Fallen

Chapter 14. Familiar faces [Caleb]

With his wings hidden, he looks like everyone else in the fast-food restaurant. Yet, there's still something to him. Something that makes him look so enchanting and strange in a way.

It might be his towering demeanor. His tall size. The way that he carries himself in such a godly way. Maybe it's just a thing that comes with being an angel.

He looks kind of intimidating to everyone who doesn't know him. To me, he's a big softy.

I look up at M as we stare at the menu board. We're getting burgers. That's what Lucy decided for us.

Lucy, who is babbling my ears out. I ignore her and instead fix my eyes up on M. She's quickly forgotten in the far distance of my mind as I look up at him.

There's only room for one right now, and M is taking that size slot up a whole.

M is looking at the pictures on the menu. He licks his lips. It's something he does a lot before asking a question.

"All those things," He points to the menu board. "Those are things we can get and that we can eat?"

There's a woman in the line in front of us who looks back at us. Her thinly plucked brow, rising in confusion as she scans us over. But before she can comment, the fast-food worker beats her to it. Interrupting her. She huffs and goes back to minding her own business. Thank you very much.

"Yes, isn't it cool?" Lucy replies. She is pulling at M's arm enthusiastically.

M bops his head, smiling down at her.

"We have to pay, though," I add.

I'm making sure Lucy doesn't put any good ideas into M's head.

"And how do we get them to make us our burgers?" He asks the million-dollar question.

"We order, and then we pay them with this," I flash my credit card to him. He's already seen it before. The card that my parents keep adding money to. Thinking it somehow helps. Well, betters their lack of presence in our lives. And it does, to some extent at least.

The woman in front of us finishes her order. She looks at us one last time before she moves back in line to wait for her food.

The fast-food worker behind the counter beckons us over.

I recognize him from my school.

I'm terrible at remembering names. I can't for the life of me place it. Tyler, Ryler, something? He's in my class, so that makes it even worse.

"Caleb, hi," He beams, his dimples showing. "What can I do for you guys?" His smile is overly friendly.

I'm close enough to make out the name on his nametag.

"Miles, I didn't know you worked here," I say. The names I thought of are nowhere near his actual name. Although he does look more like a Tyler than anything else.

"I started this summer, actually," Miles says. He points up to his work hat. The restaurant's name is written on it in bold red letters.

"Oh, that's nice," I reply, flashing him a smile.

"Yeah, I'm saving up for a car," He says and shrugs like it's nothing important. "But not like the one I've seen you drive around before." He jokes.

I can't help but chuckle.

It truly is the worst, most dangerous car. And the car being under my possession. Well, call it a deathtrap.

"Yeah, you should probably get yourself something," I stop myself to think of a good word to use. "Safer."

He laughs wholeheartedly. Then his eyes fall over to Lucy and M.

"And who are you?" He gestures over at M. "Never seen you around here before, and I'm pretty good at faces."

I prepare to jump in. Ready to improvise, but Lucy beats me to it.

"He's Caleb's boyfriend." She says, hand on her hips and giving Miles a disapproving look.

The smile on Miles's face drops.

A more downcast look overtakes his previous animated smile. It only stays there for a short second before he catches himself. But it's already too late. The mood is shifting into something more awkward.

"Oh," He says and clicks his tongue. "Didn't know you had a boyfriend."

"Lucy's joking," I jump in. "He's just a friend."

I punch Lucy in the shoulder, lightly. She kicks me in the shin in return.

I suck up the pain, keeping the painful groan inside. I bite my lip instead.

"We would like some of those burgers," M interrupts our little fight. His cheeks are flushed, and his face is unreadable.

Miles clears his throat awkwardly and swallows. Looking quite intimidated. "What kind?"

"Just give me three from your specials menu," I say.

"That'll be 45 dollars."

I pay, and he tells us the food will be there shortly. I give him a last awkward smile before we part ways.

Instead, we wait.

From here, I can see the way the workers are preparing the food.

I can hear the telltale sizzle of busy pots and pans. The always annoying beeps from oven timers and whatnot.

Lucy and M find a table over in the far corner of the restaurant while I wait for our food. It doesn't take long.

I take it to our table. Lucy and M sit on one side, and I sit on the other.

Lucy is clapping her hands enthusiastically. Devouring her food with her eyes before it even reaches her side.

M is almost the same. Just add some drooling.

He takes a bite. It's almost comical how his eyes widen, like china-plates.

He doesn't say anything to start with. Just takes bite after bite.

"You like it?" It's not as much a question as it's a remark.

He nods and smiles, mouth full of food. He looks like a dork, just like Lucy, whose face is already getting smeared in burger sauce.

I'm surrounded by messy eaters.

"I'm going to the toilet. I'll be right back," I tell.

I leave them to their eating.

When I reach the toilet, there's no line. I go for the door.

Someone comes rushing out, and we bump into each other.

He's taller, almost bony. His skin is pasty, and his eyes are glowing, almost. And when he snickers at me, his teeth are sharp.

"Look where you're going, kid." He spits it out. Words like venom.

"Sorry," I say.

He blows his black hair out of his face, face scrunched up in disdain. He's about to say something else but changes his mind. And instead hurries out.

My skin is tingling, and goosebumps lead up my arms from the encounter.

Somehow It just felt like he was a bringer of bad. At least he didn't end up fighting me over something as simple as bumping into each other. The man probably just had a bad day.

I shrug it off and go to the toilet. Somehow, I can't seem to get the man's eyes out of my head. Glowing, almost orange eyes.