Bonnie knew she was going to die of boredom any minute now. She had accepted her dreadful fate.

Here she was, in the Two Whales Diner, covering for her manager/another waitress, Joyce. Bonnie had been working at the Two Whales Diner for a good portion of her whole summer, a futile attempt to make money to stay in accommodation for next year at Blackwell Academy. She had been working every day of the summer, her only break being the weekday.

Unfortunately for her, Joyce had pleadingly asked for her to cover her next few shifts so she could go on a weekend away trip with her husband, David Madsen. A morally grey security guard at the Academy, a man that Bonnie did her best to stay away from. He may be security, but she did not trust him at all. Not one bit. She knew of his plans for Blackwell Academy next year, to plant security cameras all across the academy, including the dorms, it baffled her that the people on the board might consider it. Just the thought of middle-aged men having access to what goes on inside the girls' dorm raised disgusting shudders all across her body. No, she didn't like to think about it.

And as much as she hated David Madsen, she just couldn't say no to Joyce.

So here she was, 4:43 AM at the Two Whales Diner, open 24 hours a day. An open sketchbook at her side as she sketched out a new face. With no one to serve but herself and the chef in the kitchen. Robert. A 43-year-old chef who sang off-tune to the little radio in the kitchen and gave her free cookies that had just come out of the oven before they went into the glass container on the counter. She liked Robert, but not enough to spend a boring 8-hour overnight shift with absolutely no customers.

Well, that was until she heard the bell ring, signalling someone entering the Diner. Looking up, to her shock, was Nathan. Nathan Prescott.

Sure, she had seen him around the Academy, but she tried her best to never get in his way. She wouldn't dare. Closing up her sketchbook before he could see it, she tucked her blonde hair behind her ears as she tried to smile at him, trying to remain upbeat. Even though he was Nathan Prescott, he was still a customer.

"Welcome to the Two Whales Diner, what can I do for you in this fine middle of the night?", she asked, propping herself up to feign off the sleep that wanted to take her. He looked up at her, his eyes just as tired as hers, his blue cold eyes looked at her judgingly, as if recognising her, but not quite knowing where from. His hair was slightly dishevelled, and she couldn't help but notice the darkness under his eyes. She wasn't going to ask him what he was doing here at 4:43 AM. After all, it wasn't her business.

"I need a coffee".

There was no question in that, just pure demand, no light-heartedness either. So, he was a grump when tired, she noted. Immediately refilling the now cold coffee pot with hot, pure black coffee, with freshly ground beans. She didn't ask if he wanted a latte, a cappuccino, or an espresso. He looked like the type to have just pure, black coffee. Placing it on the counter, her cold fingers leaving the warmth of the mug, she asked.

"That'll be $1.50, would you like to pay now or later?"

"Later", came his one-word reply. Bonnie nodded, taking the hint, and moving just aways from him, he obviously wanted to be alone, and she could respect that. Refilling her own mug with coffee, she re-opened her sketchbook, going back to her sketch of Robert. She continued on with his cheeky smile, his darkened cheeks as he blushed, his slightly receding hairline pushed back, the shine on his glasses, she remembered that exact moment. Joyce had called him handsome, had given him a quick peck on the cheek, and Bonnie had the luxury of seeing it first-hand. His delighted face as he awkwardly looked down and continued to fry the eggs for the next order.

"That's good", jumping in surprise she looked over to see Nathan leaning over the counter, watching as she drew more and more lines to create such a realistic picture of a human.

"Oh, uh, thanks", she stammered, "It's uh, of the chef".

"Do I know you?", he asked, ignoring her first statement. Blue eyes stared at her intently, looking into her brown ones. It felt as if he was staring into her soul, seeing everything that she had ever thought of, dreamt of, every memory. It was honestly quite unnerving.

"I uh, go to Blackwell Academy, you might've seen me around", she responded, going back to her drawing of Rob. Humming slightly under her breath as she went, Nathan went silent for a minute, and all she could hear was the occasional sipping of his coffee, Robert's off-tune singing in the kitchen, and her pencil making contact with the paper as she continued her sketch, forming lines into hair, shading into the depths to make the eyes glisten, and then, at last, her small signature by his ear.

And on it went, Bonnie didn't know how long they were sitting there, her making a new sketch, him asking for more coffee, her refilling his coffee and going back to the comfortable silence once again. It was a nice silence, not awkward, not tense, just comfortable. Every so often she could feel Nathan stare at her, a curious look in his eye as if trying to figure her out. And after a few minutes of staring, he would go back to looking down at his coffee. She wouldn't say a word.

Soon enough 6 AM rolled around, and a few of the truckers she knew came in, ready to start their morning coffee before heading off to work. And as soon as they entered, Nathan left, leaving a handful of bills on the counter, way more than what he should've paid for. Placing it in the till she looked up and smiled at the truck driver. She never knew his name, always referring to him in her head as "Truck Driver". He was quite grumpy, always breaking their mugs, and on numerous occasions, he complained about the lack of beer being served at the Diner. But she didn't mind his complaints, she heard them every day. She got used to the normality. Her days were always the same. Except for that little anomaly of Nathan Prescott.

She thought Nathan Prescott going to the Two Whales Diner in the middle of the night would've been the one-off. But nope. The next evening, it was about 3:57 AM, Bonnie was still covering for Joyce that night, it would be the last night of covering for Joyce and Bonnie couldn't make the shift go faster. Robert was asleep, she could hear the light snores coming from the kitchen, she decided not to wake him up. Her new sketch was of Nathan Prescott. She was drawing him like he was yesterday, leaned over his coffee, shoulders slumped, head leaning against one hand. She had just done the outline and was starting on his half-covered face, adding in his furrowed brows and neutral, slightly turned-down lips.

"Drawing me now, are you?" came a voice.

Jumping, Bonnie looked up to see the very drawing in front of her. Nathan Prescott. Only this time, his slightly turned down lips were pulled up into a smile. Embarrassment flushed over her, her cheeks going into a voluminous red. He'd caught her.

"Well, I, uh–", she stammered, unable to get her words out. He laughed out loud this time; his voice was slightly husky.

"It's' fine, I get it, I'm insanely handsome and you just wanted to capture my beauty", he joked, finally sitting down on the bar stool in front of her.

"I, sure, that's why. Your beauty is prominent and amazed me off my feet that I just had to draw you as my muse", she joked along with him, feeling a smile creep up on her lips. "Anyway, my handsome muse, what would you like? Same as yesterday?", she asked, remembering she still had a job to do.

"Same as yesterday", he repeated back.

And that became the routine.