Diaries of the Dead

5 | Pearly Whites

5 | P e a r l y  W h i t e s 

        Aiden eyed the well-dressed man that had just entered the diner, then turned to face Jessica. “How do you know?” he questioned her. “You said you don’t remember anything.”

       “I don’t know,” she said quickly, “I just got a gut feeling that it’s him.” Aiden raised a skeptical brow. “The same thing happened this morning! I got a memory of my dad but that was it. I swear I’m not trying to trick you.”

       He traced his thumb along the rim of the mug. “Okay, so if that’s really him, what did you see in him?”

       Jessica narrowed her eyes as she watched Gray walk over to a group of old ladies and began to talk to them. “Well, he’s attractive.”

       Aiden crinkled his nose as he observed the man. He shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll give him that.”

       “Go talk to him,” she urged, poking his shoulder.

       “I think you’re rushing this.”

       She rolled her eyes playfully. “And I think you’re being a bitch.”

       He poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue in irritation. “Were you always this bitter?”

       “I don’t know,” she inquired, “there’s something about being dead that makes you pissed off.” She shrugged her shoulders.

       Grace swung open the kitchen door and shot Aiden a dirty look before her dark colored eyes landed on the man dressed in the suit. Her pink lips tugged into a smile. “Mitch!”

       He whipped around suddenly and flashed a toothy grin. He had a brilliant smile. It awed Aiden that a person’s teeth could be that white and straight.

       “Gracie!” he exclaimed, holding out his arms for a hug.

       She fell into his hard chest and returned the hug. “God, I’ve missed you,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “How was the Bahamas?”

       Mitch looked up at the ceiling in deep thought. “It was okay…it was no different than the last time.”

       As Aiden watched them converse, he noticed that Mitch was much older in comparison to Grace. She was in her early 20s like him, but Mitch seemed to be banking on 30. Aiden noticed the intricate details of the tuxedo that he was wearing and realized that it was a good quality suit. He must have had a good paying job.

       Jessica scowled. “Look at her,” she commented, “she’s so fake.”

       Aiden ignored her, something that he had gotten used to doing. “Hey,” he spoke up, “can I get another coffee?”

       Mitch’s gaze broke away from Grace’s and landed on Aiden. “Who are you?”

       Grace scoffed. “That’s Aiden, the boy who loves black coffee for unknown reasons.”

       “Never met him before,” Mitch spat.

       “Do you have to meet everyone?” Aiden asked before he could stop himself.

       Mitch pulled the corner of his lips into a half smile. “As a matter of fact, I do. I work for the Byron security company and my software is the one and only software used in this town. If I didn’t meet you formally, then I would have at least heard of you. You, my friend, don’t fall into any of those categories.”