You Can Take It Off (When You're Ready) [Twenty One Pilots]

Chapter Thirty: A is for Answers

The morning shift was easy. Despite the horrible fact that Lena had to wake up at 5, really, it was easy. The first few hours were spent cleaning up the floor, then setting up the place, putting back all the chairs and preparing jugs of water and the morning coffee while the chef was busy in the kitchen. By 7:30, it was rush hour, and Lena didn't have a second for herself to even be bored for at least three hours, at which point she only had two hours left before she was free. So, Lena loved the morning shift, and it's with a smile on her lips and bags under her eyes that she reached the diner, only to be faced with, very surprisingly, her cousin.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed. "You are actually early! What's wrong with you?"

"Ha ha, very funny," Hannah retorted, rolling her eyes and slipping her phone into her back pocket as Lena unlocked the doors. "I can be professional. Sometimes."

Both girls stepped in, immediately walking towards the back to get ready. Hopefully, getting ready simply meant tying a dark green apron around their waist and didn't involve those ugly uniforms Lena had sometimes seen in movies. As she bent over to tie her hair in a high bun, Lena peaked at her cousin, who was simply standing there, her apron dangling from a hanger in her locker. She was smiling at her phone, her thumbs seemingly having a tap dancing contest on the screen.

"What are you smirking at?" Lena chuckled, and for the first time, she saw Hannah's cheeks turn red. "Oh my god, are you blushing? Are you texting a guy? Or girl? Someone? Who are they? Do you have a pic-"

"Jeez, woman! What kind of breakfast gives you that much energy so early in the morning?" Hannah had finally let go of her phone and was now struggling to untie the previous knot in her apron. As Lena let out a frank laugh, she looked up at her. "You seem happy."

It was Lena's turn to blush as she turned on her heels, shrugging mysteriously before rushing out towards the tables, swiftly followed by a now very curious Hannah. She didn't seem that focused on her phone now that she had found another topic.

"Oh come on!" she yelled with a smile as she started pulling all the chairs back to the cleaned floor. "At least tell me why you're glowing!"

"Not until you tell me!" Lena retorted, setting her own chair on the ground and leaning on it. Both girls stared at each other for a second, and although they were both fighting it, invisible strings were pulling at the corners of their mouth. With great effort, Lena managed to keep a straight face for a while, until Hannah started wiggling her eyebrows.

"Did you guys do it?" she said seriously, her eyebrows dancing like a running caterpillar. "Did you-"

"No, we didn't," Lena looked back down. She chuckled, but her heart dropped. She wasn't mad at Tyler, not anymore, but that thought had stayed vividly in her mind until she fell asleep, and was still there in the morning when she opened her eyes. Although Lena wanted to, she couldn't get rid of it that simply, and dropping the topic would surely help. So, she set her mind to it, and told Hannah the words that had come out of Tyler's mouth the night before, wishing to change the subject.

"Did you say it back?"

"Of course, I did!" Lena rolled her eyes, dropping the last chair to the floor, before ushering back towards the bar where she turned on the coffee machine. Behind her, Hannah had taken a seat as if waiting for her own coffee to be served to her like she was a client.

"That's great," she said simply, "I'm happy for you." 

Lena had never seen Hannah so wise and calm. She almost looked like an adult, for once, and Lena nudged her gently. "Your turn, now."

The girl blushed once again, and Lena had to insist a little more. "Fine," she finally blurted, looking down shyly at her hands. "Remember Toby?"

Lena's mouth dropped open as she nodded, recalling the cute blonde boy who had helped them discover the truth about Leah, back when they were in New York. She clearly remembered the excessive amount of flirting between the two, but she had never thought things would go that far, especially with Hannah. Not that she wouldn't be able to keep a relationship, but Lena thought of her cousin more like a one-night-stand kind of girl. Obviously, she was still learning.