Nova's mother takes her out to dinner where she meets an unlikely waiter.
Footsteps. Finally, I thought as my Mom walked through the door just as my stomach growled for the third time in the last ten minutes. She was 3 hours later than she said, and looked worse for the wear.
"I'm sorry." she sighed when she spotted me. "Give me a minute to change, then we'll go out for dinner tonight." she dropped her purse on the counter without slowing as she walked the rest of the way to her room. Luckily, her room was on the bottom floor, at the opposite end of the house to mine, which was on the upper floor. My Dad was currently still in Florida, packing up our old house.
I trudged upstairs, plopping down behind my computer and logging in to my email. Two new from Victoria, a ton of spam, lots of more-than-likely dumb forwards from my father, and finally one email from Michelle. I deleted the stupid crap, looked through the forwards, then finally opened the first email from Victoria.
Nova!! You have to tell me everything! I want to know all about you first day, and don't leave out anything! I went shopping with my Mom today for school supplies, and of course, new clothes. :-) I ran into Chris too, at Macy's of all places! lol. but anyways, I MISS YOU!!!! Oh yeah, and Mom, Dad, and Cath say hi.
Love you and miss you,
Victoria
P.S. I expect a reply by WEDNESDAY at the latest! Just remember, I can hide a body...
I chuckled, a smile on my face. Typical Victoria; short and sweet with a death threat at the end. Luckily, it was only Monday. I clicked to her next message, biting my lip as I saw the all caps. Uhoh.
Don't do anything brash Victoria. Oh, and good luck getting a chainsaw through airport security ;]
Anyways, I'm doing okay. I miss you like crazy though! But let's see, my first day...
Froze my a*s off at the bus stop, got laughed at by the everybody when I ran to escape the cold, asked a gorgeous guy how to find the front office, met another boy, Sam, froze my a*s off some more, got lost in French and all of my other classes, ate lunch with a bunch of band geeks... oh yeah, and I discovered my new percussion section is composed of five of the most drop dead gorgeous guys I have ever seen. Oh, and the best part? The guy I made a complete fool out of myself in front of (AKA the guy I asked about the front office) is my new section leader!
Tata for now,
Nova =P
I hit send, knowing Victoria would hate my abrupt ending. She loved juicy details, and absolutely hated not getting the full story. My smile was evil as I opened Michelle's email.
"Nova! Get off the computer NOW!" I cringed at my Mom's tone, hastily closing my email and heading downstairs. I'd get back to Michelle later. Or better yet, I'll call her.
My Mom waited by the front door, purse in hand and scowling at me. I shrugged, keeping my look apologetic as I snatched up my coat and braved the cold to make it to the car. I lunged for the front seat, slamming the door behind me before my Mom had even gotten the door closed.
She was pretty in her own way, tall, almost 6ft, and a bit heavier than most women, with shoulder length brown hair and golden highlights. Walking down the stairs, she got into the car nearly as fast as I did, starting it and pulling out.
"Where do you want to go?" she asked, turning out of the neighborhood and towards the tiny town of Forks.
There were a few restaurants in town, mostly Mom and Pop businesses, family owned and run.
"Umm, how about we try that Chinese place everybody recommends?" I suggested, watching the store fronts pass by my window.
"Yeah, that sounds good." she said, turning down a side street. I leaned forward, finding a good radio station and turning it up to drown out any possible conversations on our way to the restaurant. I knew I'd get quizzed when we got there anyways, and besides, the radio station played really good music most of the time.
Two minutes later and the radio was cut off when my Mom and I got out of the car to go eat. Luckily, she parked close to the door, so it wasn't as far a dash as at the school that morning.
Once inside, I looked around, my eyes locking with the one guy it seemed impossible for me to escape. He was wearing the black pants and white button down shirt of the wait-staff, a small apron wrapped around his waste. Giving me a startled look that quickly turned frigid, he came over.
"How many?" he asked, staring at me the whole time with those haunting green eyes.
"Do you know each other?" my Mom asked, looking between my tormentor/savior and me. Shooting him my best glare, I turned to my mother with a false smile.
"Mom, this is Brayden. Brayden, my Mom. He's my new section leader." ever the gentleman, he turned his attention to my mother with a breathtaking and completely fake smile. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Baker. I'm sure we'll see more of you around town. Percussion actually does mini concerts at your nursing home once a month." nothing but polite, he shook her hand and kept his attention completely on her.
"Oh, well then, that will be nice." she said, obviously sucked into his brilliant acting.
"Well, how many will be joining you?" he asked, finally releasing my Mom from his gaze to grab some silverware and menus out.
"Just two." I cut in before my Mom had a chance to answer. Knowing her, she'd invite him to join us if he had time. She gave me a quick glance, ignoring my pleading eyes for her to keep quiet.
"Right this way." he led us to a booth by one of the front windows. The room wasn't crowded, but it a had a comfortable drone of chatter that you expect from a restaurant. I slid into my spot, facing the door so that I could watch him. My Mom didn't question my choice, even though I usually prefer to sit on the other side of the booth.
"Now, what would you like to drink?" he asked, setting our silverware and menus down in front of us.
"Unsweetened ice tea please." my mother said, opening the menu. I was just glad she wasn't set on inviting him to join us. He wrote quickly, obviously using shorthand. I did notice he had very nice handwriting, not at all what you'd expect from a guy.
"And for you?" as soon as he turned his back on my mother his falsely cheerful mood fell and he fixed me with a scowl. As if I knew he'd be my waiter here!
"Dr. Pepper please." I kept my own face and voice cheerful, as if he hadn't dropped me on my a*s after saving it less than six hours ago. Of course, my Mom was watching me not-so-sneakily from behind her menu, so I brightened my smile and took out the sarcastic edge I had added.
"Of course. It'll be right out." he smiled at my Mom again before heading off. I watched him up until he disappeared into the back and the door closed.
"Well, he's a very nice boy. And he's hot." my Mom added, causing me to blush and shoot her a patronizing look.
"Never say that again Mom." I told her, ducking my head with the excuse I was looking at my menu. I had just decided on the lo mien special when Brayden returned with our drinks. I was surprised, I had expected him to ask someone to trade him tables.
"Do you know what you want, or would you like a bit of time?" he asked, that fake smile on his face as he waited for my Mom to reply.
"Suck-up..." I muttered, just before my Mom replied. "Oh, we're ready. Nova, you can go first. I'm still debating."
Turning to me he dropped the smile and that scowl I was growing so fond of returned.
"I'll have the lo mien special please." I told him, not bothering to keep my face as polite as my voice since my Mother wasn't paying attention to me at the moment. He nodded, the smile returning as he spun to face my Mother. "And for you Mam?"
"The Beef with Broccoli please." she told him, returning his smile. Nodding, he wrote down her order and mine and bent slightly to pick up our menus.
"Is it wrong to be polite to a customer?" he whispered as he grabbed my menu, his questioning look mocking. Straightening, he walked off, tucking the menus under his arm. Composing my face, I looked over at my Mom, waiting for the barrage of questions. Instead, I saw my Mother stand.
"I'll be back in a minute." she muttered, her cellphone to her ear. Funny, I hadn't even noticed it ring. Shrugging, I watched her head out the front door and into the cold out front, than around the side of the building. Turning, I saw Brayden and gave him the fiercest glare I could manage. Motioning him over with a crook of my finger, his cocky smile and raised eyebrow got bigger and bigger until he was standing next to the table.
"What can I get for you miss?" he asked, the sarcasm in his voice enough to harden my resolve further. "Sit please. I'd love for you to join me." My emphasis on love was enough to wipe away his sarcasm and replace it with the ever popular scowl.
"Careful, if you keep scowling your face'll get stuck." I warned him as he sank into the booth across from me. Unlike my mother, he looked like an avenging angel, unhappy with how I've been acting and there to dole out my punishment. "Now, what the hell is your problem?" I stage whispered, careful to keep my voice low so that the people at the adjourning booth didn't here.
"My problem, is the poor little new girl from Florida." he stage whispered back, leaning towards me. "You're so pathetic with your wide, innocent eyes that suck people in and those curves that should be illegal. Really, get a grip. Guys get sucked in and all of them are a******s who use girls and throw them away like last week's takeout." As much as I wanted to smile at his horrible example (seeing as how we were in a Chinese place), his words were too... I don't know, protective.
"Well, it's not my fault. And I can take care of myself, thank you. I don't need you and your overpowering he-man attitude to protect me from the big bad boys." I leaned towards him, our faces inches apart. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd prefer your attitude disappear along with you."
"Am I interrupting something?" my mother's voice was enough to wake us both from our angry glare-off and we sat up straight at the same time. His face was still angry, but he composed himself way faster than I did.
"No Mam. We were just discussing her previous knowledge of percussion. I like to know what I'm working with." he smiled and stood up, offering my Mom her seat with a flourish. Unlike mister smooth, I was blushing and still fuming. He was really getting on my nerves; his good looks and his perfect manners.
My Mother sat down, shooting me a questioning look as he turned and walked off, his back ramrod straight. I knew he fought off his annoyance with me, and I couldn't help my triumphant half smile as I lifted my head to look at the questioning face of my Mom.
"It seemed pretty intense over here. Is everything alright?" she asked, taking a sip from her tea. I sighed and silently cursed Brayden.
"Of course Mom." I forced a smile, putting all of my acting experience to good use. She still seemed a bit iffy, so I made up a lie on the spot. "He wanted me to do a demonstration for our whole section. I told him I'd be happy to come in after school for a bit and show him, but he wants me to do it in front of everyone. That's why I was annoyed." again I smiled, hoping this one was more convincing as I shrugged.
She was just about to reply when Brayden returned, carrying two plates piled with delicious looking food.
"Here you are. Do you need anything?" all politeness, he set the plates down with a smile. He was as a good an actor as I was.
"Yes thank you." I said, giving him my sweetest smile when he glanced in my direction. His eyes turned cold for the minuscule amount of time he was looking at me before he shot another warm smile at my Mom.
"If you need anything, just flag me down." he left then, turning on his heel and heading to another one of his tables. I sniffed appreciatively at the food set in front of me, picking up my fork and twisting some noodles around it.
Sticking them in my mouth, I instantly moaned. "God, this stuff is amazing." My mom seemed to think so too, because she nodded in agreement and instantly shoveled in more. Well, at least she won't expect me to talk much, I thought as I ate, my mind wandering back to my red haired tormentor.
Damn him and his appeal, I thought as I caught myself watching him as he waited on other tables, the perpetual gentleman. I was already getting full, and I had barely dented my giant plate of food when he finally returned.
"Can I get you ladies anything?" he asked, grabbing up my practically empty cup without my asking.
"Not right now, thank you." my Mom said, smiling at him. He returned her smile and walked off, refilling my soda without even being asked. I had to say I was impressed that he remembered what I had ordered, but my irritation was apparent when he brought it back. "Thanks." I muttered sullenly. He smirked and walked off. My scowl was aimed at my food as I stabbed at a shrimp, imagining it was him and his smugness.
"So, how was school?" And the interrogation begins.
I looked up at my Mom, finishing my bite of food. "It was good. I have a bit of catching up to do in some of my classes, but it won't be too difficult." I purposefully didn't mention percussion, but my Mother was no fool.
"And what about band? I know it's hard to leave your friends, but is it alright?" sighing, I looked own at my food, spinning noodles around my fork absentmindedly as I tried to think of a good reply.
"Well, Mr. Knob seems cool, and the band sounds really good from what I heard today." Lie. I wasn't there long enough to hear the band, and I knew absolutely nothing about Mr. Knob except for what Brayden told me.
"Have you made any friends?" she asked. My Mom's strong suit was definitely not subtlety.
"Yeah, there's one boy, Jeremy. He plays tuba and is in a couple of my classes. I ate lunch with some other band kids today too and they seemed nice." I shrugged, scooping a bite of food into my mouth even though I was already stuffed. Amazingly she took the hint and let the conversation drop after an "I'm glad."
We sat in silence or a bit longer before Brayden came with the check and two take home containers, completely ignoring me this time around. Good, after that questionnaire, I couldn't be held responsible for my actions.
"Thank you and have a nice night." he nodded to my Mother and me (his only acknowledgement I existed) and then left us to let ourselves out. My Mom glanced at the check while I grabbed a fortune cookie, cracking it in half and shoving one half into my mouth before pulling the little strip of paper with my fortune on it from the other.
The one you love is closer than you think.
Ugh, what a fortune.
"So what's your fortune?" my Mom asked, cracking her cookie and reading her own fortune out loud. I barely heard, since I was trying to think of a good fortune I could tell her. There was no way I was going to read that to my Mother, especially not after she saw me and Brayden that close.
"Mine says 'Do not mistake temptation for opportunity.'" I told her, pretending to read from the little strip of paper. She smiled and I mimicked her, folding the fortune and tucking it into my pocket before she could see that it wasn't the same as I what I supposedly read to her.
"Ready to go?" I grabbed my jacket and stood, sliding my arms back through it and zipping it while my Mom grabbed the check. We headed to the counter to pay, and I couldn't help but look for him one last time. I slowly glanced around and... there he was. bent over slightly to hear a woman's order. He has a really nice a*s...
I scowled at my own wayward mind as he stood and turned, glancing at me for the briefest moment before disappearing into the back. Damn him and his good looks...
My Mom touched my arm to get my attention and we left, both dashing for the car yet again. It was a lot colder at night!
I like it alot!
I'd put a bit more insight as to why Brayden doesn't like... the main character?
I couldn't catch her name. Try to substitute the "you" in the dialogue for the main character's name, especially in the dialogues between the mother and main character, there's too much you, she, etc.
Also, telling her that guy's will go after her for her looks seems charming, but it reigns in confusion as to why Brayden would be so rude to a girl he doesn't even know.
Just clear up a few things and you've got a great story!
I like it alot!
I'd put a bit more insight as to why Brayden doesn't like... the main character?
I couldn't catch her name. Try to substitute the "you" in the dialogue for the main character's name, especially in the dialogues between the mother and main character, there's too much you, she, etc.
Also, telling her that guy's will go after her for her looks seems charming, but it reigns in confusion as to why Brayden would be so rude to a girl he doesn't even know.
Just clear up a few things and you've got a great story!
Hmmm, where to begin... I recently moved to an itty-bitty town in New Mexico called Grants. So far, school sucks; I have no friends pretty much, my new band is poor as hell, and the ISS teacher is a t.. more..
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