(10)-Saving Cobey.
Arvada, Colorado
Time since leaving Kansas: 8 Hours and 29 minutes.
The train arrived at the train-station in Arvada, Colorado where Kyle and all of the other passengers got their things and got off, and Kyle began his journey on foot.
Kyle was now walking through town, his backpack and duffle-bag on and his iPod back in his left pants pocket. He had been listening to music on it the whole train ride here and decided to give it a break. It was now 8:00 o'clock at night, the sun having gone down for the day, and Kyle knew he needed to find a place to crash. Hotels and motels had to be somewhere close by, no doubt. Shouldn't be a problem in finding one, right? Kyle then stopped when he saw a 'DAIRY QUEEN' restaurant up ahead of him. It was obviously still open, 'cause the lights were still on.
"Oh, good, i'm hungry." Kyle said before heading for the restaurant. He had ordered something to eat on the train, but that was hours ago, and it was now time for dinner. Sure, he had snacks he had packed in his backpack before leaving the house, but he wanted some REAL food. Wasting no more time, Kyle took off running towards the fast food joint, ran up to the glass-door, opened it, rushed inside as it closed behind him, and ran up to a heavy-set/white-haired/brown-eyed middle-aged man behind the counter, wearing a black apron. The cook, no doubt. "Table for one, please."
"Sorry, kid, we're closin' up early tonight. Come back tomorrow." The man said.
"Oh, come on, man, i haven't eaten anything in a while." Kyle said.
"Again, i'm sorry, we're closing. You'll have to go somewhere else." The man said.
Kyle looked around the inside of the DQ building and saw that it was deserted. Aside from a woman and a young boy sitting at one of the tables by the windows-the boy on her right, no one else was here. Even the staff was gone. He then focused on the woman and the boy.
The woman was middle-aged, heavy-set, had long blond hair that went past her shoulders and stopped at her upper-back, and her eyes were brown.
The boy appeared to be about maybe 8 or 9 and had brown hair, blue eyes and pale skin.
"What about those two? You're serving them." Kyle said.
"They're our last customers for the night. After that, we're closin' up." The man explained.
"Well, think of me as your last customer then. Serve me and then afterwards you can close up. Deal?" Kyle said.
"Not happening. Out." The man said.
"Can i at least get the food to go?" Kyle asked.
"...Sure. Take a seat. The waitress will be with you shortly." The man said.
"Thanks." Kyle said before going over to a table by the windows, passing the woman and the boy as he did, followed by stopping at a table four tables down, putting his duffle-bag and backpack on the floor, and sitting down at the table. He reached into his right pants pocket and, got out his cellphone, and started texting his mother, with the text reading
Hi, Mom. In Colorado, safe and sound. At the Dairy Queen for a bite.
Kyle then sent the text to his mother's phone before he started texting Charlotte, the text reading
Hey, Charlie. Mde it to Colorado. Stopped at DQ for dinner.
Kyle sent the text and waited to hear back from both his mother and Charlotte. He then received a text of pink emoji hearts from his Mom, which made him smile.
Then he got a text from Charlotte that read
Good job. Best of luck to you on your journey. PS: Let me know how Colorado's DQ food taste.
"(Chuckles)." Kyle chuckled, grinning at the last sentence of Charlotte's text. Even though they had a Dairy Queen back home in Prairie Grove he and her had eaten at several times growing up, he was certain she thought the DQ food here in Colorado was made differently and wanted to hear from him what the verdict was. Also, this DQ was way bigger than the one back home. He then texted her back, the text reading
Thanks for all your support, Charlie. And yes, i will let you know how Colorado's DQ food taste.
He sent the text to Charlotte, followed by putting his phone back in his right pants pocket, then he waited for the waitress to come and take his order.
"Oh, hello? Ye-Hello?" Came a female voice, getting Kyle's attention, the source of the voice being the woman sitting at the table with the boy. "Hey, Woo-hoo. Woo-hoo. Hey, excuse me?" She said, snapping her left fingers while looking behind at the waitress standing the waitress standing behind the counter, holding a pen and notepad. "Hey, can you," The woman said, turning to the boy, who was now looking out the window, followed by him turning away from it. "do you see this?" She asked. "Hey, woo-hoo." She said, looking back at the waitress.
"What's her deal?" Kyle thought.
The waitress exited from behind the counter and walked over to the table the boy and the woman were sitting at. She had light brown hair that was in a bun and her eyes were blue.
"Yeah, i've been trying to get you attention, are you deaf or something?" The woman said, with the boy looking out the window again.
"Hi, i'm sorry. I'm the last one here for the night. And there was a big dinner rush earlier. I apologize." The waitress said.
"Are you giving me excuses? You are a waitress. How hard can this be?" The woman said.
"Um...again, i'm sorry. What can i get you two folks?" The waitress said. "Looks like this guy is hungry for some chicken-strips." She said, smiling, noticing the boy, who was now looking down.
The woman snapped her right fingers. "How dare you." She said to the waitress.
"Oh! If you don't eat meat, i can just give you some fries." The waitress said, still smiling.
The boy smiled, making the woman snap her right fingers again. "Excuse me. You have no idea what you're talking about, okay, when you say he looks hungry."
"Oh, i didn't-"
"Does he look hungry to you? No." The woman said, cutting the waitress off. "Second of all, don't you ever, ever speak to my child, okay?"
"But Mom, please-"
"Excuse me, shut it." The woman said, turning to the boy, cutting him off. "Or else. I'm serious." She said. "Now..." She began as she looked at the waitress. "do you understand...or do i need to talk to the manager?"
"How rude." Kyle thought.
"Um, i fully understand, again, my sincerest apologies. I'll get your order and get to you as soon as possible, okay?" The waitress said.
"That's better." The woman said.
"So what can i get you?" The waitress asked.
"Hmmm...let's see." The woman said, thinking. "I will have an order of fries. Maybe a basket of chicken-strips or a hamburger, a large coke soda. Oh, you know what, just bring me all four, 'cause, like, it's my cheat day on my diet, so-" The woman said before smiling.
"Okay." The waitress said. "Fries, chicken-strips, a burger and a large coke." She said while writing down the order on her notepad. "Is that...everything?"
"That's..." The woman turned and looked at the boy, who now had his head bowed. "Oh!" She said before looking back at the waitress. "Cobey of course will have one chicken-strip. Just one." She said before turning her attention back to the boy known as Cobey. "It's his birthday."
"Just one?" Kyle thought. Since when did anyone order just one chicken-strip for themselves, much less for someone else? And it was the kid's birthday. What was with this woman?
"Well, we do have a-a kid's special." The waitress recommended. "It comes-it's like a grilled cheese about this big." She said, making a round shape with her hands. "And it comes with a side of fries as well."
"Are you giving me recommendations, i've given my order already." The woman said, looking at the waitress as Cobey looked out the window. "So why don't you go back and make it for us? Can you do that? Or are you just a little too dumb?"
"Snob." Kyle thought.
"Nope. I'll get that to you as soon as possible. Okay?" The waitress said, smiling before she turned and began heading for the kitchen.
The woman turned and looked at Cobey. "Oh!" She said as she back looked at the waitress. "Oh, hey." She said, stopping the waitress in her tracks, making her turn to face her. "Come here. Yeah, i forgot." She said as the waitress made her way back over to her table. "My son actually will need a drink, so...tap-water will do. You can fetch that for him at room temperature, please."
"No ice." The waitress said while writing the order on her notepad. "Got it. Okay." She said before she turned and resumed her trip back to the kitchen.
"Oh, my gosh." The woman said as she turned and looked out the window, with Cobey no longer looking out of it. "Ther service."
"It's not the service, lady, it's you." Kyle thought.
A few minutes later, the waitress came back out, carrying a round black trey with three stirophom cups that had red straws in them, and made her way back over to the woman's table. "Okay." She said, placing the trey on the table. "We have your soda." She said, placing the cup of soda on the table in front of Cobey. "And a little extra." She said, sitting the third cup on the table.
Cobey took notice of the third cup, staring at it with wide eyes.
The waitress smiled at Cobey's reaction.
"How nice of her." Kyle said, smiling at the waitress's generosity.
"What's on Earth is that?" The woman asked, looking at the third cup.
The waitress's smile faded.
"Did you get our drink order wrong already?" The woman asked.
"Uh, no. It's just a...it's a vanilla milkshake. On the house." The waitress explained, now sounding nervously.
"Oh, so you think that i can't afford to buy my son a milkshake." The woman said, Cobey's sad face returning.
The waitress's smile faded once again. "Oh, that's not what i'm saying at all. I-i just thought-"
The woman cocked her head back in annoyance. "If we wanted a milkshake, WE would've ordered a milkshake." She said as she looked at the waitress. "What if he was lactose intolerant?"
"I..." The waitress stammered.
"Ya what? Ya messed up, that's what. I'm not gonna forget this. So take it back to the kitchen and get it right, please. Or send someone who could do their job properly." The woman said.
"Okay." The waitress said before taking the milkshake and trey off the table. She then took one more look at Cobey's sad face. "Right away." She said before heading back into the kitchen.
"Well, that's gratitude for you." Kyle thought, now upset over how this woman's treatment of this boy and this waitress, who was just trying to do something nice for her and her son. What what was this lady's problem? Why was she so mean and hateful?
A few minutes later, the waitress came back out with a red tray that held the woman's order, which was an open blue box of fries, a basket of chicken-strips, a wrapped burger and another basket that contained one chicken-strip.
"Okay." The waitress said as she walked over to the woman's table. "We have some fries..." She said, placing the tray on the table. "some chicken-strips, your burger, and a single chicken-strip. Oh, ketchup. I'll got get that." She said before she proceeded to head back for the kitchen.
"Hey." The woman said, grabbing the waitress by the right wrist. "Wait a second, wait, wait, wait. Yeah. I knew i knew you from somewhere, yeah." She said. "You're one of those trailer people who lives down the Riverside trail, aren't you?" She said as she let go of the waitress's wrist.
"Riverside Valley. Yes." The waitress said.
"Yeah. It makes so much sense now why you couldn't get our order right the first time around. Your whole family is just like, inbred hill Billies, right?" The woman said. "(Chuckles)."
Kyle was now boiling with anger. This woman was mad disrespectful. In fact, she was the most disrespectful person he had ever come across. He thought his father was cad, but this lady really took the cake. She was like a female version of his Dad who wasn't even hiding her true cruel nature from the outside world.
"Yep, just a bunch of crazy goats on a hill." The waitress said, smiling before making the sound of a goat.
Cobey gave off a laughing smile at that remark.
"Well, isn't it so sweet of the manager of this place to give you a job? What a nice man. He must take such sympathy on you. Pity, pity on you...and your pathetic little life." The woman said.
Cobey slowly reached for one of the chicken-strips in the basket with his left hand.
"Get your hand away from my food," The woman said as she slapped Cobey's hand away, which made Kyle flinch. "are you serious? You are in for it now. I am nice enough to get you fast food for dinner. That's the coolest thing a parent could do and this is the thanks i get? You steal from me? You're a nasty little boy."
Alright...that was it. That did it. Kyle had had it with this woman and her snooty, stuck-up, snobby, arrogant, uppity persona. It was time for her to get a Kyle-Special on the house. A Kyle-Special was whenever Kyle got one of his clever ideas. The 18-year old boy got up from his table and started making his way over to the woman's. "Excuse me, ma'am?" He said, getting the attention of the woman, Cobey and the waitress. "May i have some of your fries?" He asked as he walked up to the table, reaching for some of the fries in the box with his right hand, only to knock over the woman's soda, spilling it on her. "Oh! Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!"
"This is not happening." The woman said.
"Do you want a napkin?" The waitress asked.
"No, don't touch me! Don't either of you touch me." The woman said to the waitress and Kyle. "This is unbelieve..." She said as she got up from the table. "Don't move." She said to Cobey, pointing at him with her right index-finger. "Move!" She ordered Kyle and the waitress as she pushed them out of her way, storming off for the restroom to clean herself up.
"(Sighs) Thanks." The waitress said to Kyle, sighing with relief.
"No problem." Kyle said before sitting down next to Cobey. "Hey, kid. Are you alright?"
Cobey didn't respond.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything." Kyle assured.
"If you need our help...take a sip of your water, okay?" The waitress said.
Cobey reached for his cup of water with his left hand, picked it up, and took a sip of it.
The waitress looked to see if the woman was on her way back, which she wasn't, then focused her attention back on Cobey, who put the cup back on the table. By taking a sip of his drink, he had confirmed what the waitress and Kyle had already suspected and feared. His life was in danger.
"Good. Now i'm gonna get some help. Just stay here with this young man, okay?" I'll be right back, i promise." The waitress said before she walked off and headed into the kitchen.
"I'll just be few tables down." Kyle assured Cobey before getting up and returning to his table where he resumed his gaze on the boy. While he had been looking at the woman, he had also been focused on Cobey. The poor kid looked said, lonely and scared. More than that, this woman who was his mother was rude to the waitress and insulting and hadn't even allowed him to speak or smile. He didn't know who this lady was...but he didn't like her. And Kyle knew that as long as Cobey was in this woman's custody, he would never be safe. He had to do something, fast. Otherwise he may be looking at Cobey alive for the last time. Kyle reached into his right pants pocket, got out his phone, dialed 9-1-1, and waited for someone to answer.
"9-1-1, What's your emergency?" Said the voice of a female dispatcher on Kyle's phone.
...
Later, after the woman returned from the restroom, she and Cobey ate their meal and drunk their drinks, with Cobey eating only his one chicken-strip, and now she and Cobey-with his head bowed, stood at the counter, with the waitress standing behind it, and the paid for her and Cobey's order with one of her credit cards by swiping through a white mobile credit card swiper she was holding, then handed it back to the waitress, followed by putting her card back in her right pants pocket.
The waitress smiled when she looked at the price on the credit card swiper's screen, then her smile faded. "One dollar?"
"Oh, what's the matter, sweetheart? A dollar is still so much money for trailer trash like you. Think of it as a whole hundred cents." The woman said, with a smirk. "Ahahahahaha." She laughed, cocking back her head, not noticing the flashing blue/red lights that were now coming from outside.
Kyle, however, immediately took notice of the lights and smirked at the woman.
"Ahahahaha." The waitress laughed, placing the credit card swiper on the counter.
"What?" The woman said, confused, now noticing the flashing red/blue lights from outside.
A woman and a male police officer then entered the Dairy Queen through the front glass door. The lady had blond curly hair that was in a pony-tail and her eyes were brown.
"Good evening, Miss Heather Frost." Said the blond-haired lady.
"No." The woman now known as Heather Frost said as the lady and the officer walked up to her.
"Looks like we have to escort you and your son to the office immediately." Said the blond lady.
"No." Heather repeated.
"So we can re-open your file and re-assess your custody status." The blond lady said as Cobey ran around the counter to the waitress, who embracing him in her arms in a protective way.
"No..." Heather stopped when she realized why this was happening and who was to blame. "You did this, you piece of-" She said as she turned and pointed at the waitress with her right index-finger.
"Trailer trash? At least i know how to love my child." The waitress said.
"She didn't call 9-1-1!" Kyle said, standing up, getting everyone's attention. "I did!"
"I am a wonderful mother!" Heather said, turning her attention back to the waitress.
"No, you're not." The waitress said.
"Don't listen to her, it's not true!" Kyle said as he ran over to where the others were. "This lady is not a good mother. She has been nothing but rude, mean and disrespectful the whole time she's been here. Mean to her son, rude to his waitress, wouldn't let her son smile or talk to anyone or eat anythingoff her tray. She even ordered him one chicken-strip and a cup of tap-water."
"Oh, who asked you anyway?! Who asked you and this incompetent waitress to get involved, huh?" Heather said.
"The problem isn't the waitress, MA'AM, it's your character conduction. You are the meanest, rudest person i have ever had the displeasure of meeting." Kyle said.
"Stay out of this, this is none of your business!" Heather said.
"Well, i'm makin' it my business." Kyle said sternly.
"What did you say to me?" Heather asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"He said "Well, i'm makin' it my business"." The waitress said as Heather turned to face her.
"Look, i'm sorry, but i've got to say something." Kyle began as Heather turned back to him, folding her arms. "Ma'am, your behavior here tonight has been completely un-acceptable. When i come from, manners count for a lot. Now maybe it's not that big of a town and is behind on a lot of things, but everyone is always there for each other whenever they need help. I'm sorry i've got to say this to an adult, but i simply cant sit back and allow what happened here tonight to go un-checked. You owe every one of us here an apology, especially your son and this waitress. And if you can't do that, this cop is taking you to jail, away from your son, and making sure you can never hurt him again. Do i make myself clear?"
Heather didn't answer.
"Do i make myself clear?" Kyle asked, repeating the last of his sentence. Growing up, Kyle's father always let Michael get away with his cruelty towards him, just as Kyle had let their father abuse Michael, never standing up for him or saying a word. Well, that wasn't going to happen with this woman and her son, not on his watch.
"Barry..." Heather said as she turned to the counter as she unfolded her arms. "Barry." She repeated as the man from earlier came out of the kitchen. "Barry, you gotta tell them. You gotta tell 'em i'm a good Mom. I-i-i'm a great customer." She said. "Barry, i'm your-" She stopped as the man known as Barry went back into the kitchen. "Barry."
"You know...she said some really rotten things to Cobey and this waitress...but the one that got me was when she made fun of her home-life by calling her trailer trash. That made me feel like she was making fun of me, because i'm from the prairieside of my home-town! I've never felt so disrespected in my entire life!" Kyle said to the blond lady. "I thought my father was the worst, but he's got nothin' on you! You're like a female version of him that doesn't care about hiding her cruel nature from the outside world!" He said to Heather.
The blond lady walked over to the counter and bent down to Cobey's level. "Do you remember me?"
"No. Barry." Heather said.
"Are you hungry, Cobey?" The blond lady asked.
"No." Heather said.
"Wait a minute." Kyle began, getting the blond lady's attention. "You know Cobey?"
"Of course i do. I'm Megan Nova from Child Services. I'm the one who gave Miss Frost custody after she adopted him." The blond lady known as Megan answered and explained.
"Adopted? You mean she's not his real Mom?" Kyle said.
"No, she isn't, and thank goodness for that. And as of right now, she isn't an adoptive mother anymore either." Megan said. "Thank you for calling the office, ma'am." She said as she looked at the waitress.
"No problem." The waitress said.
"Adoptive mother?" Kyle said, baffled. It all made sense now. This woman didn't act like this boy's mother because she wasn't his mother. She had adopted him. Not for the right reasons, obviously. But to know that this woman was not his real mother was something to be grateful for. "Well, that explains a lot. No real mother would ever treat their kid the way you treated Cobey." He said to Heather.
"Have you eaten anything at all today?" Megan asked, turning back to Cobey.
Cobey took his head.
Megan looked at Heather in disgust.
"No." Heather said. "You ruined everything! Everything!" She said to the waitress. "Both of you!" She said, looking at Kyle. "I need my-" She said jerking her arm away as she turned to face the officer who pointed at the entrance with his right index-finger. "I need my money. I need my kid." She said as Cobey looked at her fearfully while the waitress had her hands over his ears. "I need my child support-Cobey. Co-" She was cut off when the officer re-pointed at the entrance with his right index-finger. "Don't!" She said, putting her hands up. "She pulled my hair." She said, pointing at the waitress with her right index-finger while the officer was backing her up towards the door. "And he spilled my soda all over me." She said, pointing at Kyle with her right index-finger. "You almost pushed me right there." She said. "Is anyone recording this?!" She yelled as a fearful Cobey continued watching her. "I am going to sue you! Every last one of you!"
"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes." The officer said as he backed Heather up to the door.
"Excuse-"
"Out the door." Said the officer, cutting Heather off.
"Ooh!" Heather said in frustration as she turned and exited the building through the glass door, with the officer following after her.
The waitress took her hands off Cobey's ears, took him by the left hand, came from around the counter and went up to Megan, who was now standing up straight.
"Come on." Said Megan nicely as she took Cobey by the right hand and began leading him towards the door.
Kyle and the waitress watched as Cobey and Megan headed for the door, only for them to stop and for Cobey to turn around and run up to Kyle and hug him, who in turn hugged him back.
"Thanks." Cobey said.
"Don't mention it, buddy." Kyle said.
Cobey then ended the hug with Kyle and ran up to the waitress and hugged her next, and she hugged him back. "Thank you. Thank you both."
"You're the hero, Cobey." The waitress said. After a moment of hugging each other, they ended the hug. "Okay, you can go."
Cobey then walked back over to Megan and they resumed heading for the door.
"Wait." Kyle said, stopping Cobey and Megan at the door, and they turned to face him.
Kyle turned to the waitress. "Is it alright if i order now?"
"Sure. What can i get you?" The waitress said, smiling.
"I'd like some fries, chicken-strips, a burger, a hot fudge sundae, an ice-cream cake and a coke." Kyle said.
"Wow. All of that for yourself?" The waitress asked.
"Actually, it's not for me. It's for Cobey." Kyle said.
"What? But you haven't ordered anything for yourself since you've been here." The waitress said.
"I know. But this is more important. It's Cobey's birthday and...he needs it more than i do." Kyle said.
"We can share." Cobey said, making Kyle and the waitress look at him.
"Thanks, but that's really not necessary." Kyle insisted.
"Yes, it is." Cobey said as he walked up to Kyle. "You were nice enough to get me out of that bad situation with my foster Mom. The least i can do is share my food with you."
"Thanks, Cobey." That means a lot." Kyle said, smiling. "Can we get the order to go?" He asked he turned to the waitress.
"I think that can be arranged." The waitress said, smiling. "One order of fries, chicken-strips, a buger, a hot fudge sundae, an ice-cream cake and a coke coming right up."
"Throw in a sprite for me too." Kyle said.
"And a sprite. Is that everything?" The waitress said.
"Yes, it is. Thank you, ma'am. " Kyle said.
"Call me April." Said the waitress, revealing her name.
"Okay. April." Kyle said, smiling.
Barry then came out of the kitchen. "You did the right thing to call." He said to April, who then turned to face him. "Both of you." He said to her and Kyle. "I'm sorry for the way i spoke to you in the kitchen earlier about the situation."
"Thanks, Barry." April said.
"After we're done serving serving these two, we're closin' up for the night." Barry said.
"Thanks for the reminder. After tonight...i just wanna go home to my kid." April said. "But first..." She said before turning to Kyle and Cobey. "we have two more customers that need to be fed." She said before turning and heading back around the counter and into the kitchen with Barry.
Please review.