After fifteen minutes or so Ace had finished his burger and he was sick of watching Alex push hers around her plate. He grabbed the plate slicked with grease and stacked it on top of his own then pushed it between them both.
Ace's eyes stared daggers at Alex. He wasn't mad but he was worried. To explain his feeling towards Alex would be beyond difficult. Complex emotions intertwined into a rope of emotions, overlapping and connecting. He was her best friend, a brother, a protector. But sometimes he was more. Ace was never good with words. He wasn't a poet or a future author. His skill was in dissecting other peoples words. He was a human lie detector. Lately though Alex's words hadn't been entirely truthful. She had been claiming she was sick disappearing for days, then after a quick chat with Vince he'd find out she was fine. Just at home watching tv. Ace didn't like being lied to.
Though with Alex, Ace was gutless. He didn't want to disrupt the peace by asking her. Well that's what he told himself. Really he was too scared to know the answer.
It only took minutes before Hilary came skipping up to the booth, her baby blue apron swaying above her knees.
She stood inches from Alex so to be practically facing Ace. All lips and boobs, pouted to excess. Pleading for attention.
"Here you go Acey-Baby" she giggled, leaning forward to pass him their bill. He took it from her hand carelessly and she responded by blowing him a kiss then running back to the counter.
"Here you go Acey-Baby" Alex mimicked. She pushed out her chest and blew him a kiss like Hilary had done. She faked a laugh so sickeningly sweet the whole Diner could of developed Diabetes.
He stifled a low chuckle and went ahead with looking at the bill.
"Hey Hilary your math is wrong" Ace called to the bimbo "You only charged us a dollar fifty, that's one burger"
A hair flick and a smile answered him. She swaggered to the table and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"No mistake Hun" she winked "I payed for your half so only Alex left to cover her share. Least I could do for you Hun" hear hand explored Ace's muscled shoulder. Her voice was light, soft, friendly even, but there were deep undertones shown from her eyes. Hilary was as clear as glass. She wasn't going to let this seem like a date. She thought she was the first girl to try this. Please, Alex thought. She'd been dealing with girls like this since day one.
Alex shoved her hand in her pocket but Ace reached over and grabbed her arm immobilising her. Through her skin Alex could feel hate and anger ripping though her. It radiated onto Ace and maybe even through to Hilary. It burnt like the ends of a thousand, million cigarettes were pressed against their skin from the inside.
He reached in his own pocket pulled out a couple of dollar bills and threw them on the table.
His grip tightened around Alex's arm as he full on lifted her out of the faux leather booth seat. She landed on her feet lightly but barely had time to pause as he nudged her to the exit.
Once finally out the doors and safe by a few meters the profanities began.
"Stupid fucking whore! What a..." and so on, and so on. Ace spat the words. He could never be trodden down. He had too much spirit. Maybe not the right kind or even the healthy type, but he had spirit at least. No matter how many times he was treated badly he came back fighting every time.
Alex didn't say a word. She slipped a cigarette from her packet and pulled out a box of matches lighting the end. Hilary's actions didn't catch her out. She was a second class citizen, even in a group of second class citizens.
"...I mean what the hell was that?" Ace's rant was finally over and Alex cautiously tuned in.
"Why you bitching and moaning? No different than any other shit. I always get girls like that, it doesn't even touch me anymore" She soothed. Ace didn't diffuse. He stayed a live wire, ready to burst or spark at any moment.
Alex looked at him, their eyes met and Alex had never seen his so clear. For a second there he wasn't Ace, the womaniser. He wasn't Ace, feared leader of The Cobras. In fact he wasn't even Ace for a second there he was John.
Ace shuddered gaining composure. He'd lost his cool, only a minor lapse. He put his arm round Alex like he had before, then stole the cigarette place between her fingers.
"Hey homo! Give it back!" Alex spun between laughs.
"Shut up bitch! Make me" Ace shot back coolly.
"Okay" was all Alex managed before catching Ace off guard and slamming her fist into his crotch making him double over. She slipped the cigarette back to her right hand without another word as the blonde boy groaned.
"You did ask for it" she replied wrapping an arm round his neck as he walked crooked and wayward towards the Pool Hall.
Finally Ace lifted up his head. His pain it seemed to now of subsided.
He place a hand under her chin and tilted her face towards his.
"You're dead, you realise that don't you?"
