Free Fall (Harry Holland)

The Last Day

Haley stood in an empty diner, at the counter, tapping her fingers, looking outside, it had been two weeks since the shooting but the diner was still empty, Dean walked outside,

"No one showing up today either?" He said, wiping his hands with a towel.

"Nope, some mountain biker dude came and ordered that sandwich but that's it." She said.

"I can still see him sometimes, you know, in here. We're lucky to survive what we did." Dean said, out of the blue. Both of them had avoided that subject for days.

"Yeah." Haley said, "Lucky is what we are. See you tomorrow, D."

"Wait you're leaving?" Dean asked, actually surprised.

"Come on, man, we wait here all day for people to show up but no one shows up. I have had 2 pounds worth of tips in the last 5 days. It's no point. Call Josh and lock up." Haley said, throwing the key for Dean to catch. She stepped out into the cold, her eyes stopped by the blood stain that was on the side track, shivers went down her spine as the whole scene replayed in her mind, she felt sick again and scared, she walked away trying to be completely aware of her surroundings. She texted Harry to come walk with her home, on her way she ran into Josh,

"Haley I've been meaning to speak with you." Josh, he was dressed in a suit, this was the first time she had seen him in a suit, it brought out his grey eyes, which she also hadn't noticed were beautiful, she had always seen him in biker shorts, plain t-shirts, flannel, caps, unbrushed hair, for someone who talked so formally he would never dress the part.

"Can we do it tomorrow, please, I have somewhere I need to be." Haley said, shoving her cold hands in the warmth of her coat pockets.

"I thought your shift doesn't end in until 3 hours?" He said, not a single expression on his face.

"C'mon, no one comes to the diner anymore. I can't wait all day for no one to show up, trust me I have experience in that department and it's not fun."

"I don't quite understand, are you saying you're quitting?" He said, shifting his feet.

"I might as well, Josh I'm sorry. I have a brother I need to take care of, I know how this will go, the diner gets no customers, we get cuts in our paychecks, repairs take forever and no one wants to go to the diner where a man just entered with a gun." Haley replied, although saying those words hurt her. The diner had been her home since high school, she had seen people come and go everyday, the staff had become family, she would've never met Nathan if it wasn't for them, she would've never gotten a roof over her head and Josh knew that.

"Okay, I was gonna say they're shifting me up town, I wanted to take my best people with me." Suddenly a ray of hope shone on Haley, "A bigger diner in Leeds. We're probably gonna shut down here and I want to take all of you with me. I think they're turning this place into a hardware store or just selling the land altogether, whatever Mr. James decides on."

"Leeds." She said, her heart sunk a little, Leeds. She didn't want to go to Leeds. It was away from Kingston. It was away from home. Away from Harry and she had already looked into properties in Bristol.

"I'll give you some time to think about it, I'm sorry things had to turn out this way, but nonetheless I'm proud of all we've accomplished with this place, I've seen many of you grow up and you, always have been a piece of work, but I am proud of you. You are one of the best here. Let me know if you ever need my recommendation, I would be delighted to help you out. It's been a pleasure working with you." He said, smiling, sticking his hand out her, Haley's tense body relaxed, she smiled, her heart felt full, she went in for a hug, leaving Josh surprised but eventually he hugged her back. "Good luck to you."