"How many times am I going to have to tell you that this is a family place, Mary?" My boss scolded me. I had heard it many times.

"Sorry, sir."

"You say that ever time he comes in here, I've about had it. Control him, " he looked at me then back to the cash register.

"Order thirteen!" One of the guys from the back yelled louder than necessary.

"Hey, do you want the whole wide world to know the order's ready?" He growled from the register and I picked it up from the window and smiled sympathetically at Larry.

"Here are your burgers sir, is there anything I can get you guys?" I kneeled so I was not hovering over them. I learned that my first summer at the same eye contact level served multiple purposes. It keeps both you and the customer focused so there was less chance for a mistake in the order, and it also made the customer feel like you are able to connect more and not just as a waiter. It also brought the tips in.

They dismissed me and I went on to refill multiple glasses. I walked behind the counter and pushed the coke button.

I turn around real fast to get back to the table and come face to face with John.

"Damn it Curtis," he whispers breathing in my face.

"You're just lucky I have excellent balance, or you'd be wearing these." I did a circle and went around him.

"Here you go guys, name's Mary, just holler if you need anything." I ruffled the kid's hair handing him a straw.

Rush hour would be winding down soon and it's a good thing. I sure was ready for a break. The other waitresses had already taken a break of some sort.

One went out back to smoke, but she wouldn't be back until most of her pack was gone. Another had just come out of the storage closet with her blouse being buttoned wrong. My imagination wondered who was waiting in the closet for a clean break away. The third joined a customer at their booth flashing her long eye lashes and using the work uniforms to her advantage.

One by one customers left. I'd buss the table and put the tips in my pockets before someone else would walk in.

I was like a robot. I didn't even think any more. I'd been working here so long I just knew every thing.

"Curtis, you're off the clock!" my boss called. For once I was glad to hear him call me.

I bussed my last table took the tips and headed over to him.

He acted like he didn't know what I was standing there.

"What can I do for you today?" he asked not giving me the time of day.

"Sir, today's pay day." I told him even though I knew he knew.

"Right, here you go, " he winked at me.

I hurried out to the old truck waving to Judy who promised me she was on her last cancer stick.

My stomach growled as I put the old truck in reverse and began to tear down the dirt road.

I contemplated going home to a bunch of loud teenagers or finding my friends who would likely be hung over, whinny, barfing teenagers. It was a loose loose.

I let out a loud sigh pulling into the drive way. I buttoned my sweater higher and pulled my skirt down. The last thing I wanted was one of the guys making a fuss over me.

I pulled the screen door open and closed it slowly and gently. That door was a time bomb on when it was gonna either explode or fall off the hinges from people slamming it so hard.

"MARY!" Two-bit shouted. "I heard you tried to poison my buddy here!"

I raised one eye brow at him and rolled my eyes walking into the kitchen.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, I'll get her back." Dallas threatened me. I didn't know if he was kidding or not. I knew he'd never hurt me, but I also knew that he had no problem with pushing boundaries.

"I'll protect you Goldilocks," Two-bit sat up real tall in his chair flexing to show us him muscles.

I laughed gently walking closer to them.

I sat on the arm of Steve's as him Dallas and Steven played intensely in their card game.

"I'm kicking your ass Pepsi!" Steve hooted. Soda laughed along, but I knew he hated being beat my Steve.

I looked at Soda winked at him to get his attention. I leaned across Steve to get Two-bits beer.

"Damn it, Mary!" Steve muttered leaning back. It was too late, I had already seen his hand.

"Darry will have ass if he sees that anyway," Steve warned. I knew it wasn't for my own good. He just liked to be a pain.

"Don't get in such a hussle," I sighed standing up with the beer.

Soda's eyes followed me when I stood directly behind Steve. I showed a number of fingers for the number and did my best to act out the suite. Pony and Two-bit were laughing there asses off.

Steve was still in the dark. I pointed to my chest for a heart, made my hands into a diamond, swung like I had a golf club for club, and I was lucky he had no spades.

I then left them be and went to the kitchen.

Two-bit followed me to get an other beer out of the fridge.

"I was almost out anyway, next time we'll fight for it." He tried to sound serious, but Two-bit didn't have a serious bone in his body.

"I'll try to remember that." I pushed myself onto the counter enjoying my last few sips.

"There's a huge party at Buck's tonight," he told me looking for a bottle opener.

"Yeah, about like every other night in the week." I told him not impressed.

Two-bit almost found my lack of interest as a challenge.

"Some of Tim's boys got out. It'll get extra crazy!"

"Yeah, until the cops bust it and send all of your asses away again!" I fought back still not interested in this party.

"But then it'd be a huge party once we all got out again! It's the circle of life." Two-bit successfully found a bottle opener.

He opened an other one for me too. I thought briefly before I took a sip. I knew that Darry was around here somewhere, and I knew he wasn't pleased with the idea of me drinking. The true fact was I was almost legal anyway. Just a matter or weeks.

Six months ago right before my parents died my dad would even let me have a few sips of his ever now and then.

"I'm pretty sure Darry has a rule against us kids going to the forbidden residence of Buck." I twisted the ending of some words to keep Two-bit on his toes.

"First off, you ain't that much of a kid anymore," he paused taking a sip and joined me on the counter, "and second off, you ain't as if you haven't been there before."

I looked at him like he was crazy. "You can't keep nothing from me, you ain't as innocent as everyone thinks!" He whispered. "I saw you with a bunch of your girly friends!" He tried to refresh my memory.

"You're drunk Two," I told him leaving him alone in the kitchen.

I tapped on Darry's door waiting for a sound of acknowledgement.

"Uh yeah, come in."

I put the money from the last two weeks on him dresser, and then pilled the change up from my tips next to it.

"Thanks," he looked up from his papers.

He made it kind of uncomfortable when I gave him the money. It was almost as if he were embarrassed by the fact that I also paid some of our bills. That made no sense to me. I was the second oldest, I should be second in paying the bills, not Soda. I also had been working for a while even before mom and dad died, so I had no idea why giving Darry the money was an uncomfortable situation.

"Work go okay today?" He asked making small talk.

"Yeah, Dar. Don't worry about it. Where's Pony and Johnny?"

"They went down to the drive in and they'll make their way to the library on their way home." Darry told me

"Good, that's good," I nodded my head.

"Yeah, he was driving me crazy this morning after you left. Picking at his food, laying around, I worry about him." Darry started. I felt like the way he talked about Pony sometimes was just a habit.

"He seems pretty okay for a fourteen year old boy who lost his parents less than six months ago," I tell Darry leaving his room and going back to mine. I changed out of my clothes and sat on my bed in a huff.

I sure was glad tomorrow was Sunday. I couldn't handle school just yet. It sounded lame, but it was so much harder to get through the days. It took all of my energy.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed. Let me know what you liked, or what you would like to happen or be fixed. Thanks!