Matthew Williams wiped the already clean table, lulling his mind quiet with mundane tasks. Sighing as wisps of blond fell into his eyes, he tried desperately not to think of the pointless repetitive life he led. Every day working at his parent's cafe, serving the same people he had known since he was a child who still managed to forget his name.
He just wanted a taste of something unexpected, just once. And as fate would have it, nothing unexpected was happening today. Or tomorrow, or anytime soon in all likelihood. Matthew lived in a world that consisted of school, work, home. With no excitement happening to him and no other location to go to. He was well and truly stuck in his rut of a life.
In a small town that didn't even make up a speck on a map, Matthew finally got his wish of something unexpected. Almost precisely a year late, but he wasn't keeping track. The unexpected came in a well worn bomber jacket and blue eyes that glinted with bold confidence. She sat down as if being in the pristinely clean, but clearly antique cafe was an ordinary occurrence. Heat rose to his cheeks as she smiled up at him, clearly not realizing she was the most exciting thing to happen to Matthew in years and she hadn't even spoken yet.
With a hesitant quiver threading his voice, he asked, "Are you ready to order?" Her response was lost to him, all her heard was the cocky American accent and the laugh that seemed entirely too indelicate for her, yet somehow absolutely fit her. Wait, was she laughing at her own joke?
After a pause, she frowned and asked, "Dude did you hear a word I said?"
"S-sorry!" Matthew stammered, blushing a furious red, "What did you want again?"
"A cheeseburger and fries," She answered readily, then as he turned to go she called out, "Hey, what's your name?"
"Matthew."
"I'm Alice," she said with a grand gesture pointing to herself, as if she were the star of a movie just now being introduced, "Though you probably have heard of me before; Most people have."
Frowning, Matthew tried to recall if he had ever seen her before, but without a doubt he knew he hadn't. He would have remembered her, but what a weird thing for her to say. Entering the kitchen he gave his father his order and tried to ignore his' babbling about her and how they would be beautiful together. Matthew wasn't sure if his father was talking about dating Alice himself or trying to set Matthew up with her.
Bursting through the door that lead to their apartment upstairs wearing a black cape and clutching a dusty leather bound book, his other father assaulted him, offering to curse her into falling for him.
"Iggy you cannot magic love!" His father shouted from the stove across the room.
"Nonsense!" Iggy said, glowering which only made his eyebrows more prominent. Then Matthew heard him mutter, "It worked with you."
"No magic, dad!" Matthew pleaded, his usual whisper tone only slightly loud.
"It worked with Frances," Iggy said in an undertone.
"I did not just hear that," Matthew muttered.
Interrupting the conversation, Frances shoved a plate into Matthew's hands and said, "We will woo her with food."
"How did you cook this so fast?" Matthew asked, both awed and terrified, but Frances just shoved him out of the kitchen.
Alice met his eye as he was approaching, causing a temporary short circuiting in Matthew's brain and as his legs no longer knew how to function he tripped over absolutely nothing, dropping the plate at exactly the place his face landed a few moments later. All he smelled was grease and ketchup as he shakily stood, certain he had never been more embarrassed in his life.
Her loud laughter was what finally jolted him out of his thoughts. Alice clutched her stomach and laughed until she was nearly in hysterics, then finally composed herself enough to say, "Sorry man, I don't mean to laugh at you, it's just so fucking hilarious!" then she collapsed back into laughter.
Matthew fled into the back room, and with one look at their son both Iggy and Frances burst into laughter that rivalled Alice's. Glaring at them, Matthew went into the bathroom to wash the mess of his face and stayed there until she was had to have left. A strange part of him hoped she was still there though, and when he ventured out into the poorly lit diner, he found it empty.
On the table he found a hastily written note on a napkin, that read I'll see you around Mattie -Alice. She had remembered his name. Well, in a way, but he rather liked the nickname. No one had ever bothered to give him one before.