diner girl

chapter three: the decision

song 3: Cool Kids - Ecosmith 

Her blue eyes stayed focused on the class. The time was ticking away and she still didn't know if she wanted to stay or go. The war in her head continued to go around in circles. On one end, Ashton was still a stranger. She had only just met him. Sure, she knew him better than she did before, but she also didn't know if he was completely telling her the truth. On the other end, this was a once in a lifetime chance. This could be the start of something new. They could end up being great friends. It wasn't like she was going to be caught sneaking out and going somewhere where she shouldn't be. She was already out. There was either everything or nothing at all to lose.

"Hi honey, you okay?" Becky asked Frankie as she reached for the two empty mugs. She had watched the two teenagers talk and laugh. She had seen Ashton leave. For a minute, she thought she had seen a great connection between them, but maybe she was wrong.

"Becky, should I go?"

"Go where?" the waitress asked.

Frankie sighed. "I saw you watching us."

"Oh, hun, just because I could see you guys from all the way over there, doesn't mean I could hear what you were saying," Becky chuckled a little.

 "He asked me to go out with him on an adventure. I don't know if I should go or not. On one hand, it might be a lot of fun to get out of here. See the city at night. Find something new to do. But at the same time, what happens if something happens. What if I get hurt? I don't know know him." The girl rambled about everything that she had been thinking.

Becky sat with everything that the teenage girl said. She understood exactly where Frankie was coming from, but she also knew that she could possibly regret not making the right choice. "I think you should go. No matter what happens, I don't think you'll regret it. If you don't go, you'll be stuck asking yourself what if. You don't want to be my age asking yourself those questions. Who knows what will happen? Maybe he is your person and you don't even know it yet."

"I doubt he's my person." Frankie smiled at Becky. "But I think you're right. I'll regret it if I don't go." She looked back down at her phone. '1:54'. Her eyes widened. "I better going or else I won't make it."

The girl slid out of her seat. "Thanks, Becky." She hugged the older waitress.

"You're welcome, I hope you have fun Frankie, you deserve it." 

Gathering her bag, she rushed out of the diner in hopes to make it the hotel in time.

A gust of wind brushed past her face as she headed for the crosswalk. She clutched her gray cardigan closer to her body as she raced across the street. In the distance, she could see the entrance to the hotel, but she couldn't see Ashton. Her heart plummeted to her stomach. She couldn't have missed him. It had only been a few minutes since her ten minute marked passed. Her feet carried her as quickly as they could.

Just as her hightop converse hit the pavement of the sidewalk outside the entrance, the teenage boy opened the front doors of the hotel. As her eyes caught his figure, his eyes caught her. The excitement of finding each other filled their chests. She decided to come. Ashton shoved his hands into the pockets of his denim jacket. "Hey diner girl."

"Hey, so what kind of adventure are we going on?"

"You tell me."

Frankie slipped into thought. If anything, they could go to the beach, but that wasn't much of an adventure. The only other places she had visited in her time of living here besides the school and the mall, which was closed, was downtown. "How do you feel about downtown?"

"Sounds like an adventure to me." Ashton's wide, dimpled smile covered his face.

"Should we take my car or your's? Or should we walk?"

"I planned to walk because I don't have a car or a license in America," Ashton chuckled. Frankie had somehow forgotten that he was Australian. It was just apart of Ashton. His accent was apart of him.

"Well, I mean it is just down there, so we can still walk." Frankie pointed to the area lit up by the street lights in the distance. Ashton nodded and the two took off down the street.

For a few minutes, they were silent. The only sound was the distant crash of the waves. Not a single car had passed them.

The silence was first broken by Ashton. "I'm glad you decided to join me. It would have been a lonely night without you."

"I'm glad I decided to join you too. And I don't think you would have been too lonely. You seem to be the kind of guy to draw attention towards yourself. Not in like a bad way. Just that you probably would have found a different partner in crime."

"Not one as pretty as you." He sent her a cheeky smile.

Frankie turned her face away from him as she shook her head. She could feel the warmth of her blush creeping onto her cheeks. She hoped that he couldn't see the pink tint, but Ashton definitely could which made his smile grow wider.