What I Found

This Diner

Standing and watching.

I stand there listening to my parent arguing.

I'm trying to remember the reason through the river of tears streaming from my eyes.

I stare at my converse that have seen better days. Threads hang from the rips in my jeans. The sweater I'm wearing became a good distraction to my hands.

I look to my mother who's never around and it's stressing me out. She says she's leaving and I look up from the ground.

I start to shake my head furiously. My feet guide my body back to the door I just recently entered in, car keys in hand.

I need to leave.

I can't stay here anymore so I drive my beat up pick up and go far, far, far, far away.

I drive until I reach the city limits of West Miami. I kept going along the streets until I found a little diner whose lights flicker and dim out in some spots.

I push open the door and the warm smell of pancakes and bacon hit me. I walk to a booth in the back of the place.

It seems homey. Pictures and objects strewn along the walls and behind the counter
I sit and look around the small diner.

The lights give a beautiful glow to the place. Not many people are here either from what I observe. An old couple about ready to leave, a some men sitting at the bar sipping on scolding coffee the temperature of lava that the waitress just poured, and a group of people around my age sitting at the large booth by the window in the front.

I look over there for a moment and one of the girls catches my eye. My necklace felt really warm and buzzed as I ran my thumb and forefinger over the silver moon. The girls skin is glowing gold like honey and it's gorgeously tanned compared to my pale skin. She has luscious brown locks that flow to her shoulders.

She glances up from her phone smiling at some guy who said something funny I assume. Her pearly white teeth escaped her plush pink lips and I start to wonder what it would be like to kiss her. I wonder if she could find love behind my harsh abrasive exterior.

I look away and to the waitress ordering my food which is a measly stack of pancakes and a vanilla milkshake. I look over to her again and her brown eyes are piercing right back into mine. I avert my eyes to the table and feel a blush creep over my cheeks.

I stare at the table picking away at the nail polish on my jacked up nails and the breath I just took in gets caught in my throat as I hear an angelic voice say;

"Excuse me."

I peak up from the laminated wood and I can't breathe. She's a lot more beautiful up close.

"Can I sit here?"

I nod.

She sits across from me and I look back to the booth in the corner. Her friends left. She's here with me so I can NOT mess up.

"Have I seen you around here before?"

I shake my head no. She giggles a little and I smile.

"Do you speak?"

I look at her. Really look at her. This radiation of warmth and trust rushed over me. I spoke in the smallest voice I could muster that was still audible.

"Yes."

"Well I'm Camila it's nice to meet you..."