An Assassin's Death Wish

Gossip for Girls

I walked out and when I glanced at the clock, I realized I was in there way to long. Oops... Oh well. I walked over to the counter's cash register when I saw a familiar pink-haired girl hanging out there looking bored as hell. "Hi," I said in a deeper voice than my normal one.

Shirley didn't look up but instinctively started talking. "Hello, welcome to Charlie's Diner. What can I get for you today?"

"I'll take my usual please," I said in my disguised voice.

This seemed to piss Shirley off. "I don't know your usual, assho-," at that moment she looked up and brightened considerably. I started giggling when she turned bright red. "Oh sorry, Mora! I didn't know it was you."

"Obviously you didn't. Why would you ever call me an asshole? We all know that I'm perfect!" 

"Oh honey, you are an asshole, but I still love you despite that. So do you want some good news?" She picked my milkshake and fries off of a table behind the counter and set it down at the spot nearest to her, and I set my phone down next to them.

"You know I do! Spill it now." Shirley is kind of a gossip, but I guess she's gotta be since someday she'll be a hairdresser. She's still in training classes, but I let her test all of her new skills on me. Partially because she is really good and enthusiastic about and also because she needs someone to practice on and I don't wanna let anyone else hear her new gossip before me. 

I sit and get comfy on the plastic red bar stool before picking up two thick cut fries. I dip both in my strawberry chocolate milkshake before handing one to her, which she gratefully accepts, and eating the other one myself. She picks up a second and dips it with one hand while using the other to point to a kid with light brown hair who I've never seen. I can't see his face since he's facing away from us, but I can tell from his posture and body that I've never seen him before in my life. "See him over there? He's old Sammy's replacement. Thank god he retired; he was losing his hearing and customers were practically screaming their orders at him. Also this cutie is a lot easier to look at than that old man was." 

"Does he have a name?"

"You haven't even seen his face and you're already trying to hit that?" 

I laughed but shook my head. "I ask because he's the only one in here that I don't know."

"I know I'm just messing with you. Oh my GOD, maybe you'll get to  work with him this weekend!" She winked at me before she continued teasingly. "Then you could whoo him with your womanly charms."

"You're ridiculous! But are you gonna answer my question or no? Cause I could go ask Uncle Charlie... Maybe tell him that you think that the new guy's cute."

She turned bright red. "Don't you freaking dare! I would be mortified!"

"It looks like you're already embarrassed. Mortified would just be one step further."

She puts up her hands, "I surrender! No need to get me fired!" Charlie has a no workplace relationship rule which seems a little odd till you learn that one couple broke up in front of the customers and things got heated between the two. A few minutes later, one of them is being escorted out of the building by Chief Abascal and the other has been throughly bashed while the whole building looks like a tornado went through it. Food scatter on the ground and tables upturned and chairs thrown all around. Charlie was pissed and therefore created this new rule. 

She leaned in and I did the same as she whispered, "Halcyon Aster." 

I was about to reply when he approached us. He gave both of us a small smile and passed an order ticket to Shirley before he walked away. After he was a safe distance away and Shirley had called out the order, I turned to Shirley and continued the conversation. "Oh my freaking god, he's so cute!" He was somewhat pale and was muscular with the sharpest jawline I had ever seen. He had these big, blue eyes that I swear I could drown in. Over the ocean, he had black square glasses; they were simple but somehow made him even more handsome.

"I know, right?" She enthused. "He apparently is a senior at your school, haven't you seen him around?"

"Maybe, but I think I would've remembered a face like that. I tend not to hang around seniors anyways."

"Why not? You would get a long with almost all of them great. They've got senioritis and you have a severe lack of desire to be a junior."

"That maybe true, but I have an excellent attendance record."

She glared at me. "That's because you beat the shit out of some kid to get him to say 'here' for you."

"Varian is my friend and I have never punched him. Well, I've never beat him with the intent to hurt him, but I've punched him for being an ass before."

At this point the fries and shake were long gone, so Shirley brought them to the kitchen sink in the back. When she came back out she glanced at the clock. "As much as I've enjoyed this, it's time for me to get back to work with the cutie and for you to get to The Slip. See ya tomorrow."

I gave her a pout and a sigh. "You better have some new gossip for me tomorrow." I grabbed my bags and waved at her before walking towards the door.

"Oh you know I will!" she shouted from behind the counter. We waved to one another before I walked out. 

I unlocked my car and plopped down inside it putting both bags in the backseat before speeding out of the diner's parking lot as fast as possible. I spud towards The Slip as fast as possible, but midway there I realized something with a shock. Crap, I forgot my phone! I freaked out for a minute but decided I would just call Charlie once I got to my destination. He'll just send someone with it tonight with my cup. 

Once I got to The Slip, I quickly parked in the spot labeled "reserved" under the neon sign. I put my head on the wheel and sighed, steeling myself for how hard this practice was gonna be.