Frank's Diner

"Hurry up, I'm freezing out here." Rey groaned, waiting outside the bar on Joanne.

"Sorry, I had to do the cash count." Joanne said, "Can we go for food? I'm so hungry." She moaned as Rey nodded.

"Yeah, me too." Rey agreed, "Burgers?" She asked.

"Literally anything." Joanne said, "How did your breakfast go this morning? Sorry I couldn't stay I just… you know, hate the smell of junkies." She nodded.

"Hey, don't be mean." Rey smacked her.

"What?" Joanne laughed.

"Would it kill you to see different sides to stories? He's got no family. He struggles to keep jobs down-"

"You have no family and you do just fine for yourself. Plus he's older, he should know better." Joanne said, "He's bad for you and you know it. This is what he does. He suckers you back in and then he'll hurt you again. It happens every single time. And is the sex even that good?"

"It's ok." Rey shrugged, "I can still care about him."

"Yeah, preferably without seeing him." Joanne said, "I'm just trying to look out for you, as your best friend." She nodded.

"Yeah and I'm trying to tell you that I know he's a loose cannon but I still care about him." Rey said, "I'm not getting back together with him but I can still check on him, can't I?" She asked.

"Hmm." Joanne hummed, "Somethings… some people, are better off alone."

"Oh, like me?" Rey asked.

"No, I meant him." Joanne said, "You're not alone. You got friends. You got me."

"I have you. I have my boss and I have the store owner a few blocks away. Oh and don't forget the prostitutes too." Rey rolled her eyes.

"So what? You got your full life ahead of you." Joanne said, "And it'll be great. This is just… the beginning, testing the water." She nodded.

"Didn't we say that a year ago?" Rey asked.

"Maybe." Joanne shrugged, "I still say you should find your parents." She nodded.

"No." Rey screwed her eyes up, "Why would I want to find the people who didn't want me?" She shook her head.

"Maybe they… had reasons. Did no one ever tell you?" Joanne asked.

"No." Rey said, "And I don't want to know. I want nothing to do with them." Rey made clear, "They didn't want me. I don't want them." She said as Joanne frowned.

"But I hate when it's Christmas and you… you stay in watching Bridget Jones." Joanne frowned.

"Bridget Jones has been there for me way more than my real parents. I don't even know what they look like. I just know their names. That's literally it." Rey said, "And that'll do."

"What were their names?" Joanne asked, linking her arms through Rey's as they walked down the street. She knew her friend struggled with the fact she really didn't have any family. She figured it was why they were so close. Joanne was really the only constant person in her life since she was little.

"Uh… April and Phil." Rey nodded.

"If their names are on the certificate, doesn't that mean they were… together? Maybe they had to give you away-"

"Don't stick up for them. What the hell?" Rey turned to her.

"I'm not. I'm just saying there's a lot of valid explanations to what happened I'm sure." Joanne shrugged.

"And I don't wanna hear them." Rey said, "They didn't love me when I was an innocent little baby, they certainly aren't gonna love me now." Rey said, "Can we drop this conversation?" She asked as Joanne nodded.

"Ok." Joanne nodded, "Frank's Diner? We good to get stuff from here?" She noticed the diner.

"Yeah, go on. They do good milkshakes." She said, walking into the diner with her friend.

"Hey, I am… so sorry I'm late." Punk shook his head, rushing into Frank's diner where AJ was sat at a booth already finished her milkshake, "I got… I got caught up at home and… I would have called-"

"Phil, it's ok." AJ shrugged and smiled, "Sit down." She said as he nodded, sliding into the booth. She was glad to see him finally and was even more glad she could get to see him without anyone else around.

After rushing, Punk got to finally sit down, looking across at her as he realised she wasn't even trying but looked insanely beautiful. Even just in jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, she was beautiful, and her smile was glowing.

"You look great." Punk nodded as AJ looked up from the menu and smiled.

"Even after I spilled my vanilla milkshake down myself?" She smiled, showing him the stain on her t-shirt, "My mom will kill me." She rolled her eyes as Punk smiled.

"I'm sure it'll wash fine." Punk nodded as she smiled.

They ordered some food which came pretty fast and the conversation began to flow. It wasn't like any date AJ had ever been on. She wasn't sitting anxiously trying to think of things to say, the words were just coming to her and he made her feel comfortable, and boy did he make her laugh. She laughed so much that she discovered she snorted whilst laughing. He was such a sweetheart to be around.

"You have a little brother, right?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, Dean. He's just a year younger." Punk nodded, "He goes to my old school. It seemed unnecessary to move him too when he hadn't done anything." He said as AJ nodded.

"It's hard to imagine you being anything but nice to people." AJ shook her head. She had a hard time imagining what he'd be like angry and violent. It just seemed like he would never be that way, but she knew there was a lot of layers to him.

"Well I got a switch, just like everyone does." Punk nodded.

"What makes that switch go off?" AJ asked him.

"I don't know, I guess… pushing too far." Punk said, "It's pretty stupid stuff. It's not worth mentioning. I promised myself that when I moved to this school, I'd be better." He nodded, "And so far things are actually going no too bad."

"Yeah, I even think you're humbling Jamie and his friends. Apparently they hold doors opened for people now. Who would have thought?" AJ smiled as Punk laughed to himself.

"Well that's good to know. I'm doing everyone a favour then." He nodded as AJ smiled, "Uh… when are you next cheerleading? You go to the games and stuff?" He asked her.

"Yeah, every game." AJ rolled her eyes, "There's one on Saturday."

"Woah, don't sound too excited." He laughed a little.

"No, it's not that." AJ said, "I don't know, I just feel like I do it because it's… it's what people expect." She shrugged, "I like dancing, it's fun, it's expression." She nodded, "But… I hate all the other stuff that comes with it."

"Like the pressure to date the top footballer in the school?" Punk asked as she smiled, "Who I heard you turned down by the way."

"Who told you that?" AJ rolled her eyes.

"Jamie. Of course." Punk said as AJ nodded.

"I… I didn't like him. He asked me out and he… it was like he knew I was going to say yes. He was cocky and smug." AJ shook her head, "I don't like that." She said, "I like honest people. Real people." She smiled.

"So you sent him on his way? What's his name again?" He asked.

"Tom." AJ nodded, "Yeah. It was no hard feelings. I just wasn't interested." AJ shrugged, "But I think it was the talk of the school for a lot of weeks. He didn't like that of course." She said, "It's just annoying when people expect something from you." She shook her head.

"Yeah, I get it." Punk nodded, "You wanna be seen without the cheerleading and the popular friends." He nodded. He felt like he already knew her. He felt like he knew what she wanted and he understood her.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." AJ nodded, "What do you wanna do when you leave school?" She asked him.

"I have no idea." Punk said, "Honestly. Not a clue. I wanna get far away from here, that's all I know."

"Like… travelling?" AJ asked.

"No, just… out of this town, out of the area." He said, "Start fresh somewhere." He shrugged.

"Sounds like you're running from something." AJ said as he looked down, "I'd like to get out of here too, I guess." She nodded.

"What do you wanna do?" Punk asked her.

"I don't know. I kinda wanna work in fashion but… my type of fashion." She said as Punk chuckled a little.

"What's your type of fashion?" Punk chuckled.

"Just normal clothes. Normally when people say they wanna work in fashion it means they wanna work in designer branches and what not but… why not do something with the casual stuff everyone wears?" She shrugged.

"And here I was thinking you'd wanna be a cheerleader forever." He teased as AJ smiled and laughed a little.

"You're funny." She nodded, "No, that would be a nightmare." She shook her head, glancing over at the time on the clock, "Oh God, have we really been here for four hours?" AJ laughed a little as Punk turned around to the clock.

"Do you have a curfew or something?" Punk laughed a little.

"Yeah, I do actually." AJ rolled her eyes, putting her jacket on as Punk shook his head.

"Wait… really?" Punk shook his head, not sure if she was joking or not.

"Really." AJ said, going slightly red with embarrassment.

"Oh, it's ok. I'll walk you home." He nodded, "I just need to order something for my brother and then we can shoot." He said.

"Thank you." AJ smiled, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom." She said as he nodded.

Punk ordered some food for his little brother whilst AJ used the bathroom, eventually leaving the diner and heading home. Punk of course refused to let AJ walk home by herself.

"I really enjoyed tonight." AJ smiled, folding her arms and looking up at him as they walked along the path. She almost wished her house was further away just to get some more time with him.

"Yeah, it was nice." Punk nodded, "We can hopefully do it again?" He questioned as AJ smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'd like that." AJ smiled, "I hope you know that… whatever it is you had to move schools for, it… it really doesn't matter to me." AJ nodded to him as he smiled, "I mean, we all make mistakes, we all… regret things, whatever." She said, "It's life. I'm sure it's not a reflection on who you are." She said.

"Thank you." Punk nodded, "I don't really talk to anyone about."

"Not your parents?" AJ asked him as he paused in silence, causing her to turn around as he quickly shook his head.

"Uh… nah, they're busy workers." Punk lied and smiled.

"Oh, mine too. Barely ever see them, and when I do they… they're on my case about something." She said, "Parents, huh?" She said as he nodded, "If you ever need to talk about it, I like to listen." She smiled and nodded as he looked down at her.

And he could tell she really did. She was interested in him. Cared about him almost, and he didn't really know that feeling after growing up the way he did.

"Well thank you." Punk nodded, "But I'm good. Jamie is a good friend, he'll keep me on the right path." He said as AJ smiled.

"Good." AJ nodded, "Uh… this is my house here." She pointed as Punk nodded, looking over. It seemed like a vibrant house. There were flowers in the garden, neatly hung curtains which were closed, a door light. Things he didn't have.

"I guess I'll see you at school then?" Punk asked as AJ nodded.

"Yeah." AJ smiled, waiting around awkwardly as he looked down at her. The sad but wonderful thing was, she didn't want the night to end. She really could have sat in that booth talking to him all night.

He wasn't going to keep her waiting, he knew what she was after and he had no problem delivering. He leaned forward, cupping her neck softly and pressing his lips against hers softly, kissing his slowly and sweetly as she melted into him.

She'd never had a kiss like it. She felt high from it. It was so gentle yet made with a statement. His lips were soft and he knew how to move in rhythm whilst pulling her tight to his body. She felt wanted by him and it helped that she had real, genuine feelings for him.

They eventually pulled back, staying close to one another as she looked up at him and smiled, laughing to herself and resting her forehead on his chest.

"What?" Punk laughed.

"Nothing." AJ smiled, "That… that was nice." AJ said as he nodded, "I should go." She said as he nodded.

"Go on." He nodded as she smiled, squeezing his hand sweetly before walking off through her gate. He waited until she had gotten into the house before turning back around and heading home with the biggest smile on his face.

When AJ had gotten home, she began to run upstairs, feeling ecstatic and giddy, when she was suddenly called upon from the living room. She groaned to herself and walked back down the few steps she had climbed, walking into the living room where she saw her mother and father sitting.

As an only child, the focus was one hundred percent always on her, and it wasn't healthy for any of them.

"Hi." AJ smiled to them.

"Dinner with Eve was it?" Her mother, Janet questioned, "Because that didn't look like Eve you were out there with." She folded her arms.

"So I had a date, big deal?" AJ shrugged.

"Big deal?" Her father, Billy asked, "You need to focus on school, young lady. And… and where did that boy even come from? He looks like he's homeless."

"Don't say that." AJ shook her head, "That's an awful thing to say." She warned them.

"Well because it's true. Your father's right." Janet said, "Boys do not help you get to college, April. And if you're going to have a boyfriend, you may as well make it someone who has a bright future ahead of them-"

"You two are unbelievable. How about just be happy for me in whatever I want?" AJ questioned, "Is that so hard?"

"Enough of that back chat!" Billy exclaimed as AJ jumped a little, "Now go to your room and don't come out. You're on thin ice." He warned as AJ backed up out of the living room and ran upstairs.

That was just a normal day for her. A normal conversation with her parents. She wasn't used to anything else.