The Four

Mickey's Diner bustled with vibrant life. The saltiness of sizzling beef and bacon hung thick amid the faint sweetness of freshly baked pastries. Waitresses shouted orders at the kitchen as they rushed between tables, delivering trays of fresh food, while the cooks worked systematically, stacking burgers, preparing the meals, and lining them up for serving on the pass. But despite the fast-paced goings-on, the customers looked relaxed just shootin' the breeze across tables, or chowing down on the freshly made food. The space was larger than The Blue Point - almost twice the floor area, but still, they managed to pack it full. Every booth overflowed on that Friday afternoon - older couples, families, their children - this place had them all. I could see why. I could feel it. There was a vibe in the atmosphere like this was the place to be.

Oh... and they had a milk bar. Saying I was jealous would be an understatement.

"Hey Cass," Chris said. "You came."

Chris and Gordie were seated next to each other at a table just to the left of the entranceway with two other boys their age seated opposite them. Chris scooted over a little, leaving an open spot for me. I tucked my backpack under my seat, noticing the humongous store-front window at our backs. Everyone walking past could stare right in at us - talk about lack of privacy. That was about the only thing I could fault though. Other than that, the place seemed organized and pristinely clean. The red leather seats had a freshness to them that could lift your spirit. No tears at the seams like ours, no scuff marks or dusty stuffing spilling through the cracks of the leather. The matching red table shone like a mirror, and the chrome edging was polished. The black and white checkered floor looked brand new with not a smudge to be seen, and the walls were painted the brightest white. I felt like I was sitting in a dream - my dream for our diner.

Chris offered me a fry from Gordie's little basket as the two boys sitting across from us stared at me. The one on the left gazed at me scrutinizingly, his eyes obscured behind black-rimmed glasses with lenses thicker than a milk bottle. The boy on the right started at me wide-eyed, his bright blues sparkling out of his round face as fry after fry disappeared into his mouth. With every chew, his adorable cheeks puffed up into these squeezable squishies that I just wanted to grab and squish.

"Are you lost?" Glasses asked me.

"This is Teddy and Vern," Chris introduced me, gesturing to Glasses first. "Guys, this is Cass. She's from the Blue Point."

Teddy's eyes went from me, to Chris, then to me, then to Chris. "I know that... but why-"

"She's here to snoop on the competition." Chris chuckled at me, and I shoved him in the arm. "I invited her."

Teddy shrugged, then grabbed one of Vern's fries from his little woven basket and ate it.

"Hey! Those are mine!" Vern mumbled through his chewed food.

"Sharing is caring," Teddy smirked.

Vern picked up his eating pace, his cheeks becoming rounder as he crammed more and more fries in.

"Woah!" Teddy pointed towards the booth across the aisle from ours, drawing Vern's attention. "Did you see that?"

Vern followed Teddy's pointing finger, but there was really nothing to look at. The group who were sitting there had just left, so all that remained were trays and leftover milkshake glasses. Even so, Vern stared expectantly, a long fry waggling from his lips as he chewed it in.

Quick as a whip, Teddy swiped Vern's milkshake, took a long and stealthy draw through the straw, then put it back and played innocent like nothing had happened.

"What was it?" Vern asked, still chewing and utterly unaware that he was down an inch or two of his milkshake.

"It just happened again!" Teddy pointed. Vern looked.

"I don't see it, Teddy!"

"It'll happen, just watch or you'll miss it!"

As Vern, again, stared into nothing, Teddy reached for Vern's brand-new burger and took a large bite, right out of the back of it.

Chris and Gordie chuckled at the pair.

"What was it?" Vern eventually asked. He seemed really serious about knowing what he had missed.

"Eh… it was nothing." Teddy grinned slyly, licking a sliver of mayo from the corner of his mouth.

Vern wrapped his hands around his 'new' burger, grinning as he licked his lips. "Heh heh…" he snickered. He brought it to his mouth but then stopped and stared at it for a moment. Something seemed off. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "This has pickles! I said no pickles, right?!" He lifted off the top bun, threw out anything green, and then popped the bun back on, seemingly oblivious to the big chunk missing from the back. His mouth stretched wide as he went in for the biggest mouthful, and then sunk that burger bite by bite like he was going for gold in an eating competition.

"Are you still waiting on your food?" I asked Teddy. "How long have you been here?"

"Well, hello there, you!" Our waitress pranced towards us, beaming excitedly at Chris and I, her notebook at the ready.

She stood tall and slender in her burgundy uniform, and her blonde tresses in perfect curls swayed around her long neck as she moved. Her two front teeth protruded slightly from the rest in the line, and she spoke with the trademark laid-back drawl of a Californian accent. An accent I was all too familiar with since it matched my own.

"And who is this new face at our fine establishment? Say, ain't you the waitress from that lil' diner down the road?"

I shrunk down, embarrassed at being recognized so quickly.

"Pity what's happenin' to that place. Well, Sunshine, if you ever need a job, we need weekend staff! So, don't you ever hesitate to come right across the road and ask, you got that?"

I glanced at Chris from under my brow and he gave me a remorseful look.

"Now, what'll it be then?"

"I'm not hungry…" I said.

"Oh, come now. You just gotta try the grub our Mickey cooks up! You'll have a chicken burger meal that nobody around here can beat, and I mean nobody! And for you boys?"

"I'm waiting on a burger," Gordie said before putting another fry into his mouth.

"Oh - so you are!" I'll check where that's at in a bit.

Chris emptied his pocket and dumped a bunch of coins on the table. The waitress's eyes lit up at the sight of the money, and before Chris could finish counting it to see what he could afford, she scooped up every penny and dropped it into the side pocket of her apron. "Boy-oh-boy, this will get you a bunch!"

"Wait on," I butted in, "give Chris his money back. I'm paying."

"Cassie, I said I'd buy for you-"

"We want two chicken burger meals, and two milkshakes," I told her. "Oh, and Teddy here is still waiting too, don't forget."

"Teddy?" the waitress said, putting Chris's money back on the table. "I thought you didn't wanna order anythin' today darl'?"

"Uhh…" Teddy stuttered.

"Make that three chicken burger meals," I said, searching my backpack for coins. "Do you want anything more to eat, Vern?"

Vern's eyes lit up. "Oh, boy - really?" he chuffed. "I'll have-"

"He's fine," Chris quickly butted in.

Vern's face slumped, and those cheery cheeks looked so… disappointed.

"He'll order like you just wrote him a blank check," Chris whispered to me.

"And an extra Coca-Cola," I told the waitress.

Vern's face lit up again. "With cherry syrup?!"

I cocked an eyebrow like he couldn't be serious. "Cherry-flavored Coca-Cola?"

"Not a problem!" the waitress said, writing the final note on her notepad.

I spilled three dollars something in coins on the table, and before I could count it she gladly swiped it up, and into her pocket, it went. "You'll love our food, Sunshine," she said, elbowing me hard in the arm. "We're the talk of the town, and for good reason! Oh, and by the way, I'll be makin' ya'll's milkshakes today. You're in for a real special treat!" She did an exaggerated wink at me before trotting off, apron strings swinging behind her.

"I thought you said the waitresses here are nice?" I murmured to Chris, still rubbing the pain out of my arm.

"Well, at least, one of them is." Chris nudged Gordie who was staring straight ahead into the room, his eyes covertly following the second waitress.

"You should go talk to her," Chris said.

The girl looked no more than fifteen and moved from table to table gracefully like a swan, balancing multiple trays of food at once while delivering them and taking more orders. Her burgundy waitress dress fitted tight against her petite body, and the bright lights overhead reflected off her bouncy raven curls, which were pinned up in a neat bun.

"Nah, she's too busy," Gordie replied, his gaze never leaving her.

"Come on, man - you can't keep comin' in here just to stare at her! Go say hi!"

Gordie pressed his lips together, a determined expression forming on his face. "You really think so?"

"Definitely. You got the balls, Lachance, come on!"

"Wait…" Teddy said. "Gordie's got the hots for Belinda?! Yeh-heh-hoo!" His cackle rang out, a high-pitched ring that sounded like a male witch riding a broomstick. "But she's so… old!"

"Oh, come on, Teddy," Chris said. "She's not that much older than us."

"She's in high school!"

"So what?" Gordie said. "She's mature."

"And we know what he means by that!" Vern laughed.

"Piss off, Vern," Gordie shot back. "Fuck you guys, I'm goin' over there."

"Good for you, Gordie," I encouraged him as I began to get up to let him out. But before I could even stand, three young ladies burst through the entrance and stood in the aisle, blocking my way.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they dressed in pretty, neatly pressed dresses that swished around their ankles as they chatted excitedly with each other. With the way they held themselves so confidently and with an aura of maturity about them, I guessed they were probably seniors in high school, if not older.

"Where shall we sit today?" one asked, hugging her books to her chest as she peered around the room.

"Is that… Bryce Pemberton?!" another whispered to the others.

"He's in college now."

"Well, I know that, silly!"

A broad-looking guy with blonde hair sat with his arm draped around a young lady as he leisurely plucked fries from a little basket to eat. He was clad in a black jacket boasting a bright orange letter "O" on the chest which I immediately recognized. Oregon State University.

"Ain't it just awful what happened to him? Just awful!" the first girl said.

"He was supposed to go into college with a Football scholarship and all," said another. "But now… he's just goin' to college," she sighed.

"At least he survived…" replied the first.

The third girl, who had been quiet this whole time, anxiously nudged her friends. "This really ain't the time or the place, girls." She gestured at Gordie, and all three of them stared at him guiltily.

"Oh… Hi Gordon," the first girl stuttered. "We're sorry… we didn't see you there." All three girls looked at each other, their awkward expressions tainting their pretty faces.

Gordie's gaze was fixed on the table before him. He seemed in a trance-like state, lost in his own world. Chris, Teddy, and Vern exchanged glances, their shoulders slightly slumped, seeming saddened, somehow. I nudged Chris, curious for answers, but he shook his head, indicating that now was not the time to pry.

"Let's go sit with Marcy," one of the young ladies said, and she linked arms with both her friends and led them to the other side of the diner.

"You OK, Gordie?" Chris asked.

Gordie nodded at the table without a word, while the young waitress cast a glance our way from the the far side of the diner. A slight grin lifted the corners of her lips, and she took a brave breath as she smoothed her hair, her face beaming with anticipation.

"Hey," Chris nudged his friend, "Belinda."

Gordie snapped to attention, his eyes widening in sudden anxiety. "Oh, shit…"

As Belinda glided toward us, I couldn't help but envy her effortless grace—until her focus on us caused her to forget to watch where she was going. She bumped into one of the customers but quickly recovered, her warm smile undimmed. However, it didn't seem like she was watching Gordie.

"Hi Chris," she said dreamily, flashing him a lingering, flirtatious grin before starting to stack the dirty trays from the opposite table.

Teddy's eyes went wide behind his glasses. Vern, with a hand on his belly, struggled to keep his eyes open—either clueless about what was happening or just too content to care. Gordie, on the other hand, stared at Belinda's back with a forlorn expression, as if every dream he'd ever had had just been shattered. I felt for him, I really did. But no one at our table seemed more stunned than Chris. He stuttered, like he'd forgotten how to make his mouth form words, his face turning fire-engine red and practically glowing.

The waitress finished wiping the table and collected the trays. "Bye, Chris," she hummed, nearly tripping over her own feet as she walked off.

Chris stared speechless at Gordie. Gordie stared speechless at Chris.

"What the hell was that?" Teddy asked, turning to Chris with a mischievous grin. "You got the hots for her too?"

Chris stammered, his words coming out in a jumble of barely audible sounds.

"Stealing your best friend's girl, man. That ain't cool," Teddy continued to tease, poking at him.

"I'm not stealing anyone!" Chris shot back, finally finding his voice. "I didn't even know—"

"It doesn't matter," Gordie interrupted, his tone resigned. "She likes you. Not me."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Great goin', Chris."

"Shut up, Teddy!" Chris snapped in frustration.

Teddy smirked. "I don't shut up, I grow up. And when I look at you, I—"

BANG! We all jumped as something slammed against the large window behind us with a loud, dull thud. The impact was so strong, I felt the vibrations ripple through me. For a split second, I thought something heavy had fallen against it, but then I saw two scowling faces glaring at us through the window, one of them with their fist still pressed against the glass.

"You know them?" I asked Chris.

Chris shot up from his seat, instantly on high alert. He tried to push past me, but I blocked his way, my hand firm against his chest. "Stay where you are," I told him, my tone leaving no room for argument. The memory of Ace hurting Chris was too fresh, and there was no way I was going to let that happen again—over my dead body.

The two guys stormed through the diner door, the bell jangling loudly in their wake. The shorter of the two bared his crooked teeth like a snarling wolf. He had wide shoulders that made his head look disproportionately small, but the menace in his eyes set my nerves on edge. He moved with a dangerous, unpredictable energy. Everything about them screamed trouble—the rebellious leather jackets, the blue jeans, the worn Converse sneakers, and the greasy black hair combed to perfection as if they had spent hours in front of a mirror just to get it right.

The shorter guy pointed a finger at Vern, his voice a harsh snarl. "What are you playin' at, Vern, you little asshole? No one touches my ride!"

Vern turned a whiter shade of pale, his hands shooting up in defense. "It wasn't me! I swear, it wasn't me!"

"Oh yeah?" growled the little wolf. "Well, Moke saw you, man! You'd better—"

The other guy, who I assumed was 'Moke' (maybe short for 'Smoke'?), interrupted with a sharp punch to his buddy's arm. "Not him, you idiot! Him!" He jabbed a finger in Teddy's direction.

"Four-eyes…" the little wolf grunted, his gaze locking onto Teddy.

Teddy recoiled slightly but stayed seated in the booth, sizing up this crazed guy through his thick glasses. Vern, on the other hand… Actually, I had no idea where Vern was. He'd vanished faster than I could blink; one second he was there, the next he wasn't. That left Teddy exposed and alone to whatever was coming.

"You been messin' with my ride?" the guy demanded.

Teddy's lips curled into a subtle, defiant grin. "It ain't a ride if you ain't able to drive it, Dickwad…"

Chris's eyes darted between the pair, panic flickering in them. "What did you do, Teddy?" he whispered.

"Nothin'," Teddy shrugged, then added with a smirk, "Much…"

In a flash, the guy lunged into the booth, grabbing Teddy by the collar and yanking him across the bench seat until he tumbled out and hit the linoleum with a hard thud.

"Jack! Leave him alone!" Chris shouted, trying to push past me. He even attempted to scramble up onto the table, but I grabbed his… my… T-shirt and held him back.

"Stay out of it, you little twerp," Moke barked.

Jack was now trying to haul Teddy onto his feet by the back of his shirt, but Teddy squirmed and rolled on the narrow strip of linoleum, laughing defiantly as he wriggled out of every grip. It was almost funny to watch. Almost. Until Jack's frustration boiled over and he lashed out with a loose-laced Converse, booting Teddy hard in the ribs. Teddy made a horrible gurgling sound as his glasses flew off his face and skidded across the floor.

Chris broke free from my grip and leaped over the table like a superhero, rushing to Teddy's aid. "Are you okay, man?" he asked, swiping Teddy's glasses off the floor and helping him to his feet.

Teddy wheezed, clutching his stomach, and Chris positioned himself in front of him as a shield.

Jack, sizing Chris up, sneered, "Christopher…" There was a hint of madness in those beady eyes.

The moment Jack laid his sights on Chris, I rushed over to intervene. "Guys..." I warned, trying to keep my voice calm. "Why don't we all sit down and talk this-"

"Was I talkin' to you, sweetpea?" Jack snapped, spinning around to glare at me.

"Sweetpea?" I laughed at him. The absurdity of the nickname almost made me forget the tension.

"Who are you, anyway?" he demanded.

"She's the chick from the Blue Point," Moke chimed in, a smirk on his face. "Ace said not to trust her."

Hearing that got right under my skin. The heat rose to my face. Ace had been spreading the word not to trust me? But what really threw me was that these guys were chummy with Ace. I hadn't expected that connection, and it was... unsettling in the least.

"Well," Jack sneered, "if Ace don't like her… grab her and make sure she don't cause no trouble."

Before I could react, an arm wrapped tightly around my waist, squeezing the breath out of me.

"Hey, there's no need for that," Chris snapped.

"Don't worry about me—just end this," I told him, trying to keep my voice steady. "And don't get mouthy," I silently warned him, hoping his lip-reading skills were up to par. Moke wasn't easing up, though. He got a grip on my arm that was so tight and efficient that every time I struggled, a sharp pain shot through my elbow, as if a tendon might snap.

"Look," Chris said, turning his focus to Jack. "Whatever Teddy did, we can fix it, man."

"Oh—you got four hundred bucks?"

"What…?!"

"He let down my tires and took off the handbrake, and I was parked facing down a hill."

Chris gaped at Teddy. I think we all gaped at Teddy.

"He needs to understand that messin' with my ride ain't cool," Jack said. "And I can't think of no better way than makin' him spit blood. But, if you wanna take one for him, Chambers…" Jack's fists balled at his sides, his eyes locked onto Chris.

"Touch Chris, and I'll make your life hell," I snarled.

Jack laughed me off, dismissing me entirely as he zeroed in on Chris. I really tried to struggle free then, thrashing every which way to break out of Moke's iron grip. I stamped on his Converses, kicked him in the shins, grabbed at his hair, bucked around like a bronco, basically, but I'm telling you, he knew how to hold someone off. It was like he was trained for it.

Jack's stare intensified. "Get ready to get racked…" he hissed. He grabbed Chris by the shirt with one fist and raised the other high.

"STOP IT!" A bark that sounded like a demon-possessed version of Gordie's sweet voice echoed through the diner. My head whipped around to see Gordie standing on the table, a stainless-steel fork clutched in his hand, pointed directly at Jack.