at Jo. "She's your mother, and I completely understand where you're coming from. But I had to tell you. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't. You are not obligated whatsoever to call her back, but you have her number. I gotta go meet with Rhonda, son." The man stood. "I'll see you later." And with that, he left, leaving Jo fuming and Eden confused. She just stared at Jo from her spot by the first booth next to the door, wondering what the hell was going on.

It wasn't long before Jo noticed her, and his face brightened when he did. He smoothed back his hair sheepishly before giving her a broad smile. "Hey, Eden." He walked over towards her.

"Hi Jo."

"You here for an interview?"

"Yup," Eden replied, and she couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips.

"I hope you get it, then we'd be working together. Hell, we could even carpool, because you're probably going to get that house." Jo wanted to hit himself on his head. Did that sound right? He couldn't mess this up, not with Eden, not when she seemed so familiar.

Butterflies erupted in Eden stomach, but she didn't say anything. She just blushed, hoping that Jo didn't notice, for she didn't want him to know that she was a bit infatuated with him. She couldn't afford to lose him.

"Oh, there comes Tony," Jo said, and sure enough, the owner emerged from the back room. "I guess that's my cue to leave." He began to turn around, but then stopped and faced Eden again. Smiling in what he hoped was a charming way, he reached to the back of her head and pulled the rubber band that held her ponytail in place. He let her hair fall, and then ran his fingers through it to shake it out.

"You should leave your hair down," he smirked as he handed the rubber band back to her. Their hands brushed slightly. "It shows off how beautiful you are." With that, Jo left the diner while kicking himself along the way. Why did he feel the need to do that? Would Eden find it creepy, or flirtatious? He prayed for the latter.

Eden just stood there, dumbfounded. She was blushing profusely now, and it took everything she had not to chase after him. She shook out her hair some more, remembering how Jo's hands felt there just moments earlier. There was something about that boy that she was definitely infatuated with.

Tony began to make his way across the diner, so Eden met her halfway. They shook hands, and Eden could remember Brooke saying, "Don't be awkward about it. Be confident and look him in the eye." So she did just as such.

"You must be Eden," he greeted. She nodded with a smile in response. "I'm Tony, very nice to meet you. Jo, my godson, has told me a lot about you," he added with a smirk.

Eden tried her best not to look shocked. "Good things, I hope." She chuckled, a way to conceal her nerves. She wanted to put her hair back up, for she was afraid it would catch fire, but she knew that she couldn't now. It was only adding to her stress.

"Well of course. Considering that little encounter you had with him just then, I couldn't see why you would think otherwise. You two have seemed to hit it off."

"Yes, he's quite... nice." Eden forced yet another smile. She couldn't let Jo affect her chances of getting a job. What if Tony thought she was unprofessional?

Tony gave a little laugh as he thought, That was a little bit more than nice. But he couldn't let his secret interfere with any of this. Not yet. "Let's go to my office, shall we?"

Eden followed him closely behind, and as they sat down in the mundane room, she began to relax. There was something inviting about Tony that she had yet to realize before. "So, I just want to confirm some things." He was trying desperately not to give anything away. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"And, not to be rude, but do you have a daughter." Only Tony noticed the anxiety seeping through his voice.

Eden gritted her teeth, hoping that that wasn't what everyone thought Brooke was. "No, I came with my half sister. My mother just passed in a fire and I'm her legal guardian now."

Tony grew tense, and even Eden noticed it. But he quickly recomposed himself. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Such a shame, how the father isn't helping...."

What an odd way to console someone, Eden thought to herself. "My father left when I was about four, and my mother was... raped, and that's how she had Brooke. We don't know where either of them are."

Tony's face went pale. "My condolences.... Let's move on."

"Okay."

"So, why did you decide to apply here?"

And the interview went on like that, stiff and awkward. Eden thought she bombed it until the end, when he offered her his hand again. She took it.

"I'm ready to give you a job now, if you'd like it."

Excitement bubbled inside of Eden, and she almost squealed. She did it! Just like her mother always did, she pulled through in the end. Everything would be okay. She smiled wide. "If you're really serious, I accept."

He laughed. "Yes, Eden, I'm serious. Let me give you a schedule. I just hired a bunch of new employees, so we have a few meetings coming up." He pulled out a calendar from his desk drawer. "All the information is on here."

Before she could stop it, an insane thought ran through her mind: I'm so happy I get to work with Jo.