All dialogue in italics is in thai

My lips curl at the diner sign, it seemed like the exact kind of place that made foods too salty and far to salty for me to be able to stomach. "Traditional" american food has never been my favourite, and after so many years of surviving on rice, or granola bars and fruit, I have a hard time eating it in general.

But I've gone as long as I dare without eating, and this is the middle of the desert, which itself is right in the middle of nowhere. There wont be another restaurant for hours. So I turn into the parking lot, parking the motorcycle in one of the empty parking spaces.

I stuff my key in my sweater pocket and push my way through the door. The interior is incredibly retro looking, I have a feeling that this place probably opened a few decades ago., and chose to save some money bu never remodeling. The space itself is basically empty, aside from me, a couple in one of the side booths and two employees.

I take a seat at the edge of the counter, dumping my fraying backpack at my feet, scanning the menu above me. Looks as though I'd been right with my gut instinct, but the prices are good, and Im not in a situation to be picky. Fries and coffee are a few bucks each, if I only get that, then \i'd still have cash left over.

"Hello! Welcome to Zeke's, what can I get for you?" chirps a raven-haired waitress from behind the counter.

I've already gone thorugh exactly what Im going to say and how to phrase it in english, knowing that its a simple thing to say and it won't give away information about me personally, but I still freeze up for a moment.

"Uh, fries, please. And coffee. Black."

I may tend to overthink things.

The waitress, whose name is apparently Grace, according to the tag pinned on her pink shirt, asks if I want anything else, but I shake my head, knowing that any more and I wouldn't have enough for gas.

"Not that I'm able to eat much more then that at this point." I snort.

Grace the waitress turns around from, stopping in her tracks. "Did you just speak Thai?"

Shit.

Was I speaking out loud without realizing it? Oh god, what do I do? I've blown my cover. He'll be onto me. Will she know me enough from this one encounter to rat me out? Do I bolt? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. But would that affirm any thoughts that I am me? I bet she is in leagues with Him.

She doesn't wait for my response. "That's really interesting, we've had a recent influx of foreigners, and actually your the second person I've met here that speaks that language."

Oh no. Oh no. I bet its Him. Who else could it be? There is absolutely no way it could be anyone else. I need to get out of here.

"He's actually around your age I comes by around now with a bunch of his friends. I'll point him out to you if he comes by!" she spins, her ponytail moving wildly behind her as she disappears into the back.

Oh. Ok. There is no chance anyone connected to him would be my age, seeing how the last time he tried something in that vein it went horribly for everyone involved. I should be ok to stay and eat my fries before heading back onto the road. Another segment in the year long constant roadtrip I've been on.

The little bell above the door chimed, she spared a glance to see a group of teens walk in, chatting away with each other. The sudden noisiness was stark compared to the quiet that had ruled over the diner moments before.

Grace the waitress set my food on the counter, making an incline with her head to the other group and smiling at me, before going over to serve them. I take another look through the side of my eyes, knowing she meant that the guy she had been talking about a few minutes earlier.

I narrowed out nearly everyone almost immediately based on appearance, I don't think anyone in this part of the world would know Thai as a second language. That and I nearly immediately picked out one teen who was without mistake from my homeland. I frown, turning back to my food to munch on a couple of fries. With the tousled dark hair and the dark brown eyes, he seems so familiar. But no name is jumping into my mind. I don't really know any place where I could have met him, especially any place that could have let him to whatever this towns name is.

Best not to linger on it. The coffee mug burns my hand as I drink. I smile a little, compared to the 2$ gas station coffee I've had for the past little while, this stuff tasted like heaven.

It's a small container of fries, and I'm starving, so when the pink waitress comes out with the other groups food, I'm staring at an empty plate.

I'm full though, well, full in the sense I don't want anymore food but I'd down anymore coffee someone would put in front of me. My mug has cooled down slightly at this point, but it's still half full.

My gaze runs around the diner as I sip my drink. The whole feel is very- what is the right word, retro, but more in the sense that it was built back when it was modern and simply never updated. I'm looking at the lights hanging above us when I feel someone looking at me.

My eyes drop, and its the guy. He's looking at me, incredibly puzzled. Or he just was, because once our eyes meet he turns and looks away.

I'm getting the sinking feeling that he thinks that we've met at some point in the past as well. That could potentially be a problem, seeing as the who, when and where are still a mystery.

To follow my personal philosophy, when faced with problems you dont know how to solve and/or social interaction the best way to handle it is to run. Far away.

I set my now empty cup down on the counter, fishing out a 10 dollar bill from the inner pocket of my grey hoodie. It should cover everything I ordered plus a little more, but the coffee was good so I don't think it'd hurt to be out a dollar or two, short on cash as I was.

Shrugging my backpack across my shoulders, I pull open the door and walk out, sparing only a second to cast a backwards glance to the teen. He's amiably chatting with his group of friends, not having noticed me leave. He won't for another few minutes. He, in all honesty, probably won't think about me again after this day. Or I about him.

And that is probably for the best.