the outsider

'𝑤𝑒'𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠'

𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑒 : 𝑓𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛
things had fixed themselves and after three weeks, i had moved back home. i didn't want to move back home, primarily because of our dad but i knew the time would come, as it always does.
kenzie has seriously offered to let me stay at hers permanently a few times but i had no choice but to turn her down. permanently switching houses would mean having social services involved and that would only end in disaster as it had previously.
i also couldn't just leave caleb to pay the bills and for food, not until hayley had a job herself. caleb and i have both had a job since the age of fifteen where the local diner would let kids begin training and have somehow managed to keep our jobs there since. despite it being a go-to hang out for kids at our school, i actually enjoyed working there. because i was only seventeen, they hadn't allowed me to go full-time yet but still, i enjoyed working the odd shift when i could. it kinda just gave me my own space from school and home.
however, the one thing i found pretty much repulsive about the diner, was the stupid uniform we had to wear. you'd think it would be the fact i had to smile to every table, but trust me, these uniforms were a lot worse than having to fake a smile.
to match the fifties themed restaurant, the girls would have to wear a long terribly old-fashioned red dress that fell to just above your knees. we'd also have to ensure our collar was neatly folded over and tie a white apron around our waists. they were the definition of tacky.
i pulled my name tag out of my bag and secured it onto the dress, getting ready to clock in. i didn't show nerves, but they were always there prior to each shift. i never knew who i'd end up seeing, not that i cared about the kids from my school. well, most of them.
another waitress, harley, comes into the back room still with a cheery smile pulling up both sides of her skin cheeks. she was the kind of girl who didn't have to act cheery, she naturally was. she tosses one of her straw coloured braids over her shoulder when her eyes settle on me.
"hey annie" she smiles.
"hey" i respond, almost taken back.
harley and i were almost polar opposites, from hair colour to personalities and we hadn't ever fully spoken before and i wondered if that was about to change.
"there's some new guy out front who's starting. i was going to start training with him but brennan said you were just about to clock in, so i thought it would be easier if i just left it to you. if that's okay with you of course?"
i nod before she gives me one of those sweet smiles that costumers loved. she was meant for jobs like these.
"oh and by the way, he's kinda cute" she winks before gathering her belongings. after harley heads out, it's two minutes until my shift begins and i decide it's time to go and see who this new guy was. i pass through the kitchen, greeting each of the kitchen staff individually before making my way through to the counter.
i see brennan's back faced to me as i push the door open, talking to presumably the new kid. brennan's parents owned the diners and he was one of the few founder's kids at attaway that would actually stick with a job. as much as i love kenzie, the girl can't keep a job for more than a month. many kids around here were like that though, their parents would force them out to get a job and eventually give up and just continue to fund their activities themselves. i just hoped the new kid wasn't one of them.
"that should be annie" brennan says, hearing the door close behind me. as he turns to face me, i gain full sight of the boy he had been talking to.
my stomach begins turning itself inside out before flipping, but this time, almost in a good way.
"annie, i presume harley told you we had a new recruit" brennan smiles. i nod, leaning across the counter beside him, playing it cool as i watch the corners of his mouth instantly settle into a smile.
"we actually know each other" hayden says, trying to pull the corners of his mouth back down.
"yeah, we're friends from school" i explain.
"okay then, I'll guess I'll leave you guys to it" brennan smiles, returning to a costumer who had appeared at the till awaiting assistance.
i let my eyes wander from hayden's hazel freckles eyes to his chocolate curls before deciding on my greeting.
"so, are you like stalking me now?" i decide on. a rosy pink colour rushes to his cheeks.
"no, of course not! god, i hope that's not what you think this is" he stumbles,  like the nervous kid he is.
"you sure? seems like you've got a crush on me, summerall" i smirk, watching his pupils widen and the colour in his cheeks darken.
"i'm really sorry if it's coming across that way and if I'm making you feel uncomfortable, but i promise that's not-"
i reach across the counter, hitting him in the shoulder.
"i was only messing with you" i chuckle.
watching him get flustered was more enjoyable than it should be.
his shoulder fall back into a relaxed position and the colour in his cheeks fade away before he rolls his eyes.
"you know, you gotta stop doing that" he grumbles, a curl popping upwards as he releases a huff and popping back down again. it was cute.
"and why would i ever do that?" i smirk, my grin wider than the cheshire cat.
"because we're friends now, your words not mine, gracie"
my stomach flips once more. i didn't like the fact that the stupid nickname made me want to smile, only by the slightest. i don't though.
"don't let it get to your head, let's get this training started" i say instead, pulling him around the counter.