Lost & Found

Conflictions

I stepped into Fallon's Fry Shack with the intent of buying a milkshake, but as soon as I stepped through the doorway I was attacked by Megan.

"Sang hey girl! Come here!"

I wasn't sure what it was about this place, but it was like all of the workers here liked to make sure that everyone felt at home. The atmosphere was something I'd always dreamed a home would feel like, where everyone kept tabs on each other and even though sometimes we fought, it was never a huge debacle.

I hadn't told Adelaide about the fry shack, only because I knew that if she found out they knew me by name and could tell her anything further about me than my name, that we would move. I'd only barely managed to keep her from moving this morning.

My head began to pound when I thought of this morning, so I pushed it out of my mind and smiled slightly. I didn't always see Megan working. It wasn't because she didn't work a lot, but because her, Lesia, and another waitress Candy, always worked the day shift. Katy liked to swap around shifts depending on her children's schedule and when she was needed.

Jennifer worked nights because she had a day job, and Isa worked whenever she pleased. I knew that the boss was Anon, but she didn't come out to work the floor very often because a trail of destruction always followed in her wake. They also spoke of a girl named Jessy a lot, but I was starting to think she wasn't real because I'd yet to see her.

"Yes Megan?"

She grinned at me, "So you'll never believe what happened today!"

"You broke something?"

"What no. Well I mean yes but it wasn't my fault- no, anyways," she waved her hand as if shooing away all distractions, "There was this really hot guy in here, and when I say hot I mean I thought his eyes were going to melt me... well actually there were a bunch of hot guys in here-"

I lifted my eyebrow with a half smile, adjusting my shoulder strap, "Okay go on."

"Right. So he comes up to me and he starts asking about you-"

"About me?"

"SH I'm not done yet. The guy was asking about you but not really about you- about his sister Camille. Anyways, the conversation was about your weird liking of ordering the number three with a side of onion rings- which I don't know how many times I've told you this but that's gross... anyways long story even longer because I'm adding the short version at the end: a reallly really cute guy flirted with me because I let it drop that only one other person ordered the same thing, and that it was weird."

I felt my lips tug into a smile, "Awe, I'm happy for you. Did you get his number? You know this means you can't call my order weird anymore, or you'll be calling him weird too," I said, talking to her over my shoulder as I walked past and sat down on a stool.

She floated behind the counter and supported herself on her elbows with a deep sigh, "No I didn't get his number, I was too shocked. Plus like all of the other boys kept talking to me and I got distracted... they might not be exactly my age but," she gave me a wide eyed expression, "just wow."

I pulled the menu towards me, even though I knew what I wanted already, "Oh yeah? How old were they?"

"Oh now that you mention it they were around your age a bit. One of them, I think his name was Nathan, I don't know, personally he was my least favorite if I was held at gunpoint and made to choose which one to sacrifice," she didn't even pause as I gave her a weird look, "but he was flirting with Katy. Maybe she got his number and can get his friend's number for me."

"Isn't Katy married with children?" I murmured to my menu.

"So? You should have seen these boys. There was one named Luke, what a little sweetheart, and don't get me started on Gabriel, oh I didn't tell you my cute boy's name, Victor... isn't that just the cutest name ever? Man you should have seen his eyes.. I don't know how to describe it, it was like.."

"... like they held a fire within." I said. My tongue had dried and begun to stick in my mouth, but I was able to pry it open enough to help her out with that.

They were here. The Blackbourne team had arrived, and Dakota Lee was not a coincidence. There was something ticking in the back of my mind, I was choosing them over Adelaide by not telling her that they were here, by not warning her this morning. It hurt, a sweet voice was whispering, chanting really, that Adelaide was all I needed.

I closed my eyes. The voice was telling me one thing, but my brain was crystal clear when I thought of the boys. They would never do anything to hurt me, ever. I'd never told Adelaide about them because why bother? They had been gone.

I decided to wait, meet them under a false name and figure out whether or not they were bad people still. Maybe I'd go undercover and just watch them, like I did any target. I could figure out if they were good or bad, Adelaide had trained me.

I shook my head, letting myself tune back into the real world, "So sweets what do you want with your number three with a side of onion rings? Coke like normal or a mint shake?"

"Mint shake," I said, pushing the menu away.

She winked as she walked off, but I was mentally trying to plan out which bar I would go to tonight.