Take Me to The Races

Nighthawks

I hurried down the stairs when I heard movement in the kitchen. I turn the corner ready to scold my father for being out of bed, when my jaw drops at seeing Archie. "What are you doing?" I narrow my eyes. The guy was lucky if he was able to make a bowl of cereal, but here he was with the whole works in front of him.

"I thought I make breakfast for us." He pours an energy drink down his throat. I grab it out of his hands and pour it down the drain. "What the hell, Abby?" He screams.

I open of the recycle bin to see three more energy cans that weren't there last night. "How much of these have you had? You know you're not supposed to have more than two cans of these a day, you could get sick."

"Well, someone hid the coffee." He glares at me for hiding his precious caffeine.

"Because you need to sleep," I glare back at him. We were caught in this stalemate for days. I was so close to drugging him it wasn't even a joke anymore. "Don't worry about making breakfast for me. I'm going out with friends for breakfast before school." I pick my backpack off a kitchen stools.

"Trev and Tomoko," He asks. He's been unbearable since the shooting, wanting to know who, what, and where for everything I did. If he hadn't heard or seen me in a few hours he would call me repeatedly, until I answer.

"Who else," I call over my shoulder as I walk out of the house. I walk down two blocks before approaching a red truck. "Hoodlum aren't welcome in these parts, so I would moving it along." I lean into the window.

"In this neighborhood, there's a red head beauty that lets me do anything to her. I do mean anything, so I think I'll risk it." Malachai winks at me as he licks his lips.

I roll my eyes and got into the car. "I wouldn't be surprised if she limits you for a while." I put on my seatbelt.

"We'll see if she can deny herself." He drove off, laughing like mad man. He hums metallic as he drove to the coffee cafe that I like on the Southside.

"Stop the car!" I stare at Pops that had Death Diner spray painted on the side.

"Babe, we aren't going to have time for breakfast if we stop." He said, even though he was turning into parking lot.

"I'll skip breakfast if it means making sure Pops is okay." I got out the truck after he parks.

"If you don't eat then you'll lose our curves and have to find a new boyfriend." He yells after me. I gave him the middle finger.

"Are you okay, Pops?" I walk into the diner to see him with his head down on the counter.

"Are you here to quit?" He looks up at me with bloodshot eyes. He looks like he had been crying the whole night.

"I'm not here to quit Pops. Where is everyone? Get Peter out there to scrub off that awful graffiti." I look in the back to see the cook who helps Pops in the back.

"Peter not here, no one's here. Everyone quit. We haven't had any customer in here since the shooting. Only a handful of phone orders, we probable are going to have to shut down soon." He wipes a tear that was rolling down his face.

"Don't give up hope, Pops. I'm sure people will come to their sense soon." I told him.

"I hope so. Now sit down, I'll make you three breakfast sandwiches for you and your friends." He gave me a weak smile. He went in the kitchen. I sat down and text Malachai that I was getting breakfast. After 15 minutes, he came back out with a takeout bag. I open my bag to get my wallet out. "Don't worry about it; think of it as a thank you gift. Now, you don't worry about me. You go to school and get an education." He reaches over to zip up my backpack for me.