Unleash The Island

Chapter 7

The sun had risen and Leo was on a mission.

His clothes, which he laid out last night, were ready for him as they laid on his desk hair. After using the toilet and rinsing his face, he threw the clothes on. It was a T-shirt and shorts, to no surprise. He ran down the stairs with his phone and wallet in hand. Nobody else was awake. He grabbed the bike and made his way down the road.

The town was slightly busy, but not enough to deter Leo. From his memory, he retraced the path he went before. He passed the bus station, a store his mom liked, and there it was. That damn diner. There were only two people in line.

He shoved the bike in the rack, not really bothering to lock it. He snatched his wallet and phone, then joined the line. EJ was walking from the back, throwing her apron on. She spotted him and rolled her eyes.

"It's five till eight," her boss said. "Be ready for the doors and let them in."

"Yeah, I know," EJ said with a groan.

The boss followed her employee's train of sight. It was at the line. The older woman stood by EJ's side. The brunette boy was standing there on his phone.

"That's that asshole from yesterday, right?" she asked EJ.

"Yeah." EJ took her eyes off him. "At least I got some money out of that interaction."

"Good, girl." Her boss, Mary, was the closest person she had to a parent since her parents passed. EJ had started working for Mary when she was fifteen and has not left since. "Let me know if he needs to be kicked out."

The booth glistened from the night prior's night crew clean up. There were four sets of ketchup, mustard, and syrup. The napkin trays were filled to the brim. EJ adjusted the booth stools at the last minute. Some people would move them closer to another, then suddenly become too lazy to put the stool back.

"It's eight, EJ," Mary shouted from the other side of the diner.

Hesitantly, EJ left the booth seats and walked towards the front. She could see everything through the glass doors and windows. The sun was beaming in the early morning sky. People were walking around and into the stores. She also saw the line, and him. With a yank, she pulled the handles until the door stopper locked. She got behind the counter and switched her facial expression to a grin. "Sit wherever you'd like at the booth."

The couple walked in quickly, knowing how packed the diner would be in a few seconds. They sat in the far chairs and asked for coffee. EJ grinded her jaw as Leo's eyes scanned her. He took one last glance at her before walking past her, heading towards the chair at the end by her and the register. She trained her mind anywhere else. The corners of her lips stayed slightly upright until the booth filled and she had to close the doors.

Mary had served him boiling hot coffee. EJ knew it was boiling because of the way he held his mouth open with his tongue slightly out. He looked so out of place compared to everybody else.

EJ made her way behind the counter and asked, in her customer service tone, "What can I get you today?"

Leo placed the coffee between his two arms, then held his hand in the other. "Surprise me."

She broke slightly out of character by lowering her shoulders and almost rolled her eyes. "We ask for an answer because of how busy it usually gets. I can come back-"

"I want your favorite dish here," he said with a small smile. He was being playful and slightly annoying. "That should be easier."

EJ sighed, then made her way to the next customer. He did not take his eyes off of her. Her face and neck felt hot from embarrassment. Her finger twirled the empty paper upwards and moved on to the person next to him. It was a local man that eats breakfast at the diner almost every day. She gave him a nod and he exchanged the same motion, meaning it was the same order as normal. As she jotted down the man's order, she started to wish she asked if he was allergic to anything. For good reasons, of course, if Mary was mind reading her.