Caution! Fragile

Chapter: 8 The First Non-Date

"Hi welcome to Olive Garden, how many for this occasion?" asked the hostess in a cheery voice.

"Table for two." Nate replied with a hint of cockiness in his voice. I just scoffed and rolled my eyes. When the hostess walked away to seat us at our table I smacked his arm, "You're so full of it," I joked.

"I try, Sweet Cheeks" he replied, though I didn't know if he was flirting or joking.

Like a gentlemen he pulled out the chair for me, then he sat right across. Before I could thank him the hostess asked "what can I get you two to drink tonight?"

"I'll just have a water please," I said. She nodded "And you sir?"

"I'll have a water too, please," he replied. "Alright, two waters coming up, Bethany will be your server for this evening, she should be here in a couple minutes to take your orders. Enjoy" She finally said, as she placed a bread basket onto the table. She came back a few moments later with our waters.

I grabbed a breadstick and took a bite into it as I searched the menu. The tour of Italy sounds good I thought to myself. We have a winner, The tour of Italy it is. I closed the menu and set it down.

"Finished already?" asked Nate.

"What can I say? I know what I want," I smirked.

After a few minutes of waiting, our waitress finally came. "Good evening my name is Bethany and I will be your server tonight." She glanced at me and studied me for a moment. I really hate it when people stare, I thought to myself. After looking at me she turned to Nate "What will she be having?" I raised my eyebrow, Nate glanced at me and saw my expression, right as I was about to open my mouth Nate interrupted me, "She can order perfectly fine herself so why don't you ask her." he curtly responded through gritted teeth.

She looked shocked for a second, "Oh! Um... I'm sorry... I-I didn't know-" she stuttered

"It's fine, I'm used to it," I stated, "I'll have the Tour of Italy," 

"Okay, and you sir?" she asked.

"I'll have the same thing she's having," he replied smiling at me, I couldn't help but to smile back. The waitress finished writing up the order, "Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can with your meal." She chirped and then scurried off. Nate was shaking his head with dissapproval. "It must be hard" He stated, "having to go through life with people constantly thinking you can't handle yourself," He had a tinge of saddness in his voice.

"Like I said, I'm used to it; that's when you have to prove people wrong, show them who you really are." It was a fact of life.

He simply nodded, "I never did ask you, what is your... um-" he trailed off.

"Condition" I added, "it's okay, you can say it, I like it when people are curious, it only means they care." (Another fact of life.) "I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta, OI for short, it's a condition where my bones break easily." I explained.

I heard him mutter something under his breath but I couldn't quite make out what it was. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing, it's just, I knew someone with the same condition once, I just figured you had the same thing due to the physical similarities." he replied.

"Oh yeah? Who? Where are they now?" I was curious there wasn't a lot of people I knew who had the same condition as me. He cringed at the question, his face stiffened and he looked down at the table.

He cleared his throat. "Um- my... my brother," He finally explained, "He passed away in a car accident a few years ago."

I was surprised by his his answer and I didn't know what to say. I saw his hand was resting on the table so I gathered my courage and reached out to grab it. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked" I whispered sympathedically.