Solace

3.

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It was getting late so the diner was starting to get slow. Doc said if King cleaned up then he would let him clock out early. He also let Stacey Bluetooth her phone to the speaker since they barely had any customers and she was playing some 90's/ early 2000's R&B music. Everybody was vibing and having a good time.

Ciara's song Promise was playing and King was using the broom as a microphone stand mocking the dance moves she had done in the music video making everyone laugh instead of sweeping the floor like Doc had asked him to do.

Just then the door swings open and two girls walk in smelling like loud ass weed. The girls were high as a kite, eyes bloodshot red. The  brown taller one was slim but curvy. She had a small waist and wide hips with a lil butt and boobs to match. Her long red hair slung as she walked. The tight bodysuit she wore accentuated every nook and curve of her body. She talked fast and very animated using her whole body to tell the story.

The other dark one was smaller. She had silver glitter on her eyelids and her long dread locs were pulled high atop her head in a bun. The big dangly ear rings made her face look smaller and slimmer.

King knew Monique from school. Everybody knew Monique. But he recognized Nyla from afar. After all those times they spent huddled up in the back of the library or snuggled up in his bed, he memorized even the slightest of her movements like the back of his hands.
The way her hips swayed when she walked, the dimple in her cheeks, the way her eyebrows furrowed when she was annoyed. The way they looked now.

As the girls made their way to a booth in the back Nyla looked annoyed and uncomfortable in the short jean skirt she was wearing. She kept tugging at it when she walked so it wouldn't show anything but it didn't really help. It had to be Monique's. King thought. Nyla wouldn't wear something like that. She looked out of place.

"Excuse me!" Monique called. "We don't need menus. I just want an Oreo milkshake and some curly fries. And a sweet tea for my friend!" She said waiving King over to the table.

Doc shoots him a look then shakes his head chuckling under his breath as he goes to drop a fresh batch of fries.

King sighs and takes his notepad out his back pocket to jot down the order and hand over to Stacey. She already had the glasses of tea and milkshake ready.  He thanks her and carries the drinks to the high girls.

"Thank you." Nyla says quietly not looking at him when he places the drinks on the table. Monique snatches hers up already downing it.

King clears his throat. He wanted to ask why Nyla hadn't been texting him back but he didn't want to cause a scene either. Nyla wouldn't look at him so he knows she wasn't busy and she was ignoring him on purpose. He could see the guilt in her face.

"Y'all must be going to the party." He says tryna play it cool as he slid in the booth next to Monique. What he really wanted to say was why didn't you text me back yet.

"Duhh everybody goi-" Monique starts but slowly trails off when she sees King is still in Uniform.

"You do know the party start a 10 right? It's 9:38. Unless you going wearing that."

King laughs lightly and his laugh makes Nyla look away from her lap and into his eyes.

"Ain't nothing wrong with being fashionable late. It's like a late text. Better late than no reply." King says not breaking Nyla's gaze.
The corners of her mouth lifts up until it forms a small smirk. She doesn't say anything though.

"Speaking of a late text, did you know Dontae  gone text me talking about the reason he ghosted me is because we're not compatible. And we won't work out with each other. Compatible my ass! What the fuck do he know about being compatible. I'm finna call him. Move!"

Monique sprung up from the seat and king slid out the booth allowing her to exit. Her long red hair sashayed with the rhythm of her hips as she marched out the diner typing furiously on her cell phone. Nyla was sipping her tea and didn't look up from the drink when King slid back into the booth. He waited for her to say something, to say anything. But the girl was focused on sucking the tea fast into the straw but stopping quickly before any could enter her mouth.

King liked to watch her. He would watch her sleep when she would come over to his house to watch movies. He liked watching her read. The way her eyes scanned the words and how she chewed on her bottom lip when she was focused. Nyla fascinated him. He was drawn to her the ways bees stuck to honey.

"Hey lover boy! Ya fries up. When you done with that get off my clock. You gone for tonight." Doc called from the kitchen startling King. He was intrigued by the girl in front of him that he forgot they weren't the only ones in the room.

"Yes sir. 10.4" King called back to the Kitchen. "See ya tonight Nyla." He said to her as he was sliding out the booth. Nyla started grinning as she looked up at him, her eyes were all dazed and red from the weed. He shook his head. That girl baked like a cake.

Monique was walking in now looking pissed and she came in slumped back down in the booth. She spotted King putting their curly fries on a tray and yelled out.

"No! Can you box those up? We'll take them to go."

King nodded at the girl and grabbed a to go box to slide the French fries into. When he finished the girls were standing at the bar waiting for him.

"You need a bag?" He asked. Monique thought another it then shook her head.

"Nahh. I'm finna crash these bitches in the car." She stuck 2 crumpled up fives into King's shirt pocket on his uniform.

"I know the meal probably came up to like seven something so there. You can keep the change." She said as she patted his shoulder and grabbed Nyla's hand to guide her towards the door. Stacey had burst out laughing from the altercation. She had a loud ugly laugh despite her pretty face. It resembled squawking seagulls.

"Har Har har." King mocked Stacey's laugh as he put the money into the register. Stacey punched him in the back and he winced sarcastically.

"Stupid." She grumbled brushing past him