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AUDREY VALENTINE WOULD NEVER ADMIT IT HERSELF, BUT SHE WAS SELFLESS. Even when she so desperately desired a few moments to herself, she had always deemed it more important to lend her precious time to those in need. That's what brought the young girl to Benny's Burgers in the early AM's, missing an entire day of instruction in school.
"How about Kellogg last night?" Earl, a regular at the diner pitched, cheering after the words exited his mouth. Audrey allowed herself to listen from a distance, wiping down a nearby table after a couple had taken their leave, placing a generous tip upon the tabletop. The girls' face immediately broke out into a triumphant grin at the sight of it and she wondered whether she would be allowed to keep it.
Benny was the best boss Audrey could have ever asked for. She was offered the job a little over a year ago, after witnessing the struggle Benny endured, and figured she could aid in lightening the load. Benny, having only intended to keep her around for a few months, was astonished to see her impressive work ethic, which enabled him to promote her to a full-time position. He didn't quite appreciate the fact that she determined work to be more important than her education, but he respected all of her life decisions nonetheless.
"He's gonna win the championship, I just know it," Earl continued.
"Sure about that one, E?" Audrey challenged his words, finding his overconfidence to be moderately amusing.
"Now Val, I wouldn't go 'round challenging my word like that. I'll bet a pretty penny on it." Earl replied, using her nickname against her as she did him. Audrey sent him a smile at his words, shaking her head and chuckling lightly as she proceeded to wipe down the table.
"Keep that talk up and she'll find herself begging for money on the streets in her adulthood," Benny warned.
"Oh nonsense," Earl argued, causing Audrey to roll her eyes, already anticipating his next words. "She'll find herself a nice rich boy to settle down with n'there won't be no need for betting then, now will there? What about that boy you're always bringin' 'round here?" She hadn't anticipated that, however. The girl wracked her brain for possible solutions.
"Steve?" Audrey asked incredulously. "Steve Harrington?"
The thought of even dating him let alone marry him made her stomach do somersaults and she couldn't tell whether it was a good feeling or bad. All she knew was that it was very foreign.
"Naw, the other one... Jonathan was it?" He said, scrunching his brows in concentration. "You two seemed quite close, if ya know what I mean."
"Hardly." Audrey laughed. "He's practically my brother,"
Earl clicked his tongue. "Now I may be mistaken here but I don't think brother's look at sisters the way he looks atcha."
Audrey thought over his words, not quite accepting the concept of her best friend since diapers had harbored anything but kinship with her. It caused a peculiar sense of doubt and confusion that made her rethink their relationship and made a blush appear across her cheeks.
"Addy, do you mind checking on the patties? I don't want them to burn." Benny asked, attempting to change the subject. Audrey hummed in response, making her way over to her destination. Her eyes were trained on her feet, mulling over Earl's words when she heard a commotion coming from the kitchen. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she looked over the counter, not having expected to see what she did. It was a young boy, a few years younger than herself and he was clad in what appeared to be a hospital gown. She was quite used to odd behavior, having worked in a shady part of town, but finding mental patients rummaging through their food had not been something they marked off the list just yet.
"Hey, kid!" Audrey yelled, catching the boy's attention.
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, eyes widening and mouth opening and closing. The young Valentine found herself mimicking the shock as she looked over the facial features of the pre-teen before her. Before she could say a word, the boy had already gripped the fry tray tightly in his hands and began to make a run for it. Unfortunately for him, Benny caught sight of the situation at hand and had been much faster and he seized the boy's arm, whirling him around to face him.
"Think you can steal from me, boy?" Benny asked harshly.
Once their eyes met he froze. His reaction had justified Audrey's response earlier as well. For the boy they had found was not a little boy at all but a girl -- or at least not what would have been expected of a traditional girl.
Her eyes were burning with fear as they shot between the two of them, not knowing what was about to happen to her. Now with a closer look at her attire, Audrey and Benny took notice of the tears and mud littering her gown. If Audrey hadn't thought this kid was mental at first, she definitely would now.
". . . What in the hell?" Benny demanded.
This girl was nothing like they had ever seen.
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Thank you so much for reading Chapter One of Queen Bee! I truly hope you enjoyed it and are having a fantabulous Friday! :)
-Gigi <3
