DISCLAIMER: I do not own the anime Beyblade or any of its character. The lucky jerk who does is Takao Aoki, so do not sue me for anything of the sort. I only own Samantha, any other characters you don't happen to recognize from the series and the plot line

Samantha Starnette: bookworm, happy-go-lucky, can't sit still for more than thirty seconds, hates boredom, hates silence… So why did she agree to take this job again? Oh yeah, she really wanted the extra money. Right now, she's wondering if this complete and utter boredom was worth 6.50 an hour. It might've been, if she had brought something to do. Like, I don't know, a book. Maybe a book of sudoku puzzles, or even a deck of cards to play solitaire. There really was nothing else better to do. To think she practically begged her parents for the last week to let her get this job.

She had already cleaned all the tables and seats twice, she cleaned all the dishes, Roy, her boss, showed her how to work the cash register, she vacuumed the rug, swept the kitchen floor, mopped a bit… The only thing she didn't do was clean the toilets, which Roy offered to do himself since she had done everything else. He was busy doing that at the moment while she just sat here, bored out of her mind, willing someone to come through the door.

Ohhh… Come on, someone PLEASE walk through the door… Please? Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeease? Sam thought to herself, trying, if nothing else, to entertain herself. She stretched her arms in front of her, reaching as far as she can across the counter. She rested her head on her arms for a few moments before deciding it was too uncomfortable of a position to stay in for any period of time.

She heard a heavy sigh behind her and turned around to see Roy, standing there with a disappointed look on his face.

"I'm sorry Samantha," he said apologetically. "I really was hoping for at least someone to come in today. I didn't mean to have you clean everything."

"It's okay, I don't mind, really," Sam said sincerely to her boss. She let a smile stretch her face. "Besides, if I sat around all day, then I'm not really doing any work to get paid for. Oh, and it's Sam, please," she said as an afterthought.

"All right," he said, smiling back at his new employee.

Ding

Almost immediately after the end of their conversation, the door opens and they hear that little bell. They both turn their gaze to the door and see a family of three come in the door. The woman was pretty hefty, wearing a pair of jeans and a nice shirt made out of a soft kind of material with a bit of floral print that Sam thought was very pretty. She had beautiful long blue hair, reaching mid-back and dark brown eyes. The man also had blue hair, only it was a few shades darker, almost a grayish color, and matched the woman in eye color. He was wearing black dress pants and a white button down shirt, almost like a suit except for the jacket and tie. His hair was sticking up all over the place, like he got it wet then shook it out and didn't bother to smooth it down.

Then there was the teenager. The boy close to her age. The boy who was the hottest guy she had ever seen. Absolutely no contest. He obviously got his hair color from both of her parents, having his dad's grayish blue color in the front, spiking up everywhere, and his mom's dark blue hair in the back trailing down to the nape of his neck. He wore a black jacket over a Nickelback band T-shirt - a jacket in the middle of summer, what the hell? - and black jeans with gray tennis shoes. His brown eyes which almost seemed to have a reddish tint to them looked around the restaurant as soon as he walked in, looking for something. His gaze finally landed on Sam, who immediately blushed and looked away up to Roy who walked forward to shake hands with the man and woman.

"Alek, Elizabeth!" Roy greeted them with a grin then looked down at the teenager. "Hey there Kai! I don't know if Ray's told you yet, but he's free now. I finally hired a waitress. Practically tripped over his feet on the way out, the little whiner." Kai smirked in satisfaction at the fact that now he has his friend back so they can all play basketball and football together.

"I thought the place would be busier! I mean, it has just opened, hasn't it?" Elizabeth asked her best friend's son. She had come here to help support him, she loved him like her own son. It hurt her to see that he hasn't had much business yet.

"Yeah, a few weeks ago. You guys are the first all day, actually. I honestly don't know where everyone is. Poor Sam's been bored all day. Hopefully there'll be more for her to do tomorrow." All three pairs of eyes landed on her and Sam blushed, getting up from her spot behind the counter and picked up three menus. She smoothed out her plain dark red T-shirt and made sure her dark blue apron was on tightly over her black slacks. Menus in hand, she walked over to the gathering of people, two of which smiled warmly at her. The woman shook her hand and introduced herself.

"My name is Elizabeth Hiwatari, and this is my husband Alek and son Kai Hiwatari," both of them ducked their heads politely as she said their name to indicate who was who. "I'm so glad that Roy was able to find someone to work for him. He still needs a few more though, you can't work all the time," she sighed in disappointment.

"We'll be sure to help any way we can, we'll drag people here if we need to," Alek said, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. Sam noted that he had a slight accent. Russian maybe, or something else like it.

"Definitely!" Elizabeth agreed. "Well, if you'll excuse us, I'm absolutely starving! We didn't come just to chat you know."

Roy laughed and said, "Of course! Go on and sit down wherever and I'll leave Sam to her job."

Roy walked back into the kitchen and Sam followed the Hiwataris to a booth next to the window. She set down the menus in front of them and brought out the order pad and pen Roy had given her that morning.

"Do you guys want anything to drink?" Sam asked politely with a smile and Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari smiled back. Elizabeth wanted a water, Alek wanted an iced tea, and Kai asked for a coke. Sam wrote all three down then left to let them look over the menus and to get their drinks. All the while she was thinking of Kai, thinking about how incredibly good-looking he was. Then her thoughts drifted to her own appearance and knew he wouldn't even give her a second glance. A wave of sadness briefly passed over her as she thought of this but managed to push it away while walking back over to their table carefully, trying not to spill their drinks.

Kai Hiwatari, trying not to fall asleep from boredom listening to his parents talk, glanced up toward his parents when he heard a question directed at him.

"So Kai, excited for school in a few weeks?" his mom asked.

"Oh yes, just ecstatic. Woo-hoo," he replied dully, his tone covered in sarcasm.

"Oh, you know you are, don't even pull that with me," Elizabeth scolded her son. She then clarified her statement in an tone that stated that it should be obvious. "You'll get to hang out with all your friends again!"

Kai, tone matching his mother's, said, "Where do you think I go all the time? The Senior Citizen's Center to be a volunteer? I do hang out with all my friends. The only difference with school is that I'll also be surrounded by other kids who are annoying and won't leave us alone. There's also the teachers who have everything against us and love to pile on homework that we only finish halfway into the night."

"Tell me about it," Alek muttered, remembering his own youth at his own school.

"School's not all bad, I thought it was fun!" Elizabeth argued.

"That's 'cause you were a teacher's pet, honey," her husband teased, only earning him a smack in the back of the head. She glared at him for a moment before a realization came over her.

"I know what you need, Kai! A girlfriend!" she squealed, thinking of all the possibilities.

Kai felt like he could've choked on something. "What?" he demanded, completely embarrassed. The only relief he felt was from the fact that they were the only people in here besides Ray's older brother and that new waitress whose name he has already forgotten.

"And I'm not talking about those week-long relationships you and your friends always get into. I'm talking about a serious relationship with someone who really cares about you! That's what you need! Maybe then you'll be excited for school just to be able to see her!"

Kai slapped his hand over his face and groaned quietly. This was not something he particularly enjoyed talking with his mother about. Luckily, before she could add anything else, the waitress came around with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Kai just decided to get a cheeseburger. He didn't feel like looking through the menu at the moment. Maybe next time. His mother and father also told her their orders and she walked off to give it to Roy.

He shrunk in his seat hoping with all his might that his mother wouldn't bring up the subject again. When she didn't and the food came, he thanked the gods above and dug in, realizing that the food actually was pretty good. Definitely a place to come back to. He took a bite of his burger and looked around the restaurant. While he wouldn't ever admit it, he was thinking about what his mother said about a long-term girlfriend. He ran through the girls he knew, searching for someone he might consider as one, although he had no intention to. Mariah was nice as far as girls though, although it was plainly obvious she was practically in love with Ray. He's oblivious as ever, but it always works that way for some reason. Emily was okay, a bit too sarcastic and bossy for his taste but she and Max liked each other. Hilary was definitely good-looking but man, was she annoying! Such a teacher's pet! There were a number of other girls he ran through, and he categorized each one. There weren't many he would be willing to have as a long-term girlfriend. Oh well, he wasn't planning on getting one anytime soon anyway. He doesn't want some girl with a plastic face for a wife. If she needed plastic surgery in the first place, who knows what she originally looked like? He shuddered inwardly at the thought.

Alek and Elizabeth chatted a little while longer with Roy, before Kai followed them out of the restaurant, planning on calling Ray and getting everyone together for a game of football. He smirked at the thought of tackling everyone roughly to the ground. Yep, he definitely could wait for school to start.

Roy let Sam go home shortly after the Hiwataris left, assuming that no one else would show up for the night. He fervently hoped that more people would show up tomorrow - he needed them to keep this place! He had dreamed of owning a restaurant ever since he was little. He loved the idea of cooking for other people.

As Sam walked home in the setting sunlight, she thought again about Kai Hiwatari. Roy had mentioned that he went to Abbey Private High too. She hadn't thought much about the people there and what they looked and acted like. She imagined pretty girls who were a size two, beautiful girls who had a bit more meat on them, clear faces, soft, shiny hair, flawless skin… Her self-esteem took a huge hit just thinking about it. She didn't even want to entertain the thought of actually seeing these beautiful girls in person. And who knows what the guys there would think of her. They would probably pass right by her as if she were invisible. Her heart hurt. Her stomach felt like there was a huge hole in it. Like she needed this on top of going to one of the best high schools in the country. She sighed heavily and walked into her front door.

"BOO!"

Sam jumped like a bolt of lightning went through her and stumbled back. She heard laughter and saw her brother pointing at her from behind the front door.

Ooooohh, he was so going to get it…

Hello! Well, I haven't gotten much reviews (NONE!) and I was reaaaaaaally, really hoping that more people could review! It would make me sooo happy! Plus, I have some four and five already written, and if enough people review by next weekend, I just might post #4 before then, Hint, hint. And then five will also be put up next Sunday. I'm going to try to update every week to the best of my ability. It shouldn't be much of a problem.

So, anyway, please, please review, and also know that a chapter won't be posted until my beta deems it okay. So, while most chapters will probably be written by the next update date, if I don't post it when I say, then just go bug Ayesha. XD Not really, she's busy with school like all of us.

Thank you soo very much! Muchas love! KuramaKitty