Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice nor any of its characters
Anything Could Happen
by wontbiteyou
Chapter One
"Wha...what do you mean they're gone?"
"I'm so sorry for your loss miss. We tried bringing them to the hospital as soon as possible, but it seems as if we were too late. We're really sorry."
That was the day I lost my parents to a car crash. It has been 3 years since it happened. I was just 17 that time. I had no one else besides my parents. As soon as they were gone, I had to start looking after myself. Good thing my parents left some money which I used to pay for my apartment. I live with my roommate, Hotaru. Though she could be mean some times, she was the closest I had to a family.
"Kriiiinngg!"
"Kriiiinngg!"
"Kriiiinngg!"
"HEY MIKAN! WAKE UP NOW OR YOU'RE DEAD!"
"Ugghh.. Not now Hotaruuuu, I'm still dreaming of Fluff Puuuuffs... Mmmm.. Soooo yuuummmyyy..."
"You're late."
"Hmmmm. OOOOHHHMMYYYGOOOD! I'M LATE! I CAN'T BE LATE AGAIN!" As soon as I got up, I wore whatever I got my hands on, not bothering to check the mirror on my way out. "See you later Hotaru!" I heard Hotaru shouting after me but I didn't bother going back since I was late for my job for the... I don't know.. probably THE HUNDREDTH TIME!
"I'M SOOO SOOOO SOOORRRYYY!" As soon as I entered the shop, my boss, Narumi, immediately saw me and hushered me into his office. I felt so bad since Narumi was so nice as a boss yet I always arrive late for work and make his head ache so early in the morning.
"Mikan, you've been late three times this week now. You know what I feel about this. You wouldn't want me firing you now, would you?"
"YES, YES! I UNDERSTAND! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I REALLY NEED THIS JOB! I PROMISE, I WON'T ARRIVE LATE ANYMORE! OH PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" Everytime Narumi scolds me, I cry in front of him. Apparently, this time's not so different.
"Hmm. Just pleeeaaase try arriving early next time, huh? I'll spare you this time. I hate scolding you like this."
"Yes sir. I promise! Thank you so much!" I can't believe how lucky I was to have a boss as nice as Narumi. If it were someone else, I would've been sacked by now. I should really buy a bigger and louder alarm clock.
"Alright. Now change and get to work."
"I guess you're late again, huh? Narumi should just fire you. Not only are you a slow one, but you're also such a klutzy pea-brain." This is Sumire. She also works for Narumi. I know she says mean and hurtful things all the time but I know that deep down inside, she's also a softy. One time, she covered for me when I was late.
"Shut up, Permy." I call her Permy because of her permed hair. Sumire's the type of girl who wears thick make-up and revealing clothes but she's actually a conservative girl. She's been with the same guy since they were in high school and not once had she cheated on him.
"What? It's true. Anyways, can you just hurry up? It's getting full out there."
"Yeah, I'll be out in a sec."
As soon as Sumire left, I immediately changed into my uniform.
"WELCOME TO ALICE DINER!"
Yes, I work as a waitress in a diner, together with Sumire. Actually, I'm new here, having been working here for a month now while for Sumire, a year. I think this has been my 3rd job this year and I wouldn't want to be looking for a new one anytime soon. Hopefully. Anyways, this place makes me feel at ease, somehow like family, probably because of my lack of one for a start, but also the people I work with here treat me as one of their own, not that they regard me with complete kindness and such but because I feel like I can be myself around them.
Sumire's right. Alice Diner is packed today. I wonder what people are here for.
"Hey Sumire! How come the place is full today? Is there a particular event, occasion or whatnot? This doesn't happen all the time!"
"Apparently, just across the street at the Sakura Square, someone famous is performing later. People have been rambling all morning about it. Hey! Take care of table number 4. They've been waiting for ages."
"Huh? Okay! Sure thing!" I headed for table number 4 which was near the main entrance. Oh! Let me describe our diner first. Alice Diner is quite big for a diner, having been in business for 50 years now. We're known for our famous coffee, the Alice Coffee. We also have a very homey ambiance, making our regulars people of all ages. Also, our amazing chef, Anna, can also be blamed for our success. She cooks food that our customers really return for, probably cause it reminds them of home or their mom's cooking. I think that she has magic when it comes to cooking. Aside from Anna, there's also Nonoko, who's in charge of the cash register. Rest assured, not a single cent or receipt would be misplaced. There's also our mechanic slash janitor at times, Mochu, who is apparently an aspiring rapper. Including Narumi, Sumire and myself, our diner consists of 6 people.
"Good morning! What would you be having?" I put on a smile as I approached the table. In front of me is a cute couple, probably in their mid-50's. They looked like they were tourists. The woman was a bit chubby but had a very young-looking face, probably because of her carefree personality. On the other hand, the man was serious-looking but it was evident that he adores his wife. Oh, if only I could find someone who could look at me that way even after years of marriage.
"Hmmm. What would you like hun?" The wife looked at the menu and asked her husband first. Without checking the menu, her husband order for a cup of Alice Coffee and some bacon and eggs. "I think I'll have a cup of Alice Coffee as well and some pancakes," the woman ordered.
"Okay! Thank you!" I hurriedly placed their order and took more orders from other tables. After our "busy hour", where only a few booths were occupied, I began busting some tables. While I was busy with cleaning, I heard someone enter the diner. I checked to see if Sumire was entertaining a customer. She was currently serving some food at the 7th booth. I decided to take this new customer myself. He sat at the bar. I noticed that he was wearing a cap, covering most of his face.
"Hi! Good morning! May I take your order?"
Sometimes, there are certain people that make you feel as if you knew them from somewhere, even if you actually don't. That's what I felt with this guy.
"Hn. I'll just have the coffee."
"Okay! Please wait a minute." As I prepared a cup for him, I took a side ward glance at him, of course without him noticing. I noticed he looked pretty unease, checking his back every minute or so. With his cap covering his face, I only noticed his body. He was a bit tan but not too much. He was also well built without his muscles looking freaky. He looks like someone you wouldn't want to mess with. It took me about 2 minutes to prepare his coffee and immediately served it to him. I wanted to look at his face hidden underneath his cap. I must've been staring too hard because he suddenly smirked.
"Like what you're seeing?" OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH! I can't believe he caught me staring! I immediately looked away and coughed.
"Excuse me, I wasn't staring. I was only wondering why you have to wear a cap inside a diner." I can't believe he thinks I'm staring st him because I'm interested at him! The nerve!
"Why? So you could see my face when I remove my cap?" Of course, he said this with an obvious intent of teasing. I knew he was laughing inside.
"Of course not! I think it's rude for you to wear one inside a diner!"
"Yeah, sure." God! I can't believe I'm arguing with a customer. If Narumi sees me, he would immediately call me at his office. I decided to ignore him and wiped some glasses. I can feel him still looking at me. After a while, I heard him put his cup down and some money on the bar. I looked back and checked if he was leaving. As soon as he stood up, I finally saw his face. I saw the most tantalizing pair of eyes. His eyes were of deep crimson. We were now looking at each other. After some time, he smirked. "See you." He was gone.
I must have been staring at the door for some time now because I didn't notice Sumire in front of me.
"Hey! Earth to Mikan. You're staring into space again with your goofy face. I would appreciate it if you would help me with some customers here." I snapped back into reality. I can't believe that guy left such a huge impression on me. After our encounter, nothing out of the ordinary happened. As I left the diner after closing, I noticed a billboard while waiting for a bus.
World famous Crimson Cross,
performing tomorrow at the Sakura Square.
Buy your tickets now!
End Chapter.