Slices

Dawn

"Breaking News, Supermodel with Vogue is still missing. Sandra, what's the scoop on the situation?"

"The police have been searching every home in question and there are no fingerprints on the scene. Our biggest piece of evidence is a piece of hair, but that too was drenched in the downpour on the said night. The police are working hard and hope more evidence may turn up. Trojan Matthews, you used to model with Riane, correct?"

Trojan glanced at the camera, then made nervous eye contact with the reporter. "Yes, we were very close."

"What can you say about Riane that may give us a clue as to her whereabouts? Did she have connections with any other men?"

Sweat trickled down his brow. "There was this one guy in a ba- I mean... um, no. No other guys." His face reddened and his blonde hair was whipped in the wind where he stood.

"You sound a bit unsure." The reporter eyed him.

"No, I'm sorry, I'd gotten her mixed up with my ex-girlfriend." Trojan visibly faked sadness and blinked his eyes rapidly to create the illusion that he was tearing up.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Do you have any other information you feel would be important for the police?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I really wish I did."

"Thank you for your time Trojan Matthews, back to you Jerry."

Click. Dawn turned the TV off and sat on the edge of the counter at Dags Diner. "What the heck is wrong with him?" She said aloud, then recieved a skeptical glance from Tuck.

"What's up?"

"He is just... so ...." she was searching for words that wouldn't give up any information Troj had shared with her. "Such a wuss. He cries about girls and crap."

Tuck leaned on his elbows and raised an eyebrow. "I'd cry if my girlfriend and I broke up and I still loved her. It hurts, Dawn."

She looked at Tuck, flustered. Why had she said that? Now he probably thought she was mean and didn't care about people's feelings. "Ah.. I didn't mean it like that.. I-"

"It's okay Dawn, I know you guys as a group have gone through some rough times and I respect whatever opinions you have about them. I know it hurts."

"Thanks Tuck. People never really understand and they always just tell me to get over it. I mean, I know it's been a year and a half, but the memory is so ripe in my mind."

He nodded, his brown eyes like pools of emotion. He was so much like... just a little bean. More like a big bean, since he was 6'2".

"Hey Tuck, do you mind if I call you a bean? You just remind me of one." She smiled and her cheeks reddened.

His face broke into a big smile and he put his head in his arms that were folded on the table. His back shook with laughter. Sitting back up, the goofy smile on his face grew. "Yeah, you can call me that. What can I call you?"

Dawn kicked her feet, staring at her legs. "I don't know, why not just call me Dawn?" Her cheeks were red when she looked back up at him.

"What if I call you D?"

Dawn ran a hand through her hair and a smile slipped up her face. "Don't you think that's kind of weird?"

"No, not really." He gazed at her with a cute innocence in his eyes.

"Okay, fine."

"Great. Now let me put you in my phone." He grabbed his phone and changed her name. "This looks so bland. Can I put an emoji or something next to it?"

"Yeah, you don't have to ask!" Dawn laughed, humored by the way he asked for permission to do anything.

"What should I put?" He looked up at her.

"Uh... just put a green heart." Green was Dawn's favorite color.
"Okay, that looks better." Tuck smiled and stood up. "Hey look, I'm still taller than you even when you're sitting on the counter!" His eyes lit up and he stepped closer then planted his arms on boths sides of her. "So, are we gonna clean this diner or what?"

"Tuck, you aren't cleaning the diner, I am! It's my job." She pushed his arms in an attempt to get off the counter.

He didn't budge.

"Tuck, you bean!! Move so I can clean!"

"Not unless you let me help you!" He said with sass.

Dawn's eyebrows rose. She hadn't known he had any sass or even was this kind. "Fine, but I do the dirty work, I'm the one getting paid anyways."

"Fine." He stood back and Dawn hopped off the counter.

Just a she began cleaning, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Dawn, someone just called me asking about Riane. It was so scary. I'm coming to the diner now... I'll tell you about it when I get there."

"Wait-" Dawn stared at the screen after Mae hung up. "Mae's coming..."

"Cool! I get to meet your friend!" Tuck grabbed a mop and furiously began scrubbing the
floor.

"Yeah, but what am I going to call you?"

"What do you mean? Just say I'm your friend Tucker."

Dawn paused. Oh yeah, they weren't dating... they weren't really a thing either. She shook her head, scolding herself for saying that in the first place.

"That must be her. Looks like she called you when she was already on her way."

Dawn set down the rag in her hand and ran to the door, unlocking it. "Hey Mae, I have som-"

"Who's that?!" Mae squealed, grabbing Dawn's arm and peeking at him from behind the door.

"It's my friend Tucker, I met him the other day after serving him."

Mae smiled real big and put her hands on her hips. "Ohhh." Her voice rose in octave as she responded.

"Oh my gosh, no we're not dating!" Dawn's face turned bright red and she shook her hands out at her sides.

"Who's this, D?" Tuck set the mop down and walked over to Mae.

"She's my best friend, Mae. Mae, meet Tucker."

Mae giggled and glanced at Dawn then back to Tuck. "Hi." She answered flatly.

"Alright, lets clean up and you can tell me about the phone call."

Mae nodded and sat down at a table. "Okay, so Ryan left the house and someone called me. I answered and they just demanded that I tell them all I knew about Riane. So I told them she was a model-"

"You actually told them?! Mae what if they want to hurt her!" Dawns face flushed and she stomped in a circle. "What if they hurt her?!"

"Like you would care." Mae muttered. "Anyway, let me continue. I said she used to date Trojan and she stopped working at Dags diner a while ago. That's all I said."

Dawn put her rag in the dish bag and nodded. "Okay, you didn't say as much as I thought."

"Hey whats the deal with Riane anyway? When did she go missing?" Tuck set his mop aside and sat near Mae.

"She went missing a few nights ago... She's probably fine, she is pretty strong." Dawn's face took on an irritated expression and she got her purse. "Alright I have to go home."

"Why so sudden?" Tuck got up, almost offended.

"I'm sorry I just need time alone to sort my thoughts out." Dawn slung her purse over her shoulder and stood by the wall, her hand hovering over the light switch.

Mae got up and stood next to her. "It was nice meeting you Tuck." She smiled and had an apologetic look in her eyes.

He nodded and walked over to Dawn.

A smile twitched on Dawn's lips and she hugged him, then watched him saunter out the door.

"You really like him don't you?" Mae giggled.

Dawns face turned bright red. "... yes."