It was warm inside the building Mana and Allen went into. The ceilings were high and the lights were dim, just enough for you to see without bumping into or tripping on something. They walked down a hallway with small lanterns strung every 2 feet dimly lit as well. The building looked slightly run-down but not disgusting. The walls and floors were made of wood, which creaked with every step, the little bit of wall-paper was peeling off, and the ceiling was full of water stains.
"Mana look our rooms coming up!" Allen excitedly whispered tugging on Mana's jacket.
"I see." He said patting Allen's head.
They stopped at a door with the words 'Main Act' written on a piece of paper, and walked in. Mana walked Allen over to a stool and sat him down.
"Now do you remember what to do?" Mana asked.
"Mhm." Allen said shaking his head.
"If the police show up you run out of the Arena, slipping through the show entrance, down the hall to the left and out the back exit. Hide near the dumpster and wait for me. If I don't come within 5 minutes and they haven't found you, dash for the fence and move the 3rd to last wooden plank from your right out of the way and run for it. Do you understand?"
"Yes Mana."
"Good. Now are you ready for the show?"
"Yes Mana!" Allen answered excitedly.
"Good it will be starting very soon. Any last questions or acts you want to try one last time?" Mana asked.
"No sir!" Allen answered.
"Alright then, lets get you in the costume!" Mana said lifting him off the seat and placing him on the floor.
They redressed in their new attire, Allen wearing a skin tight suit that on his right arm starts white at the wrist and as it goes up it gets progressively redder until it hits his left arm and cuts off at the shoulder. The torso fades down to black starting around his waist and ends at his ankles, then as shoes he wears pointy-toed elf shoes with black bells at the tip. His face is painted with a butterfly from the corner of his left eye across his face, hiding his scar. Mana is dressed as an air-balloon clown with a black top hat on.
Once they finished applying makeup and face paint they walked out of their room and to the right a few doors down and into the 'Backstage' room, where they sat on the couch and waited until their time to go on. The show was already more than half way over by the time they arrived, not like it mattered because they were the final act. The last to preform and the most important of them all, the 'Grand Finale."
Friday night. About an hour into Allen's shift. So far work was work. Kanda still wasn't telling him anything and insulting him when he got the chance, or at least, what Allen thought was a string of insults...
Dinner shift wasn't very busy so far. Kanda and he had a different section assigned than the night before. This was his last night of training and he could get a full section and not part of Kanda's tables tomorrow night. So far Allen hadn't spilled anything or made a mess, but it was only an hour into the night and he still had 5 more to go. He continued to greet people and get their drinks, occasionally helping Kanda clean off a table or two and then getting bitched at for it with Kanda saying,
"I got it moyashi." "Move it bean-sprout." "Outta the way short stuff."
All the mean while Allen was holding himself back for the sake of the customers.
Allen walked over to the hostess counter where Sachiko was standing.
"So how was work last night? Did you enjoy your first day?" She asked.
"It was alright! Tomorrow is my last day of training so then I can make my own tips!" Allen said excitedly. "However Kanda... Kanda is being a bloody pain in my arse." Allen stated more solemnly.
"You're not the only one who thinks so..." Sachiko responded.
"Glad to hear." Allen said.
"Are there any questions you want to ask me? Anything you're not understanding or that Kanda hasn't gone over?" She asked.
"Well could you help me to go over the cleaning list for the night?" Allen asked.
"Sure no prob.!" She replied.
"Thank you!"
"So follow me and I'll show you some things."
"Yes ma'am!" Allen said walking behind her. They walked from the cash register to the left, down the stairs and to the right all the way down the hall to the wait-station.
"Here is the cleaning list, you need to initial beside what you've done only AFTER you've done it."
"Yes ma'am."
"I say it that way because people are marking things that they haven't done, as if they had done them and forgetting they have yet to do them. Needless to say things aren't getting done."
"Yes ma'am no problem!" Allen responded.
"This is the list you have to complete toni- wait Kanda hasn't gone over this with you yet?... Oh what am I saying... he doesn't like talking to people of-course he hasn't." She said chuckling to herself.
"Yeah..." Allen chimed in.
"So anyway, these are the things you have to do." She said pointing to a portion of the list. "Not to hard."
"Thank you very much!" Allen replied.
"No problem! Anything else I can help you with?"
"Not that I can think of right now. But I will let you know if I have another question!" Allen said then smiled at her.
"Okie Dokie! I'm going back to the front now good luck tonight!" She said walking away.
Allen stayed and looked at the cleaning list for the night. Seeing as this was his second night training he would like to do things properly. Last night all he did was vacuum because Kanda shoved it in his face. After a few minutes of making sure he had everything ready Allen went back to his and Kanda's section.
"Where the fuck have you been shorty." Kanda stated arms crossed and a pissed look on his face.
"None of your business!" Allen sneered back.
My is he rude! Allen thought.
"Che." Kanda huffed walking to a table that just sat.
"Kanda! What am I supposed to do!" Allen called after.
"Go ask table 'C3' what they want to drink." Kanda said on his way back to the table drinks in hand.
"Wha-?" Allen said trotting after Kanda.
"That table there. Third to the left along the wall. Drinks." Kanda said pointing.
A "Che." could be heard from Kanda as Allen walked over to the table to get their drinks.
As Allen approached the table he froze. The person at the table slowly looked up.
"Hey! Is that who I think it is?" The person said.
"L-lavi!"
"Lil buddy!"
"Wha-what are you doing here?" Allen asked.
"Just coming to grab some food." Lavi said.
"Well what can I get you to drink?" Allen asked.
"Can I get an peach-tea?" Lavi asked.
"Will you be eating tonight...Or is it desert only again?"
"Not sure right now." He said smiling.
"Alright I'll be back with your peach-tea."
"Alrighty."
Allen returned later with a tall round glass filled with tea and a few slices of peaches.
"That looks absolutely delicious!" Allen said as he sat the drink on the table for Lavi.
"That it does lil buddy." Lavi said grabbing the drink and taking a sip. "Tastes that way to." Lavi said.
Allen's face turned 3 shades deep red.
D-d-did he just wink at me?Allen thought.
"What's wrong lil buddy why are you so red? Are you hot?" Lavi asked.
"N-no reason." Allen said scurrying off.
"Haha he didn't even ask if I was ready to order." Lavi said as Allen walked away.
Allen ducked around the corner to the wait-station.
What is Wrong with me? Allen calm down you probably just mistook his blink for a wink. Yeah. He is wearing an eye-patch after all. Ah! I didn't even ask what he decided!
Allen walked back to Lavi's table.
"Have you decided what you want to order Lavi?"
"Yeah I would like to order the Bruschetta. What all comes on it?"
"The bruschetta? Lavi. What else could poss- ah excuse me. Its Fresh locally-grown tomatoes and fresh mozzarella served on oven-toasted artisan bread. It also comes with a small side salad served with our balsamic Italian dressing."
"Ah ah what was that first part? Any way sounds great i'll take it." Lavi said chuckling handing Allen the menu.
"Is that all Lavi? You know that's just an appetizer right?"
"Yes I know I plan on getting desert too!"
"Lavi! You don't eat very healthy."
"I do! I have a salad and some fruit on the way!"
"Fruit?" Allen asked.
"To-mat-o's." Lavi said smiling.
"Lavi a tomato is a vegetable."
"Sure it is lil buddy."
"I'll be right back with your order." Allen said putting one hand on the table and one on his hip bending into Lavi's eye-level view he said.
"Vegetable." Then walked away.
"Ha. He's definitely interesting." Lavi said watching Allen walk away.
About 10 minutes later Allen returned with Lavi's bruschetta and a refill of peach-tea.
"Thank you!" Lavi said.
"Can I get you anything else?"
"Yeah I'd like to go ahead and put my order in for desert. I'll take the chocolate Lava cake, vanilla ice-cream please."
"Alright I'll put that in for you." Allen said then walked to the kitchen then walked around and looked at the other tables Kanda and he were taking care of. A few minutes later Allen walked back to Lavi's table.
"How is everything Lavi?" Allen asked.
"It's great!"
"Very well. Your desert will be out in a few minutes."
"Alrighty."
"And with that note I will go check on it." Allen said smiling and walking away.
"Shorty!" Kanda called as Allen headed toward the kitchen.
"What Kanda." Allen said with a scowl on his face.
"Take these to 'C6'." He said shoving drinks Allen's way.
"Fine." Allen said then delivered the drinks.
After delivering the drinks and checked his tables again. He returned to the kitchen to find that Lavi's desert was ready. Grabbing a tray and placing the desert on it he made his way back to Lavi's table.
"Here you are Lavi." Allen said placing the plate on the table for Lavi.
"Is there anything else that I can get for you?" Allen asked picking up the dirty dishes from the table.
"Yeah can I get a coffee to go with this?" Lavi asked.
"Yes you can. What kind would you like?"
"Can I have a hazelnut coffee with a caramel drizzle?"
"Iced or hot?" Allen asked.
"Hot please."
"Alright I'll be right back with that."
"Here you go Lavi." Allen said placing the drink on the table.
"Thanks. Do you want a bit?" Lavi asked cutting off a piece of the hot cake for Allen and scooping up a bit of ice-cream to go with it.
"I'm good thank you." Allen said lying. More than anything did he want to try the piece of cake. It looked so good. Allen loved deserts anyway. He was a 'sweets eater.'
"Suit yourself." Lavi said eating the bite himself.
Allen internally pouted.
"Don't pout now I know you want a bite." Lavi said.
"What?" Allen asked a confused look on his face.
"Don't lie to me I totally saw through you, you want a bite admit it!" Lavi said with a smirk.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Allen said turning and walking away.
Allen walked over to Kanda who was taking a quick break.
"Kanda is there anything I can do?"
"Sit. Break time."
"Well if you aren't a man of few words." Allen said.
Kanda ignored Allen in favor of looking through his phone.
Did Lavi really see through me? Did he really see that I would give anything to get a bite of that deliciously yummy cake? Allen... calm down... it was probably a lucky guess. Nothing big.
"Allen breaks over get back to work." Kanda called.
"Huh.. oh ok."
"Che." Kanda said walking away.
Allen returned to Lavi's table. Here's your check I'll be back to pick it up when you're ready.
"Here! Here! Allen wait just a minute." Lavi said grabbing his wallet. "Here you are." Lavi said smiling.
"Alright I'll be right back with it..." Allen said slowly grabbing the credit card and bill.
Allen returned moments later and returned the bill and card to Lavi.
"Thanks lil buddy!" Lavi said he filled in the tip and closed to the booklet before Allen could even get a peek. "Okie Dokie! I'll see you at school on Monday or something!" Lavi said waving and walking away.
"Bye Lavi." Allen said.
After Lavi left the rest of the night went bye a bit slow. But fast enough for Allen's tastes. He had one last day of training on Monday and this weekend off. After Monday he would be on his own and able to make some real money instead of the money from the few tables he took from Kanda.
I still can't believe Lavi left me 8 bucks for a tip!
Allen arrived home after an hours' worth of clean up with Kanda who this time made him clean bathrooms, vacuum, do 'fill ups' which consisted of ALL the condiments on the table, taught him how to fold the silverware, and restock the wait-station and wait-station 'fill ups.'
"Time to jump in the shower." Allen said walking in the bathroom striping as he went.
Allen adjusted the water to just the right temperature and jumped in. The water felt just so great. He stood there for about a good five or six minutes and almost fell asleep before he realized he needed to hurry and shower because it was 12 at night. Even if it was the weekend he had had a stressful first week back at school since...
Twenty minutes later the squeak from the shower could be heard turning off and the water flow slowing to a stop. The tub gowned under Allen's feet as he stepped out from it onto the towel he laid down. He walked over to the mirror and brushed his hand across it so that he could see his reflection.
An image of a terror stricken face flashed at Allen only for the smallest of moments. If he hadn't been paying attention it wouldn't have registered. Allen thrust his hand a bit to roughly at the window to cover his face sounding like he all but slapped the mirror.
What was that?
Allen slowly let his hand fall down leaving fingermarks trailing down the fogged mirror.
Pull yourself together Allen you can't let this keep tearing at you. You can't be afraid of your own reflection!
After a few minutes he pulled himself together and wrapped a towel around himself then went to his room to get his pj's on and go to bed. As usual Tim came prancing up to him and rubbed against his leg. Allen sat down at the computer and decided to try and see if FunnyBunnie0173 had logged on to IM.
W#ite_CL0wN has signed on.
"Nope... still no sign of him where could he be?" Allen said.
W#ite_CL0wN logged off.
Allen shut down his computer and decided to turn in for the night after all it was about 1:20 a.m. Soon after Allen drifted off.