Sing While You Can

May's Diner

“Boo!” I jolted awake.

I saw Josh grinning by the door and I smiled at him and yawned.

“Wha… What time is it?” I asked standing up and rubbing a crick out of my neck.

“It’s 6:00. I thought you might want to go out for some food? I did have a feeling that you would have fell asleep at the piano,”

“Yeah I would love to. I just have to have a quick go through of this. You can wait at my car if you want. I’ll drive.” I said adamantly.

“Err.. no. Have you ever heard of a girl driving on a date?”

My heart skipped a beat and I flushed red.

To avoid the awkward moment, I sat back at the piano and played my first chord, C Major.

So I’ll be waiting right here,

For you to turn your heel,

Realise that you’ve done wrong,

But don’t come back to me,

‘Cause you will take what you want,

They leave me here just like before

So turn right around again

I heard Josh clapping and cheering and I, being myself, blushed and hit his arm.

“What? It was really good!”

He continued to 'whoop' all of the way to the car, which earned us multiple strange looks from students and teachers alike. We got into his car and Josh stubbornly wouldn’t tell me where we were going. He eventually just ignored my constant questioning and sung.

When a certain song came on I couldn’t help but sing.

“See, I’m true, my songs are where my heart is

I’m like glue, I stick to other artists

I’m not you, now that would be disastrous

Let me sing and do my thing and move to greener pastures

See, I’m real, I do it all, it’s all me

I’m not fake, don’t ever call me lazy

I won’t stay put, give me the chance to be free

Suffolk sadly seems to sort of suffocate me

‘Cause you need me, man, I don’t need you

You need me, man, I don’t need you

You need me, man, I don’t need you at all

You need me, man, I don’t need you”

I burst into laughter at Josh doing the rap part of that song and he laughed along with me. At the end of the rap, Josh crossed his arms and made the peace sign with his fingers. At that point, of course after I had stopped laughing, I realised that we had stopped the car. 

“We’re here!” Josh announced as he got out of the car.

He had pulled up outside a 1950’s American diner themed place and I loved it all. From the red sign that lit up outside reading 'May’s Diner' and the black and white checked floor to the private red booths and workers uniforms. I loved these types of places as not only did they look amazing, the food was usually amazing. Burgers, milkshakes and chips were right up my street.

As we walked in, a clear bell sound rang out and a woman peered out from above the counter.

“Hello, hello. A table for 2? Okay, right over here,” The woman who’s nametag read May. I guessed she owned the diner. Her hair was blonde with shoulder length curls and she wore a pink 50’s style dress and white apron with pink stitching.

“Okay, so what drinks can I get you?” she asked pulling her pad from a pocket and a pen from behind her ear.

“I’ll have a Nutella and Oreo milkshake, and she’ll have…” Josh gesture towards me.

“Err… A Hershey’s cookie and cream milkshake. Thanks,”

“I’ll bring them right over,” She flashed us a smile through her gleaming teeth and pink lipstick.

Over the next hour, we sat eating out food and drinking our milkshakes talking about the most stupid of things that all were irrelevant.

That was until we saw 2 suited men enter the diner.

We saw them talk to May and then leave, May silently crying. Josh got up to comfort May and I stood next to them talking to her.

“May, who were they?” I asked softly.

“Well, they were the council workers who own this piece of land. They are shutting down the diner. Apparently we don’t make enough money so they are shutting us down,” She wept.

“Is there anything that we could do to help?” Josh asked.

“No sweetie, I just need more business. The diner has never had booming business and I suppose I should have seen it coming,”

Just then I had an idea.

“Well, as long as it is okay with the other band members, Josh we should perform here. We could put up flyers and hand out leaflets around town and in the university and people are sure to come!” I said excitedly. Josh’s eyes lit up exactly the same.

“Yeah, it would be great for the band as for your business,”

“Well, you could perform on a Saturday, as long as it does not interfere with your studies,”

I high-fived Josh and we left the diner in higher spirits than we had when we went in.

“Josh this is amazing,” I said as we stepped back in the car.

“I’m sure the other’s will love it too.” Josh assured me.

“Well, I think that it is a really good idea,”

“Me too,”

I smiled at him and he smiled back. Then breaking the eye contact he looked down and began to talk.

“So, tonight I had a great time. I errm, I um,  kind of sort of..” He mumbled.

“Josh spit it out,” I joked.

“Well, I like you, Eve,”

Oh MY GOD! My pulse increased ridiculously and a smile spread onto my face.

“I like you too,” we both blushed as I said this.

“Right we are going somewhere,”

“Okay,”

10 minutes later we pulled up next to a small wooded closure.

Josh lead me deep into the woods and I was thankful it was summery and light still.

We stopped at a clearing and it was beautiful. A small stream ran through the middle and the flowers were all over.

“It’s beautiful!” I said in awe.

“Right,” Josh got down on one knee and said in a posh voice, “Evangeline Pettiford will you give me the honour of being my girlfriend?”

“Yes,” I said.

And we sealed the deal with a kiss.

HI! This chapter is dedicated to IceBurgs3000 as she votes and comments and fanned me! PLease follow and check out some of her stories!

Songs

You need me I don't need you ~ Ed Sheeran