G'day!
Welcome to the third chapter for Anything But Mine.
I hope you're all doing well. This chapter is pretty much the last of the prologue. There's not too much to talk about really, but one thing I do want to mention: I'm going to finish writing the rest of this story before publishing the next chapter. That means, the next update for this story could be in a year's time, but fear not, the story will not be abandoned. I'd rather just get it finished and be able to update the remaining (main) part of the story frequently enough that you'll remember what happened in the previous chapter. Other than that, enjoy this fairly short chapter (short for my standards anyway).
Just a small reminder: This story starts in Cleveland, Tennessee, not Cleveland, Ohio. I understand when you see Cleveland, you may presume I'm referring to the one in Ohio because it's the more populated one, and then get confused by certain aspects of the story. So, just keep in mind that, in this AU, Mr Ping and Po live in Cleveland, Tennessee. That should resolve any confusion.
To everyone here today, thank you for taking the time to read my works. I highly encourage you to leave a review. Reviews are an extremely helpful guide for me to understand how these chapters are being perceived. Without reviews, I'm working off my own judgement, and while I do my best to make sure these chapters are of the highest quality that I can produce, getting feedback is invaluable. I'm not asking for long essay-like reviews. If there's something you liked about a chapter, let me know. If you think something could be improved on, let me know. The only way I'll know is if you tell me. If you'd rather send me a PM, that is also fine. My PMs are open anytime. All reviews (or PMs) are welcomed (as long as they're acceptable), whether it's positive feedback or constructive criticism. Your reviews will help shape this story, so don't be afraid to share your thoughts. I'll respect the time you take to leave a review.
Anyway, before we get on with the show, the important stuff...
Disclaimer 1: All characters used in the story are property of DreamWorks (except for the characters randomly created by me throughout the story. The settings are AU).
Disclaimer 2: All songs used in this story will be disclaimed in the end notes (so songs that are included in the story aren't spoilt).
Without further ado, I proudly present to you... Anything But Mine - chapter 3!
Please Read, Review & Enjoy!
Anything But Mine - Chapter 3
Several hours had passed since Po left his hometown of Cleveland. By now, he was travelling eastward on the I-20, having passed through the Atlanta Interstate only ten minutes earlier. Despite his travels progressing as planned, there were many, many hours of driving ahead before setting his sights on Myrtle Beach. Heck, he had only been driving for three hours; the same amount of time the sun had been up. In saying that, his journey so far had been trouble free, blessed with beautiful blue skies along the entire drive. The only hassle Po faced was having to navigate through the Atlanta Interstate complexity. He had never driven through it before, and as a result, it caused some serious headaches.
Thankfully, Po managed to navigate his way through the interstate without making a wrong turn and ending up somewhere in Alabama. With the Atlanta metropolitan area fading away in the rear-view mirror, Po could set his sights on his first destination, Covington, where he planned to stop for breakfast. Covington was about thirty-five miles east of Atlanta, and given Po had almost driven halfway there, he should arrive at Covington in about fifteen-to-twenty minutes. Until then, all he could do was remain focused on the roads. The drive hadn't been boring, though. Apart from having to avoid the odd ignoramus driver, who appeared to have obtained their licence from a cereal box, listening to the radio provided superb entertainment.
Not only was Po singing along to the songs he knew, but just having some background noise kept the trip from being dead silent. There's something about the road and the radio that blends together without overcomplicating anything. Add in pristine driving conditions to places he had never seen before, it's no wonder Po was enjoying every minute of his time. And he was only three hours into the journey. Myrtle Beach was still at least eight hours away. This trip was about to get a whole lot better, though, with the intro to a massive Bruce Springsteen hit, "Dancing In The Dark" coming on the radio. If you know the song, feel free to join in and throw your head about like whiplash doesn't exist while bellowing out the lyrics to this classic hit.
I get up in the evenin'
And I ain't got nothin' to say
I come home in the mornin'
I go to bed feelin' the same way
I ain't nothin' but tired
Man, I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there, baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
Messages keeps gettin' clearer
Radio's on and I'm movin' 'round my place
I check my look in the mirror
Wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain't gettin' nowhere
I'm just livin' in a dump like this
There's somethin' happenin' somewhere
Baby, I just know that there is
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancin' in the dark
As Po continued jamming out to "Dancing In The Dark", he passed a sign on the I-20, gaining his attention and snapping him away from his jam. The exit for Covington was five miles ahead. To know his first destination was fast approaching was both exciting and relieving. Exciting because, not only would he get to satisfy his rumbling stomach with some delicious food, but it marked the first stop, and checkpoint, in his journey. At his current speed, Po should arrive in Covington almost smack bang on eight-thirty, right as scheduled. He planned to stop in Covington for about forty-five minutes to have something to eat and give his father a call before returning to the roads for the next segment.
The reason Po was relieved Covington was a few minutes away was fairly simple. Not only had he been travelling for almost three and a half hours straight and needed to stretch out, but his urge for the toilet had been growing exponentially as each minute passed. After a couple more minutes of driving along the I-20, upon passing over the top of a shallow crest, the exit for Covington appeared up ahead. Po flicked on his right blinker, indicating his intentions to leave the interstate. He rounded the exiting ramp and soon found himself driving along the main road that passed through the middle of Covington. It was a beautiful town; one he had never visited before.
Covington appeared similar in size to Cleveland. The roads weren't too busy, which was nice not having to wait for heavy traffic, but it wasn't dead quiet either. In fact, the traffic so far had been fairly minimal, with very few delays along the way. Now, all Po had to do was park at Macdonald's, where he planned to stop for breakfast. What he would get for breakfast remained undecided, but anything that was edible would be enough. Despite the traffic doing its best to not impede on Po's need to relieve himself, the traffic lights certainly didn't have the same idea. There's nothing more frustrating than having to stop at a set of lights for one car, but after being forced to stop at three consecutive sets of lights, Po's patience began to wear thin.
Once the fourth set of lights turned red, some friendly words slipped under Po's breath. He still had one more set of lights to pass through before reaching McDonald's, and with his bladder screaming under pressure, time was not on his side. After the lights turned green, up ahead, Po could see the next set of lights were also green, making him increase his speed to hover on the speed limit, but ensured he wasn't going over the limit. He couldn't afford to get pulled over. Not with his need for the toilet reaching critical levels. When it seemed like he would make it through the lights, they changed to orange, forcing Po to brake harder than he would have liked. Had he continued, he wouldn't have made it through the intersection before the lights turned red.
Thankfully, the lights didn't stay red for long. After entering the McDonald's carpark and parking in the shade, Po jumped out of his car and locked it, before making a mad dash for the fast-food restaurant's bathroom, whispering to himself to hold on. To his great relief, he made it into the cubicle just in time, allowing his bladder to relax. With that crisis averted, now that his bladder wasn't on the brink of bursting, Po could think about what he wanted for breakfast. He was in that much of a hurry for the restroom that, when he returned to the front counter area, he didn't even notice how quiet the store was. There was just one older couple sitting in the store, enjoying their breakfast together.
Without even knowing them, it brought a smile to his face, seeing them living in their own world, enjoying each other's company. Deep inside, Po wondered, when he reached their age, whether he would have the chance to reminisce on his life and feel satisfied with the life he had lived, but still enjoy the life he was living with someone who loved him as much as he loved them. Maybe one day. He's fortunate to only be twenty-two. The best parts of his life are still awaiting him. Before Po could entwine himself deeper into his thoughts, his rumbling stomach gained his immediate attention. Not wanting to starve his body of food for any longer, Po approached the front cashier, where a youngish girl, maybe around the age of sixteen or seventeen, stood.
"Good morning, sir. What can I get for you today?"
"Morning. Um … can I get a sausage and egg McMuffin meal with a large roast coffee, thanks?"
"Certainly." The girl tapped the screen in front of her a few times, before looking at Po. "Was that all for this morning?"
"Ahh … could you also add an extra hash brown on the side, thanks?"
"Of course." Once again, the girl tapped the screen a few times. "So, that was a sausage and egg McMuffin meal with a large roast coffee and an extra hash brown?"
"Yep. Perfect."
"Can I get you anything else?"
"Ah, no, that's all, thanks."
"That comes to ten dollars and thirty-eight cents." The girl, seeing Po take out his credit card, gestured to the EFTPOS machine. "When you're ready, sir." Po hovered his card over the EFTPOS machine until it made the high-pitched 'beep', signalling the transaction had been completed successfully. Moments later, the machine printed out a receipt, with his order number and details printed on it. The girl grabbed the receipt and handed it to Po. "We'll call out when your order is ready."
"Thank you." Po took the receipt before going over and sitting down at the table closest to the front counter. Upon sitting down, he checked the time on his phone. It was eight-forty-two. Plenty of time to eat, without needing to scoff his food down, and also call his father. There wasn't much going through Po's mind at this point. He was just staring at the floor, waiting for his order to be ready. Although he wasn't thinking about much at the moment, throughout the entire trip, Po had been wondering how his father was going with preparing the restaurant before it opened at eleven. Most mornings, unless Po had to leave for university, he would spend the morning preparing the dining area while his father prepared the kitchen.
Today, however, and for every morning until Po returned, Mr Ping would need to prepare the dining area on top of the kitchen. Thankfully, Mr Ping won't need to manage the restaurant by himself. They have three other employees, two chefs and one other waiter, who work at the restaurant. During normal circumstances, the two chefs are required to begin at nine, while the other employee, who waiters alongside Po, isn't required to clock on until ten-thirty. However, to cover for Po's absence, Mr Ping had made alternative arrangements with the other employees, requesting them to start half an hour earlier. That meant, at this time, Mr Ping would most likely be preparing the dining area while the two chefs would be starting production in the kitchen.
It won't be the first time Mr Ping will have to manage the restaurant without Po's assistance, but it will definitely be one of the longest periods. Technically speaking, the restaurant is Mr Ping's responsibility, given it is registered under his name. That doesn't deter Po from helping his father and sharing the responsibilities that come with operating a restaurant. During business hours, Mr Ping, who is the manager and head chef, oversees the operations of the restaurant while Po manages the waitering side of the business. That allows Mr Ping to focus on preparing the food, without needing to worry about the servicing of the food, knowing it is under Po's control.
While Po is away, having the time of his life at Myrtle Beach, Mr Ping will need to remain extra vigilant of the servicing of the food, given he will only have one waiter at his disposal. That won't trouble Mr Ping, though. He has plenty of experience in managing the restaurant on his own. Outside of business hours, Mr Ping manages everything relating to the restaurant. He would often refuse Po's help, because he didn't want to distract Po from his studies. After all, the restaurant was his responsibility. Po's responsibility was to finish his degree. Now that Po had finished his degree, he could dedicate more time towards the restaurant, but Mr Ping knew his son's time at home was limited.
One day, life would cause Po to leave the nest to follow his own path. To take on his own adventures and endeavours. But until life dragged Po away from home, he could become more involved and assist his father with the administrative responsibilities that came with operating a restaurant. It takes a serious commitment to keep a business afloat. Po has watched his father do so for as long as he can remember, and while his absence shouldn't affect the restaurant, he cannot help but ponder. That's not saying he doubted his father's abilities. It was quite the opposite. Po knew nothing would overcome his father's experience. The more, the merrier his father would often say during peak rush. Usually followed by chuckles laced in anxiety, but he knew what his father meant.
It wasn't uncommon for the restaurant to operate at full capacity, but once closing time arrived, it was always worth the craziness. Their bodies often ached from fatigue, but their back pockets jingled with happiness. A result of their hard work. There's a reason their restaurant is highly popular in their small town. When you combine delicious foods with excellent service, it only leaves you craving to experience it again and again. That there, in a nutshell, is the taste of success. Of course, success doesn't just happen overnight. Well, for most, anyway. It takes years of practice and perseverance. Some will give up after their first failure, but those that persevere through the failures will be rewarded with success.
A small chuckle escaped through Po's nose as he thought back to his earliest memories of learning the trade of hospitality. More specifically, waitering. It certainly wasn't an easy learning curve, but despite making numerous mistakes over the years, his father would always pick him up and dust him off. Mistakes are life's way of teaching you valuable lessons. Without mistakes, you'd never know how to improve. Besides, what waitron hasn't tripped carrying a serving tray? That's life. Every failure presents an opportunity to understand what made us fail, so when the same situation arises, we are better prepared to avoid repeating the same failure.
"Your order is ready, sir?" the girl said, gaining Po's attention. Po jumped up and scurried over to the front counter, collecting his meal from the girl. "Have a nice day."
"Thank you. You too." Upon leaving the store, Po walked back to his car and was about to unlock it when he decided he'd rather eat breakfast outside, in the shade. Some wooden barriers lined the edge of the carpark, separating the adjoining parklands from the carpark, but also provided an unintentional seating area. After sitting down, Po checked the time on his phone, seeing it was eight-fifty. Eight-fifty-one now. Plenty of time to eat and call his father. For now, it was time to satisfy his rumbling stomach and tuck into some delicious-smelling, mouth-watering breakfast. The first bite of the hash brown was like heaven. Its crispy coat produced a satisfying crunch, while the inside was soft and delicious.
With just a few bites, Po had demolished the hash brown. Just as well he brought an extra one, but before digging into it, he better give his father a call. Otherwise, Mr Ping would become worried about not having heard from his son. Upon pulling out his phone, Po dialled his father. The phone did its weird dial-tone thing, before ringing repeatedly. After three rings, Po's hopes of his father answering lowered with each ring until, eventually, the ringing stopped as Mr Ping's voicemail started playing. Po sighed, ending the call. "He mustn't have his phone with him … maybe I'll just call the restaurant," Po whispered to himself. Po waited for a few seconds, as the phone rang, before he heard the phone being picked up through the call.
"Hello. This is Mr Ping's Restaurant. Timothy speaking. How may I help you today?"
"Hey, Timmy! It's Po."
"Oh, hey, man! How's it going? How's ya trip going?"
"Yeah, it's goin' alright. I've just stopped in Covington for breakfast. How's the restaurant lookin'?"
"Shaun and I are just starting up everything in the kitchen at the moment. Your father's been out preparing the dining area since we got here. Oh. Your dad's just walked into the kitchen. Lemme grab him for ya."
"Thanks, Timmy."
"Hey, Mr Ping? Po's on the phone," Po heard Tim say to his father through the phone.
"Po? What's wrong?"
"Huh? Nothing's wrong, Dad. I'm just calling to let you know I made it to Covington."
"So, you're not in trouble?"
"No, no. I'm fine, Dad. I've just stopped for breakfast."
"Oh. Well, how has the drive been? Any troubles with the car?"
"Nah, the car's travelled fine, Dad. It, um, it was pretty easy-going, you know. Not much traffic on the interstate."
"That's excellent, Po. And you're in Covington now, right?"
"Yeah. I've just stopped here for breakfast. It's a nice town. Not too busy. Have you been to Covington before?"
"Hmm … not that I can remember, Po."
"Oh. So, how's the restaurant going? Tim said you were preparing the dining area."
"Yes. I've just finished vacuuming the floor, but I still have to prepare the seating arrangements. Sorry, I can't talk for long, Po. We've still got lots of prep to do before opening."
"That's okay, Dad. I just wanted to give you a call to let you know I was alright."
"Thank you for letting me know, Po. Make sure you let me know how you're travelling throughout the day, okay?"
"Will do, Dad."
"I'll call you tonight after the restaurant closes. Will that be okay?"
"Yeah, of course, Dad. I'll let you know when I get to Myrtle Beach. Should be around four-thirty. Maybe five."
"That's fine, Po. Take your time and remember to stop for a rest every couple of hours. I have to run now, Po, but if you need to contact me during the day, ring the restaurant, okay?"
"Will do, Dad. Talk to you tonight, I guess."
"Yep. I'll call you tonight. Drive safe, Po."
"Bye, Dad."
The end of the conversation meant Po could finish devouring the rest of his breakfast before it became cold. Despite it being three minutes to nine, like his father said, there was no need to rush. Although, that could appear rather hypocritical, given his father seemed to be doing the complete opposite to not rushing, but they were under different circumstances. It wasn't unusual for them to be rushing around, preparing the restaurant before it opened. Po, on the other hand, could sit here in the shade, provided by the trees, and enjoy the peace for once. This was an opportunity for him to unwind, rejuvenate his mental state, enjoy the new sceneries, and eat plenty of food over the next two weeks.
With breakfast finished, it was time to return to the roads and continue the journey to Myrtle Beach. Po unlocked his car and hopped in, thanking himself for having parked in the shade. It prevented his car from baking in the direct sunlight and becoming an oven. After fuelling up at the petrol station and buying himself a packet of chips for the drive, Po was on his way again. Next stop: Lexington. Well, kinda. Rather than going into the town of Lexington, Po had planned to stop at the small service area between Lexington and Red Bank, just off the I-20. That made it much simpler, and less time consuming. But anyway, with a hundred-and-seventy-five-mile journey to this service area, it was time to sit back and cruise along the interstate, while listening to some fine tunes playing on the radio.
[End Notes]
That concludes the end of this chapter. What did you think? Lemme know in the reviews (or PM me if that's your preferred option).
*Disclaimer: The lyrics used in this chapter were written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen
Fun fact: Bruce Springsteen was one of the many artists who inspired Kenny Chesney... Kenny even covered one of his songs, "One Step Up", on an album back in 2002. A great song. But who doesn't enjoy the song 'Dancing In The Dark"? Whenever it comes on the radio or my Spotify playlist, it's difficult to not sing and dance along. Maybe it's just me. Also... if you watch the official music video for it... who recognises the women that dances with Bruce at the end of the video? Pretty easy to recognise her, but those who are fans of the comedy show, "F.R.I.E.N.D.S." would recognise her instantly. Another fun fact: she was only 20 in that video... a few years before Friends became a thing. Pretty cool, huh?
Please don't be afraid to provide constructive criticism or correct me on anything that's inaccurate. If there are any parts which you think could be reassessed, please don't be afraid to let me know. Getting constructive criticism will help me shape this story. If there's something you think I could improve on, the only way I will know is if you tell me, so don't be afraid to. In addition, if you spot any mistakes (grammatically or punctuationally), do let me know too. I may edit my works thoroughly, but mistakes are bound to slip past me here and there.
Anyway, like I said at the start, I'm gonna finish writing this story, so while the next upload may not be until next year, the story is not going to be abandoned. That I can promise.
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter.
Until next time, take care and stay safe!
Footrot Flats :)