(A/N) I highly suggest reading the first story, "What I've Done," prior to reading this one. Although I'm going to include some back story, it's not going re-tell the first one. Also some details might be really hard to understand without reading the other story first.
Chapter 2: Memories Consume
"Cody? Cody?"
Sixteen year old Cody Martin sat staring out his window as rain drops patted its outside surface. He thought he had heard someone calling him, but due to his level of concentration, his mind shut the voice out.
"Cody?" The voice repeated, louder this time, snapping Cody back to reality.
"Huh?" Cody said, as he slowly turned himself around. "Oh hey Rhuben," he said as he faced a girl with dark hair that contained a single purple strand that fell in front of her eye.
"You ready?" Rhuben asked.
"For what?" Cody asked, his voice still very distant.
Rhuben sighed, shaking her head. Ever since Cody had been released from the hospital, he had been like this. Rhuben, her twin sister Riley, and their older brother, Julius, who they had just recently been reunited with offered him a place to stay, knowing that he wouldn't accept any public care. Also they offered him the option so he wouldn't end up back on the streets, especially with the condition he was in at the time. Although he was very reluctant to accept the offer, Cody finally agreed after Rhuben showed him that their word was final on the subject. Cody however also made the point as clear as he could that it would only be a short term arrangement, at least until he had healed completely from his latest battle.
"Don't you remember?" Rhuben asked him. Cody didn't answer so after another sigh, she continued on. "It's time to go to your first day of work."
A few more seconds of silence passed.
"Coming," Cody finally replied in a monotone. After a few more seconds of staring off into the distance, he finally turned himself around and walked towards her. She gave him one last look before leading him out of his room and to the living room where Riley was waiting for them.
"Ready?" Riley asked. Rhuben nodded, Cody also slightly motioned he was also. "Ok, let's go. Also Julius said he's gonna be home really late, so we gotta make our own dinner tonight."
"Ok," Rhuben muttered. Rhuben and Riley had been reunited with their brother shortly after Cody left them at a local warehouse three years earlier. The twins and their brother then were able to get a small apartment in Boston, and all three contributed to paying the rent and bills. Since Cody still tried to be as independent as possible, despite his injuries, he said he would also pay his share as soon as he was able to.
After one last check to make sure the three twins had everything they needed, they headed outside to a nearby bus station so they could get to a small restaurant where the twin girls worked as waitresses. On the bus, memories of times with his twin brother, Zack, flashed through Cody's mind. Zack had died after saving Cody's life, something that despite his best efforts, Cody still wasn't able to completely get over.
Finally after a silent bus ride, the group arrived at a small brown building with green window shutters. Outside there were two glass top tables with a green and white umbrella on top of each one. Each table was also equipped with two chairs. A neon "Open" sign sat in the restaurant's window, above which was a sign that said "Ramos' Classic."
Cody's eyes flashed around at his surroundings, taking them in. Ironically, during his days as a bounty hunter, he had come this way several times, he just never paid that much attention to the restaurant itself. "So that's what that is," Cody muttered.
"You coming Cody?" Rhuben's voice asked. Cody looked over to see Riley had already disappeared inside and Rhuben was in the process of opening the door.
"Yea," Cody replied dully. As he walked up, Rhuben prepared to open the door for him, but Cody stopped her.
"What gives?" Rhuben asked as she reached for the door again.
"I can do it," Cody said, his voice still very low. He then scanned her eyes. "Why do you keep helping me?" Cody asked with genuine curiosity. "I've never given you a reason to, and probably every reason to hate me."
Rhuben sighed, unsure of what exactly to say. Ever since she had first met him, she knew Cody wasn't like all the other kids she had come to know at the orphanage. Cody scanned her eyes, something she didn't like. She knew how Cody's life had been ever since Riley, her and him had escaped from the orphanage they had been sent to. She also knew that he had learned how to read people's facial expressions, a talent that somewhat annoyed her because he always seemed to know what she was thinking.
"I'm not going inside until you tell me," Cody said, folding his arms.
"Not now," Rhuben said. "It's your first day, can't it just wait?"
"Only because you got me this job," Cody replied. "I don't take charity. I also know what happens to people when they rely on others."
"Cody," Rhuben replied, sounding slightly annoyed. "Can't you just forget that for now?" A new thought then popped into her mind. It was a card she didn't like playing but knew she had to when he got like this. "Besides, isn't that what your brother wants you to do? At least try to live a somewhat normal life?"
Cody looked at her again his lip shaking slightly as he was entirely unsure of what to say. Inside he could almost hear Zack's voice telling him to drop the subject and listen to her. It was something that seemed to happen every time Cody didn't want to accept help but knew he had to. "Fine Zack…" Cody mumbled under his breath. "Fine," Cody said to Rhuben. "But I want to know soon."
"You got it," Rhuben said, cracking a smile.
Inside Riley motioned to them. "Hey you guys coming?"
"Yea," Rhuben called back with a quick glance at Cody. Inside, they could hear the radio that sat on counter in the back of the dining room playing softly.
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream.
As Riley tied her apron, clocked in and got to work, Rhuben led Cody through the maze of metal that was the kitchen and back to the manager's office.
I don't know why I instigate,
And say what I don't mean.
"Hey Jeremy?" Rhuben said to a larger man sitting at a desk. He had a dark green polo and tan pants. He also had dark blond hair and bright blue eyes.
"Hey Rhuben," Jeremy replied. "This him?"
Rhuben opened her mouth to speak but Cody cut her off. "I'm Cody," Cody said, extending his hand.
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not all right.
"Good to have you aboard," Jeremy said as he handed Cody some paperwork. "Fill these out and we'll get you started. You ever bus tables before?"
Cody was about to answer when Rhuben lightly elbowed him in the side. "Yea, I used to do that a lot," Cody lied as he scribbled answers to the questions he was able to answer. He mouthed to Rhuben for the information about her place. Some questions however, Cody made up answers to, knowing that giving away too much information could spell trouble for him later.
"Training shouldn't take too long then," Jeremy said. "So I guess I can leave that to you? Month end's coming up and I'm gonna be swamped in here."
So I'm breaking the habit,
Breaking the habit, tonight.
"Shouldn't be a problem," Rhuben said looking at Cody. "Will it?"
Cody returned the look. "No," he muttered, flashing his eyes at her.
Throughout most of the day, Rhuben took Cody through the restaurant and showed him where everything was, the emergency procedures, and normal day to day operations. Several times, Cody's mind began to wander, but Rhuben quickly brought him back to reality.
"Should be a rather slow day because of the rain," Rhuben said. "Good for you to learn on."
"I learn fast," Cody replied shortly.
"Good," Rhuben replied. "Then can you handle this while I take care of my section. Not like you got much to do anyway."
"Throw the dishes in the bucket, don't break them, keep everything off the floor," Cody responded. "I got it."
Rhuben shook her head. "Ok, good luck."
"Thanks," Cody said. "But I don't need it," he finished to himself, after she walked away. Memories of the times he and Zack did this type of thing at the Tipton went through his mind. Cody tried to shake the memories away while he worked but, due to the lack of interaction with other people, he couldn't. Another thing Cody couldn't help was ever time something from the kitchen made a noise or something metallic caught an overhead light, Cody would quickly go on alert. He would freeze as his eyes quickly shot around the room. The sudden stop, to Cody's dismay would also have the result of drawing looks from the people in the dining room. He would then shake his head before, grumbling to himself, going back to his job.
Jeremy eventually called Riley and Rhuben over to his office. The twins looked at each other before turning to see what Jeremy had to say. "I like your friend, he seems to do a good job," Jeremy began. "But…" the two girls looked at him. "Is he always this skitterish?"
Riley and Rhuben again flashed their eyes at each other. "He's just unsure of the place, he'll calm down," Riley said.
"Ok, just wondering," Jeremy said with a sigh. "I'll take your word on that one."
"He'd better," Rhuben muttered to herself as she and Riley walked away. Along with the reason of customers developing opinions about the restaurant and the staff, Rhuben knew Cody had another reason to calm down, the same one that caused her and Riley to convince him to stay with them rather than go on his own again. Cody still had a lot of enemies, any of whom, given Cody's current physical and mental state, would be glad to settle their score with him…
Please read and review. Sorry this took so long. I had been debating whether to continue this story or not, but I decided I'll see where it goes. Riley, Rhuben, and Julius all belong to Darkelements10.
