Chapter 2
Felicity woke early the next morning to her alarm and hastily shut it off before it could wake the others. She made her way to the bathroom with a towel and some clothes, stretching as she looked in the mirror. After a quick shower she tied up her hair and dressed in her running clothes, tying her sneakers as Iris climbed out of bed with a tired, mumbled "good morning" before Felicity slipped her key into her pocket and slipped out of the door. She stretched in the Quad before taking off on a route she had mapped out and studied on her phone on the ride to Central City. From the campus she mapped out a route that reached around 5 miles. Felicity had been running on track teams all her life so this was no biggie for her. From the campus she made her way down some suburbs to a park trail which lead out along the shore line and into the City Center where she saw a familiar face in a coffee shop window.
The coffee shop was called Jitters and her roommate saw her and waved her inside. Iris had worked here since she was 16 and loved the place too much to find somewhere closer to campus. "Morning Iris."
"Hey Felicity, coffee?"
"No thanks, I didn't bring my purse out, just checking how you are this morning."
"I'm good actually, the party was OK I guess but I don't think I'll be going to many of them."
"Same, they look so much better in the movies."
"Definitely, hey dad," Iris called as her father came in for his morning coffee before work.
"Hey baby how was your first night?"
"It was great, dad, this is Felicity one of my roommates."
"Nice to meet you Mr West."
"Ha, please call me Joe, I never did like being called Mr, nice to meet you Felicity." Iris gave him the coffee and told him to say hi to the guys at the station.
"Hey Iris who's that with your dad?" Felicity asked referring to a younger, blonde detective who was waiting by the car.
"That's Eddie Thawne, my dad calls him 'Detective Pretty-boy.' He's new to the force, young too, dad says in his first month he kept score. He is pretty though." Iris said her gaze lingering briefly, "what?" She said catching the look on her roommate's face.
"You like him," she accused playfully.
"What? No, don't be silly."
"You blushed, I knew it."
"Maybe a little bit, but he's never gonna ask me out, I think he's too scared of my dad."
"So you ask him, come on Iris, you're a brave, strong woman, you can ask a guy out."
"Maybe next time, besides, I couldn't while my dad was around and they never come in separately."
"Try paying the station a visit sometime. I gotta get back, talk later?"
"Will do. Have a nice run."
"Will do, have a nice day."
Felicity took it easy on the return run to campus, letting her hair down to wash it upon her return as she hadn't that morning. When she returned she found Caitlin awake and pouring over a text book doing her pre-reading and making notes. She leaves her be to get a second shower and to wash her hair. When she returned she smiled at Caitlin who smiled back, not wanting to break her concentration. Felicity was drawn from her own readings by her phone vibrating on her desk. She hangs up and turns, her face glowing, "What's up?" Caitlin asked finally closing her text book.
"That was the burger place down the street, they offered me a job, I have to do a trial tomorrow but hopefully I'll get it."
"That's great, I need to find a job too, my dad said if I do he'll let me have my car down here."
"You drive?"
"Yeah I worked my ass off back home fix it up, my brother turned 16 a few months ago and he's had his eye on it since." She said showing her a picture of a 1998 VW Beetle in ice blue. "It's called Ellen after my mom. It was her car but dad saved it after she passed away for me when I turned 16. We spent a whole Summer working on her together."
"That's awesome I wish I had a dad like that, or a dad would be a step up I guess, my dad left when I was little, I don't really remember him and mom won't talk about it, that's why I was allowed his old laptop when I was little. I took the thing apart and rebuilt it better. Mom wouldn't let me near anything electronic for a while even the toaster was off limits."
"Why off limits?"
"One time I accidentally crossed the wrong wires, zapped me good."
"Ouch."
"It's OK though mom says I never used to babble like I am prone to doing, like right now, I'm gonna shut up..." She trailed off.
"No, it's really cool actually." They smiled as Iris came home, "time really does fly is it half three already?" Caitlin asked confused.
"Urgh, aside from this morning today was a disaster."
"What happened Iris?" Caitlin asked concerned moving her books for Iris to join them on her bed.
"Well first two staff members didn't come in so we've been short staffed then a woman went off on one at me for using the wrong milk, I said I hadn't used the wrong milk, she asked for Soy, I gave her Soy, turns out the new guy labeled the jugs wrong, so I gave her a free replacement but she still reported me to the manager. He didn't fire me but God she was just begging for more attention. She comes in all the time, she must have been looking for the other barista who didn't turn up. I think she's stalking him, he's kinda afraid of her."
"Yikes, poor guy."
"Yeah." Felicity agreed, "but you enjoyed this morning though." She said smirking.
"What happened this morning?"
"Iris' dad came in and his partner who is mega cute stood outside. Iris likes him."
"I do not."
"Did you or did you not agree he was pretty?"
"I did." Iris sighed, "he is though. He's called Eddie Thawne, he works with my dad, who calls him Detective Pretty-boy."
"He sounds like a nice guy are you gonna ask him out?"
"Are you kidding? My dad would kill me, and shoot him" she added.
"That's a little harsh," they giggled. "Besides, good news, Felicity could have a job by tomorrow she got a trial from a burger place."
"Big Belly Burger? They're amazing. I'm starving, do you guys wanna come to this diner with me and Barry? He's my foster brother, dad took him in when we were 8 after his parents went missing, he's so sweet."
"I could definitely go for something to eat." Caitlin agreed.
"Me too, reading really takes it out of you, where's his dorm?"
"Same building as us, one floor up, I need a shower first through, through late September to early November we run Halloween Pumpkin Lattés and I hate smelling like them."
Once dressed the three girls made their way up a flight of stairs to Iris' foster-brother's dorm. She knocked and introduced them to Barry Allen, a tall guy standing 6'2 with a slim frame. "Hey Iris, you OK?"
"Yeah we were gonna go to the Diner near here, wondered if you and maybe you're roommate would want to join?"
"Sure, let me ask Ray, Ray?" He turned, opening the door. One side of the room was pretty clear the other side was too but there were remnants of metal and a crowded desk by the wall. "Ray," he had to tap the guy to bring him from the zone. "This is Iris, the sister I told you about, she and her roommates wondered if we wanna grab a bite to eat?"
Ray lifted the safety goggles from his eyes, they'd left some imprints into his cheeks and forehead. "Thanks but no thanks, I have a taster for the Tech club and I wanted to take this with me but I can't get it to solder right."
"What temp are you on?" Felicity jumped in.
"390?"
"Needs to be between 330 and 350, for it to work right," she said smiling, "good luck."
"Thanks," he smiled as Barry and the others bid him farewell. He let the machine cool a little to find a significant improvement in the joinings of his creation. Once complete he showered, because he figured he needed one having been working on his creation non-stop aside from a three hour nap and headed to the first meeting of the Tech club. He found a bunch of Freshmen hanging out in front of one of the underground labs and wandered over to a guy he found familiar from when he signed up. He had tan skin and long just above his shoulder length black hair. "Hi."
"Hi, Ray right?"
"Yeah, Cisco?"
"That's me, how're you finding it so far?"
"Not bad, my roommate's a good guy."
"I don't have one, single dorm."
"Nice," before they could continue the doors opened and a tall, built second year with dark hair invited them inside.
"My name is Ronnie, I'm second in charge, this is Hartley. He is in charge, he's the only third year in the club and a pain in the ass, but every once in a while, he can be a dick."
"Welcome to tryouts ladies, let's see what you got, there's three challenges to complete tonight, pass none or one of them thank you for wasting our time, pass two you may get considered pass all three, congrats, you're in, no questions asked. Good luck. Ronnie you're on." Hartley never once stepped into the light, Ray and Cisco figured it was a scare tactic, they paired up as instructed by Ronnie and set about their first task, assembling a basic circuit. Or so they thought...
Meanwhile Barry and the girls arrived at the Diner and took seats in a booth. Felicity and Barry took one side while Iris and Caitlin the other. They ordered and talked, the place was busy and the staff seemed overwhelmed with everything, but there didn't seem to be that many of them. Their waitress brought them their food apologizing for how long it took, at the end of the last semester half their staff graduated and no one seems to have filled the positions open. They ask how to apply and she gives them an email address for the manager, who likes to keep everything on file. Caitlin took out her tablet and emailed her resumé before she started eating. At the end of the evening the four walked back to campus together, drinking their take out milkshakes. Barry and Iris were telling them all the things to do in Central City. "Mm, we have to take them to the beach when the weather is nice, where your dad used to take us?"
"Oh my God, yes, it's this cute little cove he took us to when we were little, the sand is really soft, there's caves and everything, lot's to explore and the water is always warm."
"That sound's great, when the weather is good I mean I don't care how warm the water is I'm not swimming in September." Felicity said and Caitlin agreed as her phone let out a loud ping.
"I have an email from the manager of the diner, no trial required start tomorrow at lunch time. Uniform provided. Great, I can get my car back before my brother get's his hands on it."
"That's great Caitlin." Barry said smiling as did the girls.
Barry walked the girls back to their dorm before returning to his, Ray was still at his club so he took advantage of a free shower and an early night.
The next day Felicity went on her morning run with Iris as she didn't have the early shift, Caitlin decided to sleep in and call home to let her dad know she could afford to have her car with her. He said he'd send her brother in it next weekend as it was a little short notice now. Caitlin was happy that she could have her car with her at College, it was the only thing she had left of her mother who the car had once belonged to. Her shift started at 2 but she headed over an hour early so she could get a uniform and meet the other staff. Her manager seemed a nice enough woman, she claimed to have started the diner with her husband when they were newly weds in the 1980's. It had a 50/60s feel to it. The uniforms had to be left on the premisis so they could be cleaned properly but she'd need a pair of plain white converse of her own, something she could come across easily and she would need to tie her hair up in a high ponytail. Her uniform was a pink airy poodle-skirt, plain white t-shirt and a pink and navy cardigan which she didn't have to wear but it was an option for cold weather.
Back at the dorm building Iris and Felicity both showered after their run. Iris went to the library to do some reading, finding it difficult to concentrate in her room, as she did back at her high-school. Felicity pulled on her jacket and tied her hair up, heading for her first shift at Big Belly Burger.
During her shift she notices another waitress take her break as soon as a louder group of college students come in. She recognized one girl from a room down the hall from her own, though she never caught her name. The two boys look older, by about a year or so and the other three girls look younger. The girls slide into a booth while the boys order, both of them putting moves on Felicity, which she ignores and gives them their food with a smile.
Oliver Queen, his best friends and his little sister had gone to Big Belly Burger, like they would normally do back home in Starling City. His best friend since childhood Tommy and his partner Laurel were third years, which Oliver should have been also, except in his first year there had been a family tradgedy and Oliver had missed too many of his classes to pass onto the next and had to retake the year. Thea, Oliver's sister and Sara, Laurel's sister were visiting before classes started, they would be driven back by Nyssa, Sara's girlfriend. There was something about the girl behind the counter that Oliver just couldn't get out of his mind. Maybe it was how she didn't seem interested and how much he really liked a challenge. He and Tommy were well known back in Starling and not for being son's of powerful billionaires, they were ladies men. Were being the operative word. That was in the past, Oliver wanted what Tommy and Laurel had, he wanted it badly. He decided to write his number on the check, he hadn't seen her around before so she was probably a freshman. He wasn't very good at this, but a little practice couldn't hurt.
Felicity watched as they left before heading to clear their table. She found a clean napkin with her name scribbled on it neatly with a number with 'call me' written underneath. She watched out of the window as one guy held hands with the girl from her floor and the other hugged the smallest one tightly, kissing her head affectionately. Rolling her eyes at his daringness she screwed it up, throwing it in the trash, Felicity Smoak was not that kind of girl.
