With a groan she leaned against the counter.
"You alright Carrie?" Greg the cook called from the kitchen.
"Fine Greg, I guess." She mumbled cleaning off one of the spots from the counter carrying the plates back to the sink.
"Something's up? You have a bad break up or something."
Carrie laughed adjusting her rainbow hair band. "I think you have to date to have a break up."
He threw several burgers onto the grill raising an eyebrow, "you don't date."
"No I don't. people aren't really my thing." She replied rolling her eyes.
"then what's the problem?"
She shrugged her green eyes darting to the floor "I don't know, I'm annoyed that Ann insists on keeping the diner open 24 hours a day, that this is where my life is. That I all I do is look forward to Halloween every year. Probably just a little bit of everything."
Greg laughed, "you need to get out more. Come on you could try a date maybe it's what you need. Get out get some party on, some drink on. "
"Okay, stop there. thank you, sir." Carrie interrupted grabbing the plates from the window carrying them out of the kitchen.
"Where did you think I was going with that?" he shouted through the window as she set the plates down in front of the two men sitting in the corner.
"I'm sure I don't want to know." She mumbled before smiling at the pair, "is there anything I can grab for you?"
Both men remained quiet for several seconds.
"No doll we're fine here." The one on her right answered gritting through his teeth, stress clear in his voice.
She nodded moving smoothly away from the table, and back behind the counter. The new girl walked over cautiously,
"Is there something wrong going on here?"
Carrie looked at her "No, you'll learn. Hopefully Ann will move you off nights before you do."
The younger girl suddenly looked terrified. "What does that mean!" She snapped clearly louder then she had intended. Carrie snatched her arm dragging her into the back
. "On this shift, don't try and remember faces or names, and don't listen to the conversations! Fuck Kim keep your fucking voice down. The people we get this time of night are not the people you want to piss off and certainly not people you want attention from. I know it's only your third shift but you should cut down on the make-up and wear pants. We're in downtown Gotham at 2 in the morning, Attention is not something that you want."
"Is that why you work this shift Carrie." Greg chimed throwing another order into the window .
"Drop that for me." Carrie waved the younger girl off turning to Greg. "Just because you aren't getting any right now you don't need to force your frustration off on me."
"yep because that's what's happening." He smirked, "why do you work this shift? I mean I have classes during the day, this is the only time I can work, but you Hell Carrie I've known you for years. You always make comments about going home and yelling at your cat, what do you do?"
"You answered your own question my friend." Carrie snapped filling up a pitcher of ice water and grapping a pot of coffee.
"That's all you do?"
"Ya that's what I do, I have two friends, unfortunately you are one of them the other one lives on the other side of the fucking country and is terrified of flying and of highways, so we don't see each other much anymore. So ya I sit at home, argue with a very cranky cat, who is pissed that she can't go outside anymore ,and read. That's what I do!" Carrie snapped before going back out onto the floor, walking around the diner filling the few water glasses and coffee cups before settling behind the counter again. Kim sat on a stool looking at her phone.
"did you check on all your people?"
"they're fine,"
"then do that in the back."
Kim sighed heavily standing, shoving her phone into her apron. "Greg, I think your right, she does need to get laid."
Carrie sighed leaning back against the counter, "I hate both of you!'
"Sure, you do."
"you love us." Kim added hands on her hips.
"Kim take out the trash back there."
"You said you were going to do that."
"Yah well, I ran out of cigarettes."
Kim huffed pushing the door open roughly.
"you don't have to be mean Car," Greg chided
'I'm good at it, besides its pay back, she hasn't cleaned off any of her tables all night." Two of the tables emptied quickly, as Kim came back in.
"It's so creepy out there" She mumbled sitting back down.
"You should have guessed that. Carrie likes to take out the trash." Carrie laughed softly walking back to the table in the corner,
"Do you need anything else?"
"No, we're fine." The larger answered again standing and walking up to the counter paying Kim, the other still didn't answer hood pulled over his head blocking most of his face.
"Okay." She stated flatly, turning to walk away. A hand closing painfully around her wrist. She turned back to the man his head still down. A loud Squeal came from across the room. Snapping around she noticed Kim eyes widened in fear standing back from the register as the man emptied the drawer gun pointed at Kim. Carrie sighed slightly. "Yah." She looked back at the man still sitting at the table. "you could have said something at the beginning, and honestly the gun is not necessary." She gently pulled her arm from his grip picking up the plates and grabbing the cups. She turned placing them into the bin on the counter.
"whys that?" a cool gritting voice questioned from behind her. She pointed at Kim whose eyes were about to start pouring
"She's terrified of her own shadow, and He," she gestured calmly to Greg who had his hands in the window looking tired and bored. "and I have worked here to long to care.": She finished Turning back to the man. He was now standing, towering nearly foot taller than Carrie.
"you're saying you aren't scared?" His voice sounded empty as he spoke.
"A lesson I learned from my mom, 'do now and panic later." He hummed thoughtfully, "Now if you men don't need anything else." She waved simply at Kim pointing her into the back. The other man cocked the gun as she moved away. The one in front of Carrie held up a hand indicating for the other to wait. She stepped around him starting to clear the other two tables.
"Sir, there could be an alarm."
"Ann set up shop on the wrong side of town to believe in alarms. She doesn't have any in the business, nor cameras, or a safe. It's just how she does." Carrie added placing the dishes into the tub pulling out a rag, to wipe down the tables. The taller man chuckled sitting down on one of the stools. Stopping her in her tracks. He pushed the hood off his head and pushed the glasses up his nose. Carrie drug her tongue against her teeth fighting to keep her expression calm.
"I assume you know who I am." There was a muffled scream from the back room. He didn't look away from Carrie, the smirk on his face growing slightly. She nodded simply.
'I do. Do you prefer Dr. Crane or Scarecrow?" She asked her voice remaining calm. His smirk vanished quickly. His bright blue eyes bore into her, Cassie could feel the skin on her face and chest starting to burn. "is there something else I can do for you?' She asked quickly. Noting that his hands were empty. She blinked slowly, His face was now unreadable,
He stood quickly In an instant she was shoved against the wall. He placed his hands on either side of her "Now. Why would your boss not install any kind of security?" He questioned
"She knows this isn't the best part of town, but the most patrolled. During the day. At night her belief is to staff people vague enough and smart enough to stay out of the conversations that drift through here."
"Vague enough?"
Carrie shrugged remaining calm. "Not too many criminals are interested in a Gay cook, or an overweight bitch so yah vague. Normally they take what's in the register and leave, usually never more then $200 so it's not a huge blow to business."
"some of the types in this city aren't interested in the money," he growled out chuckling slightly.
Carrie fought a shiver, a small chill shooting up her spine. She knew her face and chest were bright red by now, a nervous reaction she's had all her life. An annoying, and embarrassing reaction. He remained quiet just stood there staring. His hand moved slowly around her neck. Cutting off her air right away. She kept her hands at her sides, leaning as far against the wall as she could. Though it didn't help as she started to see spots. He pulled away as her lungs started to burn, she fought the urge to gasp for air breathing in as slowly as she could, He stepped back waving the other man out the door, picking up a bag from the booth. She turned to wipe down one of the tables As she reached her face hit the table, a needle pressed against her neck. She glanced up at him his glasses were gone.
"What scares you?" he started to drag the needle slowly down her neck, she bit her lip unable to fight back the nervous giggle that escaped her. "Not the normal reaction I get." He pushed her harder against the table. She fought the urge to close her eyes, biting harder on her lip. "Another time." He whispered pulling away leaving quickly. Carrie stood up slowly before sitting on the ground. Fighting to keep her breathing level.
"Car, are you alright?" Greg asked making her jump slightly.
"Ya, I'm, I'm fine." She mumbled. Standing finishing the table. "Hows, Hows Kim?" She questioned not looking back, her entire body warmer from the experience, she found it hard to stand legs shaking slightly.
"She probably needs to go home, I'll call Ann."
She nodded sitting down in the booth rubbing her face. "yah go do that."