Split Sides

Random Scene

As Nia is waiting for her order to come Hayley and Roan are having a random chat on their seat.

"You know what I mean," Roan says, as she sips her creamy fish soup. "It's not every day that your brother admits his problems."

"I know, I just hate that it had to come to this," huffs Hayley, slicing her vegetable calzone in half. "I mean, it took him a night with his creditors to get him to declare his gambling habit."

"Yeah, but what's with him? Is he too proud to say it or just too goddamn scared?"

"I'll bet you 50 bucks it's the former," Nia interjects, as the waiter arrives at their table and serves her a plate of meatball pizza with a slice of coffee cheesecake on the side. "You know your brother, Hayley."

"All too well," Hayley sighs, watching steam rise off from the exposed spinach and mushrooms. "He wouldn't talk about what they did to him but I suspect it was horrible."

"Definitely. I saw them from my bedroom and they looked like hired guns. Especially with their suntans and the way they shoved him to the backseat."

"Or no! They could be from the Mafia itself!" Roan adds eagerly. "With their Jersey accents and how they kept saying 'Little Tommy' this or 'Big Sal' that."

"Roan, you've been watching way too many mob shows," Nia rejects. "Just because they drive black Chryslers doesn't mean they're Mafia guidos."

"She's got a point," Hayley says. "He came back around 3:45 in the morning and turned on the water hose just to wash his face. I mean, you guys should've seen his face. It was all purple and swollen like a tomato."

"How much has he borrowed from them?" Nia asks.

"Best guess, right around 25 grand, maybe more." Hayley pauses to eat a piece of her calzone. "He's been indebted to them for 3 months, apparently."

"Your brother is such a mess. So what's gonna happen to him?"

"He's checking in to some rehab centre somewhere in New Mexico. But I'm sure he won't last two weeks there, let alone the full 6 months."

"Your brother is more likely to get eaten by a pack of coyotes than to survive there," Roan raises. "At least, that's what I've read about that state."

"Well, I'm just glad he'll be gone for a while." Hayley finishes the last of her calzone before sipping her Darjeeling tea. "I'll have some peace at last."

"Thank God for that," Nia adds. With her slice of meatball pizza eaten she goes for the coffee cheesecake. "I'm just sick of his obnoxious attitude."

After 7 minutes of eating and wandering conversations the trio finish their meals and leave the diner. While they walk to Nia's Mini they hear someone shouting on a nearby corner.

On the other side, facing a newly-opened burger joint is a brunette teenager in blood-soaked clothes and zombie makeup. From the looks of it she was hired to drive potential customers to the shop.

"I am the undead! You are the hungry dead!" The zombie teen shouts to onlookers. "The Meat Monster calls you to satisfy your feeding frenzy! Ruhr!"

The girls get a closer look at the zombie, enticed by her promotion attempts.

"Ahahurr! The Meat Monster! Stuff yourselves with bestsellers like The Haunted Hog and The Beef Psycho-Patty! Grrr!"

"Arielle! Is that you?!"

The zombie turns to her, eyes wide open in shock. "Nia?! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm supposed to say that! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm working here!"

"You? Working? Here? As a zombie?!"

"Yeah! I got hired last week. And I've been doing this since yesterday. Why are you here sis?"

"I was just around here. So what's this you've been doing?"

"It's a weekly thing. Just bringing some customers to the burger joint. Grrr."

"And how's it been so far?"

"Not bad. I've got three couples and a family come eat here thanks to yours truly. Come on in and have a seat."

"No thanks, we just ate."

"You what?!"

"We had lunch a short time ago. With Hayley and Roan."

Arielle looks at Nia blankly. Then she says, "You're a terrible sister. I hate you."

"I love you too Arielle." As her sister walks back to the burger joint Nia hands her a glass jar full of coins and bills. "Hey, you forgot this."

"That's my tip jar, jackass." She snatches the jar from her hand and angrily marches back to the burger joint.

"What did she eat for breakfast?" Hayley asks, still amazed with the unexpected meet.

"Probably three bowls of Captain Credit Crunch with a gallon of milk and six spoons of sugar," Roan answers.

"Argh, I will never understand this town," Nia sighs.