The week before school starts Granny's diner is incredibly empty. There are of course the usual truckers and happy families that pull in from the highway, but all of the young school-kids that usually hang out around here are still enjoying their last drama-free week. Ruby and I have been working here for three summers. Granny Lucas thought it was a good idea since we hung out around here during summer anyway. We were absolutely psyched.

It has been three days since we went to the club. Ruby has been texting back and forth with the guy she hooked up with, whose name is Victor.

The morning after I woke up only slightly hungover. I had to run home to get changed and go to work. Killian had not replied to my text, which I honestly didn't blame him for. I am extremely annoying both drunk and sober and I have a tendency to text stupid things such as "yes" to a random guy's number at 4am.

Even though I wasn't exactly expecting to hear from him again I felt sort of disappointed. At least I can console myself with the fact that I almost banged an incredibly good looking guy.

Later that day I received a text from him: "I'm all for mystery and such, but receiving a 'yes' at 4 in the morning from an unknown number is quite odd." I didn't know what struck me the most: that he replied or that he bothered to write full sentences. I decided that, to avoid further embarrassment, I would not answer.

After my shift at Granny's I received another text: "I'm sorry, I think this might be a wrong number. Sorry for bothering you." It made me laugh. "I wouldn't like to shatter the illusion." I sent back. He doesn't reply after that and I'm glad he doesn't.

Because of the slow business our shifts ends at eleven today. It is Ruby's turn to lock up, but I'm probably going to stay behind and help. I never am really in a hurry to get home.

I live together with my dad. He is okay to live with, but I won't miss having to take care of him when I go to college. He's not sick or anything, just very clingy.

When I come up to the diner I don't see Ruby's car. I park my bike behind the diner, beside the dumpster, where no one will bother to steal it. I drop of my bag and coat in my locker. I'm already wearing my light blue uniform. I put my hair up in a bun and text Ruby to make sure she hasn't overslept.

Granny is already in the kitchen. "Good morning, Granny" I say as I pass through the swing doors "Morning, sweetheart" She says as she looks up at me through her glasses. "Ruby?"

"I don't know." I say as I tighten my apron. "I swear to God if that girl keeps on being late…" I leave her to work and go into the diner.

After taking the chairs of the tables and pulling up the blinds, I open up the diner. Ruby arrives an hour late. There are already some orders for breakfast that Granny and I are working on.

She kisses me on the cheek. "I hope she wasn't too mad." I say. "Nah." She says taking a tray.

We've divided the diner into two sections. Ruby does the left and I do the right. There are the regulars whose orders we have memorized and prepared already Lunchtime is busy as well so we eat around four and Ruby reminds me to take my medication even-though I do not need reminding. By six the diner is filling up again.

I'm just talking to a young couple about the best places to hike when Ruby grabs me by the elbow. "Do you have a minute?" She doesn't wait for me to answer and drags me into the kitchen.

"He's here!" "Who is..." "Victor! The guy from the club. He is here sitting in the booth by the window." I can tell she is starting to panic. "Ow." I say " Ow indeed." I exhale. We stand there in silence for a few seconds. She is still gripping my elbow. "You want me to take his order?" I'm going into mama bear mode. "No." She says "He will see me and he is in my section. I'm not about to lose my job because of a guy." I am worried, but take a step back. "Okay."

I watch her while she goes over to his booth. He looks shocked to see her, but falls into what seems an easy conversation with her almost immediately. I know Ruby's body language well enough to know she is flirting with him so I go back to making chocolate milkshakes for the hiking couple.

She goes back to his table only to bring his his food and clear of his plates. I'm putting pickles on a burger when she comes into the kitchen. "Well?" I ask. "I'm meeting him after work." " To do what?" I ask wiggling my eyebrows. She gives me a wolfish grin. "You really wanna know ?" "Girls! Less talking more waitressing!" Granny shouts from the back of the kitchen. "Yes, Granny!" We yell back.

Victor leaves when the last customer does. I see him smile at her and I think I know what Ruby will be doing tonight. Better said: who she'll be doing. Granny leaves and we clean up. I help her lock up and make her promise for about a hundred times that she will be safe and will have the police on speed dial.

Victor is waiting at the front of the diner. "'Bout time." he says while looking Ruby over. He looks over to me. "Belle, wasn't it ?" he asks. "Yeah…" I look over to Ruby who also seems surprised that he knows my name. "I'm a friend of Killian." "Ow." I can't really come up with something else to say. "By the way. Did you sent him a text?" Ruby snorts and I shoot daggers at her. "Maybe. Why?" he chuckles. "I just think he'll be happy to have your number " "That did not sound creepy at all." I say crossing my arms over my chest. "Take it as a compliment. He likes you." I'm about to tell him that I don't need that validation when my phone rings.

I pick up just in time. "Hello."I say "Belle? Are you on your way home already? It's pretty dark." It's Dad. "Yeah I'm going home right now. Ruby's driving me." Lying to Dad comes naturally, but feels strange to do when there are people listening. "I'll be home in half an hour. Don't wait up." "Good. Be careful." "Okay, bye." I end the call. "I'll see you tomorrow." I tell Ruby and kiss her on the cheek.

I go to the back and get my bike. "Text me when you get home." Ruby tells me when I pass them. "You too." I say shooting Victor a wary glance. "Nice seeing you!" He yells at me as I drive away. I don't answer.

The house is dark when I get home. I text Ruby and then think about texting someone else, but then decide not to.

xXXxxXXx

The next couple of days fly by in a monotonous blur of work, sleep and endless tales of Ruby's escapades with Victor. Victor turns out to be a medical student and is twenty-three years old. That makes him five years older than Ruby.

Ruby's eighteen, but is still in high-school because of family issues. Her parents had a rather rough divorce when she was five which made her get into school a year late. She ended up living with Granny and hardly talking to either parent.

Granny's is closed Sunday morning so I decide to sleep in. School is starting tomorrow which means this might be the last time in a long while I'll get some decent sleep. I get woken up by my phone vibrating. Through blurry eyes I read:"Please don't accuse me of being a stalker now!" It is someone by the name of 'Mister sexy jaw'. Ruby has been messing with my phone again. I'm wide awake now. It's Killian.

What. The. Fuck I decide that whatever I am going to send, I will end up messing up anyway. "I'm not promising anything." I wait for the handles on the clock to change from five past ten to ten past, then I hit send.

After two minutes of waiting for a reply I decide on showering instead of waiting. When I'm done I look at my phone. "Too bad. I thought I might get on your good side." "You should be on the right side of the phone and finish what you started last Saturday." Instead of sending that I opt for: " You can keep on trying." I hit send and then add: "But that doesn't mean you'll succeed."

"I'll do my best then." I'm sitting on my bed in a towel with water dripping onto my unmade bed, but I can't be bothered. "Good."

"Could I do this in person or will all this be behind a screen? I assure you my presence is even more baffling face to face." "Don't worry I remember that." He is getting ballsy. "Yep." I send "You are definitely both a stalker and a kidnapper."

"Apart from that I won't have a lot of time the coming weeks, because of school." "Bummer. What are you studying?" It suddenly dawns upon me that he thinks I'm in college. Not high-school. Should I tell him I'm seventeen or just go with this? "Literature" It's only half a lie. I'm taking extracurricular English this year and I am planning to study English lit after school.

It would be best if he would stop asking questions now. "It was nice talking to you, but I need to get to work. Bye" Again it is only half a lie: I have to be at Granny's in an hour. "Bye."

It's hard to concentrate on the road on my way to work, because I can't stop thinking about the possibility of seeing Mister sexy jaw again.

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