The Reality of Now

Two

It was only six in the morning when the sun began to shine through my bedroom window.

I groaned and tried to fall asleep again, but to no avail. After a few minutes, I dragged myself out of bed and went to take a shower.

When I was done, I headed downstairs for breakfast, passing my dad's room on the way. He was asleep at his desk, and still wearing his clothes from yesterday.

Ugh, I thought. Yesterday, when Akio broke up with me. I guess neither of us actually said the words, but it was clear enough. Besides, I wasn't about to go and talk to him about it.

I started rummaging through the cupboards, and realized we literally had no breakfast food. I put my head against the wall. "Dad," I complained. He had forgotten to get groceries again.

So I grabbed my keys, deciding to go out for breakfast instead.

Starbucks was too crowded with old people and adults on their way to work, so I found myself pulling into the parking lot of an all day restaurant called Amberley's.

I parked next to an ugly, tawny van and got out of my car. The bell chimed when I pushed open the door, and I found the place mostly deserted except for an elderly couple sitting in one of the wooden booths on the left. The floor was a much darker wood, and the bottom half of the walls where white birch wood, with a faded pink paint job on top. There were paintings across the walls of scenery and abstract things.

The counter was at the very back, but no one was standing there, or in the open kitchen behind, that I could see. The wall opened up to more dining area off the right side of the wall.

Not sure what to do, I slid into the third booth on the right and did what I always did; took out my phone. They had free Wi-Fi here, so I opened up my favourite blog PhireLove. The girl had been running it for three years, and was the most popular fashion blog on the Internet. I absolutely loved everything she did.

While I was looking at different styles of wedding dresses she posted, people started shouting. Alarmed, I looked up, and the voices seemed to be carrying from a back room.

"I QUIT!" A female voice shouted. "I am done working here!"

"Hey," said a calm, male voice. "Don't say that. We need you and-"

"No!" The girl shrieked. "I can't take it anymore. This is a totally dead end job and not what I want to do with my life."

"Denise," the guy sounded agitated. "This isn't what you have to do with your life. Can't we talk about this later?"

"Absolutely not! I can't spend another second in here. You can have this back!"

Then the girl came storming out of the swinging door next to the counter. She was completely fuming. She pushed open the front door, making the bell chime, and ran outside.

"Denise!" The guy ran out from the back room, holding a crumpled apron in his hand. He seemed to want to chase after her, but was hesitant.

With a grit of his teeth, he turned to me. "Could you watch the place, for like, two minutes?" He threw the apron at me and ran out the door, shouting "Thanks!" before I could even answer.

I looked down at the apron, it was a warm yellow with a stark white trim around the edge and the Amberley's logo right in the middle.

The elderly couple, hardly bothered by the scene, put down some crumpled up bills and left, meaning I was alone and in charge of a restaurant.

Just as I stood up, the guy pushed open the front door and walked inside, looking defeat.

"She's really gone this time," he sighed. "The girl does that every month for the past year and always comes back. But now she's gone." He shook his head and looked up at me.