Isn't It Amazing?

Chapter One

 I had nowhere else left to run. I was trapped. Everything I had been fighting for, was all for nothing. I have nothing.

I sucked in a shuddering breath, feeling the brisk night air puncture my lungs...

Brisk? No, no. Crisp works so much better. There, that's good.

I turned my head to look into his eyes, expecting them to be moist with tears, threatening to spill over like my own, I was met with only calm.

His eyes that once portrayed the fierce, dark waters that sunk ships...

Sunk? No, 'swallowed' is good.

Swallowed ships, were replaced by the cool tides that... that...

'That' what?

"Rosie!" A booming voice called from behind me.

I whipped my head around from my hunched over position to meet the gaze of Antonio the head chef and manager of Moondance Diner. His black goatee was unmistakably his and his flushed sweat-covered head lowered to peek through the small window separating the bar and the kitchen where they slid the food through.

"What's the matter with you? I've been ringing the bell for five fucking minutes. What, did you forget to put that you're deaf on your resume? These eggs are getting cold. Hurry up, let's go!"

My eyes went wide and I gasped and hopped off the stool I was sitting on. I shoved my notebook I was writing in into my pocket and grabbed the many large heavy plates I was supposed to hand out minutes ago. I balanced the plates on my arms as I pressed the swinging door open with my hip and quickly hustled to deliver the food to the hungry customers.

The hustle and bustle of the overcrowded diner filled my ears. People talking over each other and chewing and slurping loudly and disobedient children crying while their sleep-deprived parents scolded them and groups of middle aged people arguing and a man in the corner thinking he's sly smoking a cigarette when it's not allowed and one person taking up a booth meant for four and the sizzling of food being cooked in the kitchen and Antonio barking orders at the other chefs and the same disco songs being replayed on the speakers and the bell chiming from the front door signaling more people entering the jam-packed restaurant.

How could you not love morning brunch on weekends?

"Hey lady, where's my coffee refill?" Some grouchy white man snipped at me as I was walking past him.

"Oh yes, coming right up sir!" I pipped, shaming myself for wasting time writing and not getting this guy coffee soon enough.

"And quit being so damn happy!" He mumbled under his breath.

I rolled my eyes in my imagination, a lesson I learned when I was caught by a different customer and got called out for it in front of the entire diner, resulting in me not getting tips from anybody who heard.

I snagged the coffee pot that was warming up and glided over to the grouchy white man and started pouring it into his mug.

"Sorry for waiting, sir, we're a little understaffed at the moment." I chuckled nervously as I tucked a loose strand of my hazelnut hair behind my ear.

"Lady, it takes two goddamn seconds to refill my cup, it's not like I'm asking you to grow the coffee beans yourself for crying out loud!"

I simply mouthed 'sorry' as I lifted the pot and started to walk away.

"More coffee?" I asked the parents of three kids all under the age of eight, all screaming and wriggling all over the place.

They both replied 'yes' and went back to yelling at their kids, one of whom was starting to climb over the booth while another stole the crayons from the smallest one, resulting in her crying. Just as I had finished refilling the dad's coffee the mom went and yanked on the child that was climbing, causing him to slip and spill his milk all over the table and everyone's food. This did not please mom.