Pop Magazine

Chapter 3

After a long and hot debate between Gabe and I, resulting in some bets going around Level 7, we compromise by going to Five Guys. After taking the subway to the Five Guys near where I live. The smell of peanuts, boiling oil and grease smack me in the face as I enter the restaurant. 

Gabe goes down the white and red checkered floor to the booth on the far end. Rolling my eyes at him I follow him, sliding into the vinyl booth. I take one of the peanuts in my fingers and crack it, revealing the nut inside. Popping it in my mouth, I break it with my teeth. Sucking on it, I pucker my lips at the amount of salt used in one tiny peanut.

Soon, Gabe and I have two giant piles of peanut shells pushed to the side of the table. When the  perky waitress finally arrives with our drinks, I snatch my Coke from the table and take a large gulp of it, soothing the burning feeling of too much salt on my tongue.

"Are you all set with your order?" the waitress, Tanya according to her nametag, asks.

"We'll have two hamburgers and a large side of fries to split." Gabe orders our usual.

Jotting it down on her little notepad she pulled out of the front pocket or her apron. "Coming right up." she winks at Gabe before disappearing behind the kitchen doors.

"Ooh, someone has a crush on you." I say in a sing-song voice.

Kicking me from under the table he frowns. I show no emotion but wince on the inside, his kicks hurt. "Shut up, but... I must say I can't blame her. I mean how can you pass up all this." he says gesturing his hands up and down his body.

"Trust me, it's really easy." I tease. Rolling his eyes I giggle at his goofy image. "Careful, if you're not your eyes can get stuck back there." I warn.

"I can say the same thing to you Miss... Eye-Roller."

"Ooh very original. And you think I have no sense of creativity."

Before Gabe can come up with a witty comeback. Tanya sets our food down before sending another wink to Gabe and goes to wait another table. Rubbing his hands together greedily, Gabe takes the hamburger in his hands and basically shoves it in his face.

Wrinkling my nose in disgust, he notices.

"Wha?" He asks with his mouth half full.

"That's so gross." I state.

"Oh shut up you do the exact same thing." Gabe rolls his eyes before taking another huge bite of his burger.

Gabe devours his hamburger in minutes and starts immediately dominating the fries. When I finally finish my own burger, more than half of the French fries are gone.

I playfully glare at Gabe. "Pig." I mutter. Instead of taking it as an insult like any other person in the world, he just smiles and laughs.

Laughing too, I grab one of the fries off our shared plate and scoop so much ketchup on it that in is slowly lowering due to the ketchup's weight.

"If you put any more ketchup on that I might need to report you." Gabe teases.

"To who?" I tease back.

"Whoever the hell would listen to me. Probably Mikey."

"From Level 24?"

"Yeah, he would listen."

"You do know that he has a hearing aid and probably turns it off whenever you come along."

"Yeah but at least he seems like he's listening." Gabe lamely chuckles. Chuckling myself I shove the French fry in my mouth and the strong taste of ketchup invades my tastebuds.