" You're late, Mina!" Ms. Richins said as I came running through the back entrance of The Good Life Cafe. " I'm sooooo
sorry, I totally lost track of time. It won't happen again, I promise," I said to her while changing in to the black work
uniform. She just shook her head at me before returing back to the kitchen. I had been working at the cafe for the past
year.I quickly headed out to the tables to start taking orders. As I had expected, the football players from Grover High
took up the majority of the tables in my section. Truthfully, that was the only reason I took up the job. The pay wasn't
great, but it was the local hangout for all the football hotties!
" Mina, you actually showed! Joel and I had a bet that you wouldn't show," Raye teased as I wacked her in the butt with
some menus. She'd never admit it, but she took up the job for the same reason as me. What could I say, where the hotties
were, we were. " Hey, boys! How's the season going?" I asked as I tossed out menus. I heard lots of mumbles , meaning that
it wasn't going well. Joel, who was the quaterback and one of my best guy friends, finally said," Not so great, Mina. Got
our asses totally kicked by Central." I stayed and chatted with them for a few and then left to go place their orders. A
small bell rang from the entrance, meaning that new customers were coming in. Usually I let Raye deal with them, but today
she was too busy with a full section to get it. She gave me a gratefully look as I went to front.
" Welcome to the Good Life Cafe! Just you today?" I asked cheerfully to the man standing there. To tell the truth, the man
was scaring me to death. He wore a long, black trench coat with matching leather gloves. He also wore sunglasses and a big
floppy hat. " Two," the man replied, his deep voice startling me. " Yes, of c-c-coure. Right this way," I managed to say.
I wanted to seat him in someone else's section, but everyone's was full but mine. Reluctantly, I sat him near the
football players, who all turned and stared at him, making it totally obvious that they were checking him over. " May I
help you, boys?" he questioned, his voice sounding like cold steel. They all quickly turned back around without a word and
sat silently. The man removed his hat and glasses, exposing his short dark hair and violet eyes. " I'll wait to order," he
said to me as I handed him a menu and put the extra down for his guest, who still hadn't showed up. I brought the football
players their food when Joel stood up and took me over to the corner of the cafe.
" Mina, do you know that guy?"
" No, I've never seen him. He giving you the creeps too?"
" Yeah. Did you see his hands?"
" Nope, had gloves on."
" Oh. Well, he took them off and they're covered in scars and burnt skin. I'd watch out for him, ya know. Can't you refuse
to serve him or something? Don't want you or anyone else getting hurt."
" Joel! I think you're overreacting, but I'll be careful. Raye and Lita didn't drag me through that karate class for
nothing.Now, go back and eat before your food gets cold. I'll be fine, trust me!"
Reluctantly he sat back down with his buddies. Sometimes I hated the way he was so overprotective of me. I guess he thought
of me as a sister or something. The bell up front rang again, meaning more people. Quickly, I passed out drinks to a table
of elderly men, all with fake teeth and walking canes. I hurried up to the front. Waiting was a guy, who could be as young
as fifteen or as old as twenty-one. He was dressed in total black with big comando boots.Obviously, the guy was here to
meet the trench coat man.He had the same bright violet eyes and dark, straight hair, except his was long and tied back in a
ponytail. " I'm meeting someone," he said as I got within hearing distance of him. " I know. Your father? He's this way," I
replied cooly as I started to walk with him trailing behind me. " My uncle, not my father.My father died." "Sorry to hear,"
I quickly said. The second we got near the table of football players, they all turned their attention to the guy following
me. The guy glanced over at all of them, before turning towards his uncle and sitting down across from him. Joel's group
started whispering to each other, and it didn't take a brain scientist to know what it was about. Luckily, the two
strangers ignored them. They gave me their orders a few minutes later.
As I came back with drinks for the two, I noticed Brian, the idiot of the football bunch, stand up and walk over to the
table. I cursed underneath my breathe, knowing that he was up to no good. " Who are you guys? And why you dressed so
funny?" Brian asked them while leaning over their table. " Please excuse Brian here. He was dropped on his head as a baby.
You don't have to answer him," I said quickly while bumping Brian away with a hip check. I gave the two a sweet smile as
I set down their drinks." Was just a question, Mina! Don't need to be butting in all the time, ya know. Besides, you're
just as curious as we are!" Brian exclaimed loudly. " Excuse us, will you?" I asked them while grabbing Brian's ear and
shoving him back over to his seat with a swift slap to the head. I pulled up an extra chair to the table and glanced at all
of them.
" What's up guys? Wanna fill me in? Since when did you become such morons? That is no way to treat another person! You guys
are gonna make me loose my job. You know that can't happen. Nobody would put up with you guys like I do. Now behave before
I kick you all out!" I yelled at the guys. I heard lots of grumbles and protests, but none of them could complain becuase
they knew I was right. I shook my finger in dissapointment at them before heading back to the two guys, who had just
sat there watching the whole thing. I apoligized to them again for the boys' rude behavior. " Quite alright, Mina," the
uncle said," you show great control over them. But you didn't have to bother. Zander and I are quite use to it."
" Do they go to Grover?"Zander asked me then, glaring over towards the table at Joel, who was giving him an evil look back.
" Yup, as do I. You going there or something?" I asked after moving in the way so that the two couldn't see each other
around me. Zander looked up at me for the first time since he got there. I must say, he scared the living daylights out of
me. A small smile formed on his face as he looked away from me. " There's nothing to be afraid of Mina. And yes, I will be
going there," he replied. I was barely able to keep from showing the shock that I was going through. How could he know that
he was starting to scare me? I quickly nodded and left to the kitchen, scared and hoping to run in to Raye.
" Mina, who are those people at the table? I'm getting weird vibes from them. Geez, you look as pale as a ghost!" she
exclaimed as a got there. I explained everything that had happened. She kept watching them as I told my story. Suddenly,
she gasped deeply. " No way, there's just no way," she said, cutting me off in midsentence. I gave her a puzzled look.
For the first time since I started talking to her, she looked at me. She pulled me in close and whispered in my ear," They
can't be human. There's just no way. They can read minds. That's how he knew you were afraid. We need to talk with the
scouts later. Just act normal around them and try not to think anything, ok? We'll talk later." I nodded and returned to my
job. Joel glanced over at me as I came back with a smile stretched across my face. I wasn't about to let Joel know that
there was something weird about the new guys.
sorry, I totally lost track of time. It won't happen again, I promise," I said to her while changing in to the black work
uniform. She just shook her head at me before returing back to the kitchen. I had been working at the cafe for the past
year.I quickly headed out to the tables to start taking orders. As I had expected, the football players from Grover High
took up the majority of the tables in my section. Truthfully, that was the only reason I took up the job. The pay wasn't
great, but it was the local hangout for all the football hotties!
" Mina, you actually showed! Joel and I had a bet that you wouldn't show," Raye teased as I wacked her in the butt with
some menus. She'd never admit it, but she took up the job for the same reason as me. What could I say, where the hotties
were, we were. " Hey, boys! How's the season going?" I asked as I tossed out menus. I heard lots of mumbles , meaning that
it wasn't going well. Joel, who was the quaterback and one of my best guy friends, finally said," Not so great, Mina. Got
our asses totally kicked by Central." I stayed and chatted with them for a few and then left to go place their orders. A
small bell rang from the entrance, meaning that new customers were coming in. Usually I let Raye deal with them, but today
she was too busy with a full section to get it. She gave me a gratefully look as I went to front.
" Welcome to the Good Life Cafe! Just you today?" I asked cheerfully to the man standing there. To tell the truth, the man
was scaring me to death. He wore a long, black trench coat with matching leather gloves. He also wore sunglasses and a big
floppy hat. " Two," the man replied, his deep voice startling me. " Yes, of c-c-coure. Right this way," I managed to say.
I wanted to seat him in someone else's section, but everyone's was full but mine. Reluctantly, I sat him near the
football players, who all turned and stared at him, making it totally obvious that they were checking him over. " May I
help you, boys?" he questioned, his voice sounding like cold steel. They all quickly turned back around without a word and
sat silently. The man removed his hat and glasses, exposing his short dark hair and violet eyes. " I'll wait to order," he
said to me as I handed him a menu and put the extra down for his guest, who still hadn't showed up. I brought the football
players their food when Joel stood up and took me over to the corner of the cafe.
" Mina, do you know that guy?"
" No, I've never seen him. He giving you the creeps too?"
" Yeah. Did you see his hands?"
" Nope, had gloves on."
" Oh. Well, he took them off and they're covered in scars and burnt skin. I'd watch out for him, ya know. Can't you refuse
to serve him or something? Don't want you or anyone else getting hurt."
" Joel! I think you're overreacting, but I'll be careful. Raye and Lita didn't drag me through that karate class for
nothing.Now, go back and eat before your food gets cold. I'll be fine, trust me!"
Reluctantly he sat back down with his buddies. Sometimes I hated the way he was so overprotective of me. I guess he thought
of me as a sister or something. The bell up front rang again, meaning more people. Quickly, I passed out drinks to a table
of elderly men, all with fake teeth and walking canes. I hurried up to the front. Waiting was a guy, who could be as young
as fifteen or as old as twenty-one. He was dressed in total black with big comando boots.Obviously, the guy was here to
meet the trench coat man.He had the same bright violet eyes and dark, straight hair, except his was long and tied back in a
ponytail. " I'm meeting someone," he said as I got within hearing distance of him. " I know. Your father? He's this way," I
replied cooly as I started to walk with him trailing behind me. " My uncle, not my father.My father died." "Sorry to hear,"
I quickly said. The second we got near the table of football players, they all turned their attention to the guy following
me. The guy glanced over at all of them, before turning towards his uncle and sitting down across from him. Joel's group
started whispering to each other, and it didn't take a brain scientist to know what it was about. Luckily, the two
strangers ignored them. They gave me their orders a few minutes later.
As I came back with drinks for the two, I noticed Brian, the idiot of the football bunch, stand up and walk over to the
table. I cursed underneath my breathe, knowing that he was up to no good. " Who are you guys? And why you dressed so
funny?" Brian asked them while leaning over their table. " Please excuse Brian here. He was dropped on his head as a baby.
You don't have to answer him," I said quickly while bumping Brian away with a hip check. I gave the two a sweet smile as
I set down their drinks." Was just a question, Mina! Don't need to be butting in all the time, ya know. Besides, you're
just as curious as we are!" Brian exclaimed loudly. " Excuse us, will you?" I asked them while grabbing Brian's ear and
shoving him back over to his seat with a swift slap to the head. I pulled up an extra chair to the table and glanced at all
of them.
" What's up guys? Wanna fill me in? Since when did you become such morons? That is no way to treat another person! You guys
are gonna make me loose my job. You know that can't happen. Nobody would put up with you guys like I do. Now behave before
I kick you all out!" I yelled at the guys. I heard lots of grumbles and protests, but none of them could complain becuase
they knew I was right. I shook my finger in dissapointment at them before heading back to the two guys, who had just
sat there watching the whole thing. I apoligized to them again for the boys' rude behavior. " Quite alright, Mina," the
uncle said," you show great control over them. But you didn't have to bother. Zander and I are quite use to it."
" Do they go to Grover?"Zander asked me then, glaring over towards the table at Joel, who was giving him an evil look back.
" Yup, as do I. You going there or something?" I asked after moving in the way so that the two couldn't see each other
around me. Zander looked up at me for the first time since he got there. I must say, he scared the living daylights out of
me. A small smile formed on his face as he looked away from me. " There's nothing to be afraid of Mina. And yes, I will be
going there," he replied. I was barely able to keep from showing the shock that I was going through. How could he know that
he was starting to scare me? I quickly nodded and left to the kitchen, scared and hoping to run in to Raye.
" Mina, who are those people at the table? I'm getting weird vibes from them. Geez, you look as pale as a ghost!" she
exclaimed as a got there. I explained everything that had happened. She kept watching them as I told my story. Suddenly,
she gasped deeply. " No way, there's just no way," she said, cutting me off in midsentence. I gave her a puzzled look.
For the first time since I started talking to her, she looked at me. She pulled me in close and whispered in my ear," They
can't be human. There's just no way. They can read minds. That's how he knew you were afraid. We need to talk with the
scouts later. Just act normal around them and try not to think anything, ok? We'll talk later." I nodded and returned to my
job. Joel glanced over at me as I came back with a smile stretched across my face. I wasn't about to let Joel know that
there was something weird about the new guys.