Paper Stars

- f o u r -

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- Four-

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I ran towards the kitchen as I clumsily dodged all of the stray chairs and wandering customers in the process.

"Fuck," I swore, grasping my knee in pain. I'm done for.

I winced, mentally apologizing to the fuming mother who covered her child's ears while I  tried to limp to the safety of the back room. Every step shot a dull pain up my leg and I knew that I couldn't live. I won't be able to. The lights in Rita's began to waver as if signaling my loss.

"Tony!"

"No, oh no no," I chanted, ready to rip my apron off and use it as a whip if I had to. I could and I would if anything, or if everything, went wrong. I gulped, just thinking about the maniac behind me that was successfully gaining speed.

"Tony! Come back here!"

Wincing at the shrill voice I staggered my way to the kitchen, my safe haven, although I almost pushed over some exhausted father and the dinner plate that he was holding.

I mumbled a quick sorry and I did the one thing I probably should've avoided.

I looked back.

"Christ," I gasped, my eyes widening when I realized how close she was.

Her eyes narrowed and she gracefully leaped over the same chair that slowed me down, knocking me smack dab onto the kitchen door.

"Gotcha." Her hand  tightly clamped around my wrist, dragging me into the kitchen, my safe space turned into a dungeon, and the door swung shut, almost chuckling at my feeble attempt at escaping.

I let out an exasperated sigh and gave her a dirty look, yet the effect was ruined because I tripped as I tried to pry my wrist from her iron grip. Wincing, I adjusted my glasses and gulped at the wild woman in front of me.

"What do you want Eva?" I asked, trying to sound bored, yet my voice shook with fear.

She raised her left eyebrow up so high I thought it would jump right off of her forehead.

"What do I want? What, do I want?" she whispered, lightly touched her temples.

"Tony, I have known you for years now, years, and you've never shown interest in any female on the planet, besides me of course, but I'm taken. Anyway, as I was saying, I've never seen you ask a girl out on a date or at least give a girl your number, and now you're letting someone stay at your apartment with you?" She reverted back to her infamous eyebrow raise and added a little jazz number with her foot.

I almost snorted. How could I ever forget about Eva's incessant prodding and her knack for questioning people who can't answer rhetorical questions.

"I guess?"

"You guess?" she repeated in disbelief. "Well? Aren't you going to explain? Why is she living with you? Why did you let her stay? Good god, what is her name? I have no idea what's going on in my best friends life, and you won't even bother to tell me anything now that something remotely interesting is happening to you?"

I smiled at her. She also had a knack of turning every sentence into a question when she was frustrated.

"Best friend?" I waggled my eyebrows at her.

She sighed and looked at me straight in the eyes, looking around to make sure that we were the only ones in the left wing of the kitchen.

"Did you get her pregnant Tony? I won't judge you, but I hope you know how much trouble a child could be at this age. And I also thought you were a virgin but, again, I won't judge you. I promise."