Yay I'm on a holiday here down at Aus for three weeks! ) ...so be prepared to expect much more from me!
This story just started out as a ridiculous idea that me and my sis suggested among the other piles of ridiculous ideas in my head...
Note: In this fic, Katie and Oliver are muggles instead of wizards and witches for a change. They went to high-school together (you know, instead of Hogwarts) and now they are flat-mates. Eighteen year old Katie goes to university but has a part-time job as a waitress at a restaurant.
Just if you get confused, most of is Oliver' POV but there's a bit of the author's perspective too. Everyone here follow that?
...I've kept you waiting with this long enough, now... on with the story.
Chapter 1
Just grab the chocolate bar, Oliver, grab it!
Before me lay a wonderful bar of milk chocolate, nougat, caramel, honeycomb, biscuit pieces, wafer, hazelnut, and the best part, all in one! My hand reached out slowly...must snatch it...now...but I seemed to be drifting away from it...the gates of heaven closed and all my chocolates floated away...away...
The alarm clock smashed onto the floor and the bell went off continuously...the damn thing...
'Oliver?' Katie walked into the bedroom, already dressed and sat on the bed. 'Come on Ollie, wake up.' She pulled the bedcovers over.
I peered at the clock. 'Katherine Lauren Bell. You have no right over my hours of sleep. A 21-year old has the right to sleep in on a Saturday. It's part of the Wood Code. Especially when a man is trying to obtain a jumbo-sized chocolate bar,' I said through sleepy eyes, muttering the last bit. Now, back to snoozing…
She grinned. 'Since when has the Wood Code started? And today's a special day. I'm taking you to the restaurant for breakfast.'
Did I just hear that last part? No I didn't.
But Katie opened my drawers, rummaged through them and found what she could from my stash of junk and threw the outfit on to the bed.
For some highly unknown reason, Katie Lauren Bell just has a way of persuading me. Just like magic.
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I followed Katie who was walking casually in front of me, her attitude was lenient and care-free. Unlike me: here I was wearing what seemed disheveled beggar's rags to everyone else here in this posh restaurant. Not my style: everyone here appeared 'high-classed' and fancy.
My jeans were baggy with patches half camouflaged, my shirt's colour sort of faded from too many washes, a leather jacket which clashed which my jeans. And a tie which Katie had spontaneously put on for me. And here I was tagging behind Katie with an uncomfortable air.
Not that I always looked as bedraggled as this: I slept in and half my other clothes were in the wash.
Katie continued walking in her current manner; my eyes were fixed on her soft, beautiful fair hair, tied up in a ponytail and her bracelets glimmered. If it wasn't for her, I would've been standing out in the rain right now; the waiter refused to let me enter at the entrance until she came and told him off.
BAM!
I walked right into a young waiter, carrying what seemed half a dozen trays.
SPLAT!
There goes the egg salad, I thought moodily.
"My apologies, sir!" (Like I told you, this restaurant is high-classed...but make note of that Oliver, he just called you sir!)
A dark-haired male youth rushed to the floor, gathering the shattered pieces of glass and doing the best to pick up all the fallen food which lay splattered on the royal-blue and purple carpet. "Excuse my clumsiness."
Brushing off several rashes of bacon which had landed squarely on my chest, a couple of fruit tarts, I acknowledged him, nodded and I hurried along with everyone's attention now fixed exactly upon me.
"Oh, hello, nice day, isn't it?" I announced as politely as I could, trying not to look at the pouring rain outside. "A fine day..."
This should get their attention hopefully. Hopefully.
It did. But everyone resumed staring at my hair in disbelief, or shall we call it, the fruit bowl. Apple lay crushed among locks in my hair, kiwi fruit and rings of pineapples with let's not go any further describing it. Perfect, theres no need to use shampoo tonight, my hair reeks off fruit essence.
Katie, who had now reached a table, gestured me to a chair which she had pulled out while suppressing a laugh. "Sorry about the inconvenience; Viktor didn't mean it," she said, referring to the young waiter and sweeping the cake crumbs and fruit from and gently ruffled my hair.
She handed me a menu which I scanned quickly, looking for a dish which had not landed on me earlier.
"I'll take the...let's see...I'll take the bacon and sausage and eggs ...I meant just make it sausage and eggs...no bacon thanks...and...some toast and muffins."
"I'll see you later then Ollie." Katie scribbled something (I hope she didn't tweak the list – she likes to do that) on her notepad, smiled and walked off to take another man's order.
As I sat there alone, many people around me stared at me. I'm the new, exotic display from Madagascar, huh.
Just stay cool as a cucumber. You're the new exotic human display from Madagascar who's trying to stay as cool as a cucumber.
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Katie walked into a steamy kitchen as busy waiters bustled in out of the doors. She announced the orders quickly in a croaky voice and coughed repeatedly. Darn asthma, she thought, frustrated.
A working chef busily handed her some dishes hastily and Katie felt relieved to be away from the kitchen.
But in such an occupied manner, both did not notice the almost-empty bottle of oil, which had been knocked over accidentally, drip slowly into the stove below.
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Dealing with the staring diners, I watched Katie hurry out of the kitchen. She looked tired and her exasperated expression caught my attention.
I stood up and walked up to Katie. In the distance I could still see their eyes follow me.
'Kates, what's wrong? I can cancel the meal and we can leave if you're not feeling well...' I put my arms lightly on her shoulders but my tone of voice had clearly given away my anxiety.
'I'm perfectly fine,'she answered and forced a weak smile. 'Everything is alright.'
I'm not fooled that easily. I gazed deeper into her deep-blue eyes, searching for a hidden feeling. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. I nodded and walked away.
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Katie, reluctantly, walked again into the kitchen. Trying to find a spot with better air she stopped to sit on a low stool and tried to rest. Her head was spinning and she was dizzy with a severe headache. The heat around her seemed to suffocate her mentally and her vision of all around her became blurry and obscure…
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The chef turned from the bench, placed a cooking pot on the stove and turned it on. The reaction was unexpected; it was a small, immediate explosion as if the stove and backfired.
Smelling burning material, the chef hastily beat at his uniform and ordered everyone to exit. He glanced around the kitchen to make sure everyone had left as everyone rushed out of the exit.
But as he left, he did not notice the young waitress who lay unconscious on the floor.
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The alarm had erupted into a long, warning wail and everyone ran towards the exit. Outside in the cold morning air, Oliver sensed a trace of smoke dispersed in the air.
Remembering what had just happened he looked around to see if everybody had left the building. Then he realised it. Everybody...but one person. His heart thudded.
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"Katie," I breathed. That was it. I turned and sprinted back towards the building. I burst through the door, ignoring the flames around me. "Katie!"
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