Where I Found You

Chapter 12 - Will

Chapter 12 - Will now.

"Hi, guys."

"Hello, can we get a table for two please?"

"Sure, right this way."

It's around eight and my shift has just started. As I lead the guy with long hair and the girl with the lip piercing down to a table near the window I pass Ky.

I don't really know what the guy has against me but every time I pass him he gives me some form of glare or his lip curls into a scowl. This time, his eyebrows jerk upwards, as he weaves through the people passing the walkway, carrying drinks on a tray over his head.

Today's my first day of working normally. Yesterday the dickhead Ky had to show me how to everything so I could start today. Apart from the money, this is good because it keeps me busy, keeps me from thinking of Alyssa.

This place is called the Mardi Gras and everyone from Cambridge comes here, for their lunch or evening meal or whatever. According to Ky it gets quite rowdy when the football squad come in at half nine. Whatever, the guy's an idiot.

Anyway, hardly anyone over about the age of twenty-five comes here. It's not even that bad - the food is good and the decor isn't cheap or stupid. There are two floors, and it has sort of a casual homely medieval theme to it with mismatched chairs and wooden tables, and big chandeliers and roaring fires and thick rugs.

Once I've given menus to the couple I go over to the bar. Working the same shift as me tonight on the ground floor apart from Ky are three girls, Cara, Madi and Justine, and another really silent guy, Luke or something. All the three girls are like best friends by the looks of things, and all look like they've used the same blonde hair dye. They're like nineteen and Ky is about twenty or so. The other guy is a bit older than that.

I guess I've been pretty quiet with them, come to think of it, and I don't know why. They probably think it's because I'm a freshman. When I get behind the bar, Cara is there with her dark brown roots showing as she taps away on the till. As I squeeze behind her and start to fill up two glasses with Coke, she says to me casually, "Hey, Will, could you do table five? I've got a really long line here."

I nod and place the drinks on the counter. Then I go into the kitchen to see the order for number five.

At table five there's a girl who I'm sure was here yesterday. She's oriental-looking, with a denim jacket and long black hair, sat reading a plain black hardback book near the fire and sipping a lemonade. I place her plate on the table and make sure I've got the right order.

"Yep, thanks..." Her eyes linger on my name tag and she smiles. "Will."

I nod. "Um, just shout if you need anything else."

I turn around to be met by Ky's shoulder. He skids to a halt and I give him a look.

"Oooh, watch where you're going, mate," he says coolly, raising an eyebrow. I realise I don't like him. At all. He has sort of blond, untidy hair with dark stubble on his jaw and a long face. Sort of dog-like. I push past him, and try to carry on with the rest of the night.

-

Every night I wait for Alyssa to come in, to see if she's exploring and by chance has walked into the place I work in. But I don't get lucky at all. The only person I recognise every day is the oriental looking girl with the sweet smile and extremely quiet voice. Everyday she orders the same thing - chicken salad and organic lemonade.

On day five, I say to her, "The usual, I presume?"

Then she smiles. It's a shy sort of smile but it's a pleased one too. She just nods - it's as if it's all too much for her to speak right now too.