Italicized Text is Thinking
Regular Text is Talking
Bold and Italicized Text is Text messaging
Tori POV
We walk into the diner and I fell in love with it right away. I look around the restaurant. The walls are a white with hints of blue. The counter is white top with blue and white tiles going down the side of it. There are blue stools lined in front the counter. The floor is scattered with blue and white tiles. Tables are color white. Booths and chairs are color blue. On the walls are signed pictures of celebrities, like Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, and David Bowie. Hanged on the wall is a black and gold electric vintage guitar that looks signed but I can't tell by who though. Waitresses in red uniforms swooping back and forward between helping customers and going to the back in the kitchen.
There are a few customers seated at the counter and booths. Some people are seated with another person or their families. While others are by themselves. The ages are all over, there is an elder couple are sitting at the corner table and two women who look to be in their 30's gossiping at a nearby booth. A guy who seems to be in his mid-20's sitting at the counter, drinking his coffee and reading something on his phone.
Beck and Jade lead me to a booth in the back. I slide in on one side and was surprised when Beck slide in right next to me. Jade didn't look surprised or angry by that and just slide in across from us.
"That is so weird, Jade always get upset when Beck doesn't sit next to her and he anywhere near me."
Beck called over a woman that looks to be in her 50's. She has on a red waitress outfit and a white apron around her waist. She looks to be about 5'4 and has blonde hair that is pulled back into a bun. She has a pencil sitting in her ear and the biggest and warmest smile that I ever saw. Immediately, I felt like I was at home.
"My, my. Jade and Beck. I haven't seen you guys in ages. How have you guys been?" The woman says.
"We're good. You know, same old, same old." Jade shrugs.
"Still giving them hell, huh Jade?" she teases. Jade smirks and pretends to zip her lips. The woman laughs.
"Ms. Janet, this is our friend Tori. Tori, this is Ms. Janet. She and her husband, Earl owns this restaurant. Me and Jade try to come here as often as we can, when we are not super busy" Beck jumps in. I reach out my hand, "Nice to meet you, Ms. Janet. This place looks so wonderful." I politely say. She grabs my hand and shakes it, "My god, look at you. You're absolutely gorgeous, sweetheart. It's nice to meet a friend of Jade and Beck."
I blush while Beck and Jade snickered at my embarrassment. I mock glare at them, "They are so ridiculous." Ms. Janet rolls her eyes at them, "You're both a bunch of children. Act your age, not your shoe size." She lightly scolds them with a teasing smile. I smile at her, "I like her, anybody who isn't afraid to scold Jade and get away with it sounds like a person that I would love to be around."
Both Jade and Beck gave Ms. Janet an innocent look. I have never seen Jade act so silly before, "You know that I'm not falling for that, right?" Ms. Janet says amused. I cover my smile with my hand. Jade gives me a small smirk and a wink. I try to ignore the flutter in my stomach.
"Anyways, let me get you kids started with something to drink." Ms. Janet asks while pulling the pad out of her apron and the pencil from behind her ear.
Jade order a black coffee and Beck order a vanilla milkshake. I order a glass of water but Beck talk me into getting a milkshake, so I order a strawberry milkshake. Ms. Janet wrote down our order and told us that she'll be back with our drinks. When she left, Beck slips his arm behind me on the back of where I'm sitting.
I freeze up and look at Jade. My mouth was ready to try to placate Jade but the words stop when I see the look on her face. It wasn't a look of disdain or hostility but a look of content and...slightly eager? "Why would she be eager about Beck's arm being almost around me?" I look at Beck and see that he got the same look on his face. I bite my lip and look at the menu that Ms. Janet brought to us when she came over to take our drink order. My mind's racing, "What is going on?"
The sound of someone clearing their throat made me look up. Jade started to speak when she sees that she have my attention, "So Vega, Beck and I invited you out with us for another reason besides you just hanging out with us." She was about to continue but Ms. Janet came back with our drinks. We order our foods and she heads back to the kitchen. I was thankful she brought our drinks so that I have something to do with my hands.
Jade continues as she stirs in two small packs of sugar into her coffee, "Like I was saying, we invited you out with us for another reason besides you just hanging out with us. Umm...we...I…" She pauses to take a breath, she looks to be having a hard time saying what she needs to say. "Jade is never nervous to say what is on her mind, I wonder what is going through her head." My heart is racing and I'm holding on to my glass to stop my hand from shaking with nerves.
Beck reaches over to grab one of Jade's hand and that seems to give her the confidence she needs, "Tori, I like you...romantically and I already knew that Beck has a crush on you as well. So we had a long talk about it and we decided that we want to pursue a relationship with you...if you have us."
I look at her face. I didn't see any hints of humor or that she is trying to trick me but she is a good actor and I was starting to doubt her but then I notice the hope and vulnerability in her eyes. Jade is a guarded person but she would never show raw emotions unless she is serious. Then I look over at Beck and he looks just as hopeful as she does. I know that he would never go along with this if this was a prank.
After a minute or two of silence, I finally speak. "I...think that I believe you and I truly want to believe you. So, before I say what I'm thinking, please be honest with me and tell me if this is a trick if it is."
Jade use her free hand to grab my hand, "Tori, I can promise you that I would never do something like this to play a trick on you. I can be mean but I'm not a cruel person." There was so much conviction and passion in her voice and eyes that she only uses with Beck, that I made me believe her.
"Okay, I believe you. I want to give us a try," That made both Beck and Jade light up like children in a candy store. Which made me feel bad for saying what about to say next. "But there are some things that we seriously need to talk about and clear up before anything can happen." I straighten up and my voice had a very serious tone to it to show that I'm serious. They both look nervous and look at each other before they turn back to me. Beck nods his heads for me to continue.
"Jade, me and you don't have the best history together and this needs to be clear out before moving forward."