Post by Victoria Alexander on Jan 4, 2008 18:11:36 GMT 1
Sitting silently in a small café. Victoria folded, unfolded and folded a sugar pack over and over as her small cup of coffee steamed in front of her. It was still early in the morning and her night in the alley made her body chilled to the bone. She could still feel her body shiver under her hoodie as she breathed in the warm scent of brewed coffee beans. A few days in the city, she told herself, that’s all, just a few days more.
She had seen a few old students. Noticed their happier demeanor as they made their way either to or from the school grounds. She could not remember their names but their faces she had imprinted on her mind. It seemed to make her more at peace with things knowing they were happier.
Wrapping her hands around the warm cup she blew slightly into the cup watching the steam move away from her before taking a sip. The bitter taste seemed to warm her insides as it moved down. Calming the growl of her belly with another sip. Her money dwindling each day. The thought made her shake her head slightly as she looked at the table her finger slowly counting the coins on the table. She sighed.
Noticing someone stopping at the table she looked up, looking into the worn face of a waitress, smiling holding more coffee.
“Darlin would you like to warm that cup up?”
Victoria smiled back, more forced than anything, as she slid the cup towards the edge of the table. “Now don’t think me silly but I couldn’t help but notice. Well Bob back in the kitchen always says Im nosey but any who, I was wondering if you would like some breakfast.” Before Victoria could object knowing she did not have the money to pay for it. The waitress waved her hand. “Now it will be on the house of course, the growl of your stomach had Bob a little worried. Since he could hear it all the way over there.” Her thumb moved back. Victoria looked towards the open area in the wall where a big guy in a grease coated apron smiled with his fat arms across one on the other looking towards the girls. Victoria must have blushed in shame of her belly being that noticeable making the waitress giggle slightly and shout over the room. “Looks like she’ll take the special Bob.” Victoria stumbled out a thank you before the waitress sat down.
“Now don’t thank me just yet. Where you from kid. I know your not from around here.” She had a smile on her face as Victoria’s eyes looked at her from across the table. Her fingers fiddling with her cup as she was unsure to answer the lady or not. But since the lady was being nice it wasn't really going to hurt anything. "Im from New York. Just here to see a few old friends."
The waitress nodded. "An east coast gal. Never been there. Grew up in Texas and found my way here when I was probably your age. Wanted to be a big name and well you can see where that got me." She laughed at her own misfortune. "The names Sally." She extended her hand across the table as Victoria shook it softly. "Victoria" The waitress smiled. "Now ain’t that a pretty name, such a delicate name."
She smiled again as she heard a bell from the back as Bob held a plate in hand and had a giant smile to go with his giant size. She made her way happily as Victoria watched her as she grabbed the plate blew a kiss to Bob. Sally moved back to the table and placed it there as Victoria looked upon eggs, bacon, sausage links, toast, jam, three pancakes and hash browns. There was enough food on that oval plate to satisfy the largest of appetites. Sally giggled at Victorias wonderment and set down some utensils and napkins, "If you need more coffee you just give me a holler darlin." and was off to service another customer that had just walked in.
Victoria couldn't really believe how much was on the plate and with the last growl of her belly she started to shovel the food in. She hadn't eaten this much food in ages. For an onlooker, the site was rather pitiful. Knowing by the look of the dirty faced girl that, that was probably the first decent thing she ate in a long time. Runaways were popular among the big cities and people around there knew how to spot them.
Victoria didn't notice the looks until her plate had been cleaned. She hadn't noticed just how much she ate until there was no more, she practically almost licked the plate clean. She looked up saw Sally looking at her and grew terribly red with embarrassment. Sally came over and picked them up with a smile. "You must have been pretty hungry, I’ve seen grown men who couldn't put that much food down. You put them all down in shame." She patted Victoria's hand that was on the table trying to make her not feel so uncomfortable. But before she could move off with the plates Victoria rose and took them from her. "You've done enough for me, at least let me clean up to show how appreciative I am."
Sally smiled a hand on her hip as she looked over at Bob who just had put out another order and winked at him. "Now you just go right through those doors and you'll see the sink. You just go ahead and put them in there and Ill get to them." But Victoria didn't listen. She went into the kitchen. Feeling rather at home at the large tub of dishwater. It reminded her of when she was at the warehouse. Of when she was cleaning up after the banger boys. She placed the dishes inside the soaping hot water. Looked for a rag only to look at Bob at the grill. With a smile on his face he pointed over to the corner which housed clean dish rags. She nodded in thanking him without saying a word and grabbed the cloth and began to wash. It didn't take her long, she rather enjoyed it to be honest as she scrubbed the eggs off of the plate. Rinsing them clean and then moving onto the other pile that just happen to be sitting there. No one seemed to be paying attention to her she could hear the early rush of the morning. The bell on the door chiming one after the other. The shouts of orders from Sally, hearing the sizzling of the meats, eggs on the grill. The sounds that filled her ears as she continued to wash dishes until her fingers resembled prunes.
Sally came in with another batch of dirty dishes as she almost dropped them seeing the finished dishes nice and tidy on the shelf. Victoria drying off the last of them as she turned to see her. "My, My I didn't know you were going to do all of them. Dear I only thought you would just do yours." Victoria shrugged. "I know but I thought it only fair, to you know, help out to pay for breakfast." Bob seemed to peek from his area hearing the girls voices.
A husky deep voice seemed to boom in Victoria’s ears. “It was no problem at all.” Bob smiled with a spatula in his hand. Sally couldn't help but let out a little giggle and placed the dishes on the counter. "Well if you feel so strongly I should say that calls us even. Lord knows I hate doing those silly dishes." Victoria had her hands behind her back fiddling with the back of her hoodie as she smiled weakly and started out of the kitchen.
"You know" Victoria could hear Sally behind her. "I could really use some help around here Bob. Now I don't suppose someone could use some change just until their time here is done." Victoria slowed as she knew the hint Sally was giving. "No I don't believe I do." Bobs voice seemed a little too loud as if he was trying to get Victoria's attention in a smug way. "Well Hey. Miss Victoria you wouldn't be interested in making a few bucks, I mean if you have the time?" Victoria turned facing the two who now stood side by side. Sally small compared to the large Bob. Victoria put her hand on the back of her head. "Umm I never done anything like this before." She said uncomfortably. Sally seemed to move up to her and swooped her arm around her shoulder. "Now that wont be a problem this job is a piece of pie."
Victoria couldn't believe it. She never had an actual job like this. She tried to avoid it because of her past. With the runaways it was a full time job just trying to help the Misfits and the Banger Boys, she never had time for an actual job, job. Then with the school. Well it wasn't your everyday normal job like this one. Teenagers did this kind of stuff all the time and Victoria had no experience for it.
"Okay." She said as Sally ushered her back into the kitchen. "Now for today you can learn the menu with Bob. He knows this food like the back of his hand. Then if you come back tomorrow you can start helping me up front." She nodded with a smile. Victoria thanked her as Sally gave another smile and excused herself to go back to the customers. Victoria still a little stunned that such people like them would help her that she almost didn't hear the booming voice of Bob by her. Snapping out of it she moved into the kitchen as Bob would explain the menu and even show her a few tips on how to cook like the best of them.
Victoria actually felt a spark of warmth move through her body but at the end of the day, put it behind her.
She had seen a few old students. Noticed their happier demeanor as they made their way either to or from the school grounds. She could not remember their names but their faces she had imprinted on her mind. It seemed to make her more at peace with things knowing they were happier.
Wrapping her hands around the warm cup she blew slightly into the cup watching the steam move away from her before taking a sip. The bitter taste seemed to warm her insides as it moved down. Calming the growl of her belly with another sip. Her money dwindling each day. The thought made her shake her head slightly as she looked at the table her finger slowly counting the coins on the table. She sighed.
Noticing someone stopping at the table she looked up, looking into the worn face of a waitress, smiling holding more coffee.
“Darlin would you like to warm that cup up?”
Victoria smiled back, more forced than anything, as she slid the cup towards the edge of the table. “Now don’t think me silly but I couldn’t help but notice. Well Bob back in the kitchen always says Im nosey but any who, I was wondering if you would like some breakfast.” Before Victoria could object knowing she did not have the money to pay for it. The waitress waved her hand. “Now it will be on the house of course, the growl of your stomach had Bob a little worried. Since he could hear it all the way over there.” Her thumb moved back. Victoria looked towards the open area in the wall where a big guy in a grease coated apron smiled with his fat arms across one on the other looking towards the girls. Victoria must have blushed in shame of her belly being that noticeable making the waitress giggle slightly and shout over the room. “Looks like she’ll take the special Bob.” Victoria stumbled out a thank you before the waitress sat down.
“Now don’t thank me just yet. Where you from kid. I know your not from around here.” She had a smile on her face as Victoria’s eyes looked at her from across the table. Her fingers fiddling with her cup as she was unsure to answer the lady or not. But since the lady was being nice it wasn't really going to hurt anything. "Im from New York. Just here to see a few old friends."
The waitress nodded. "An east coast gal. Never been there. Grew up in Texas and found my way here when I was probably your age. Wanted to be a big name and well you can see where that got me." She laughed at her own misfortune. "The names Sally." She extended her hand across the table as Victoria shook it softly. "Victoria" The waitress smiled. "Now ain’t that a pretty name, such a delicate name."
She smiled again as she heard a bell from the back as Bob held a plate in hand and had a giant smile to go with his giant size. She made her way happily as Victoria watched her as she grabbed the plate blew a kiss to Bob. Sally moved back to the table and placed it there as Victoria looked upon eggs, bacon, sausage links, toast, jam, three pancakes and hash browns. There was enough food on that oval plate to satisfy the largest of appetites. Sally giggled at Victorias wonderment and set down some utensils and napkins, "If you need more coffee you just give me a holler darlin." and was off to service another customer that had just walked in.
Victoria couldn't really believe how much was on the plate and with the last growl of her belly she started to shovel the food in. She hadn't eaten this much food in ages. For an onlooker, the site was rather pitiful. Knowing by the look of the dirty faced girl that, that was probably the first decent thing she ate in a long time. Runaways were popular among the big cities and people around there knew how to spot them.
Victoria didn't notice the looks until her plate had been cleaned. She hadn't noticed just how much she ate until there was no more, she practically almost licked the plate clean. She looked up saw Sally looking at her and grew terribly red with embarrassment. Sally came over and picked them up with a smile. "You must have been pretty hungry, I’ve seen grown men who couldn't put that much food down. You put them all down in shame." She patted Victoria's hand that was on the table trying to make her not feel so uncomfortable. But before she could move off with the plates Victoria rose and took them from her. "You've done enough for me, at least let me clean up to show how appreciative I am."
Sally smiled a hand on her hip as she looked over at Bob who just had put out another order and winked at him. "Now you just go right through those doors and you'll see the sink. You just go ahead and put them in there and Ill get to them." But Victoria didn't listen. She went into the kitchen. Feeling rather at home at the large tub of dishwater. It reminded her of when she was at the warehouse. Of when she was cleaning up after the banger boys. She placed the dishes inside the soaping hot water. Looked for a rag only to look at Bob at the grill. With a smile on his face he pointed over to the corner which housed clean dish rags. She nodded in thanking him without saying a word and grabbed the cloth and began to wash. It didn't take her long, she rather enjoyed it to be honest as she scrubbed the eggs off of the plate. Rinsing them clean and then moving onto the other pile that just happen to be sitting there. No one seemed to be paying attention to her she could hear the early rush of the morning. The bell on the door chiming one after the other. The shouts of orders from Sally, hearing the sizzling of the meats, eggs on the grill. The sounds that filled her ears as she continued to wash dishes until her fingers resembled prunes.
Sally came in with another batch of dirty dishes as she almost dropped them seeing the finished dishes nice and tidy on the shelf. Victoria drying off the last of them as she turned to see her. "My, My I didn't know you were going to do all of them. Dear I only thought you would just do yours." Victoria shrugged. "I know but I thought it only fair, to you know, help out to pay for breakfast." Bob seemed to peek from his area hearing the girls voices.
A husky deep voice seemed to boom in Victoria’s ears. “It was no problem at all.” Bob smiled with a spatula in his hand. Sally couldn't help but let out a little giggle and placed the dishes on the counter. "Well if you feel so strongly I should say that calls us even. Lord knows I hate doing those silly dishes." Victoria had her hands behind her back fiddling with the back of her hoodie as she smiled weakly and started out of the kitchen.
"You know" Victoria could hear Sally behind her. "I could really use some help around here Bob. Now I don't suppose someone could use some change just until their time here is done." Victoria slowed as she knew the hint Sally was giving. "No I don't believe I do." Bobs voice seemed a little too loud as if he was trying to get Victoria's attention in a smug way. "Well Hey. Miss Victoria you wouldn't be interested in making a few bucks, I mean if you have the time?" Victoria turned facing the two who now stood side by side. Sally small compared to the large Bob. Victoria put her hand on the back of her head. "Umm I never done anything like this before." She said uncomfortably. Sally seemed to move up to her and swooped her arm around her shoulder. "Now that wont be a problem this job is a piece of pie."
Victoria couldn't believe it. She never had an actual job like this. She tried to avoid it because of her past. With the runaways it was a full time job just trying to help the Misfits and the Banger Boys, she never had time for an actual job, job. Then with the school. Well it wasn't your everyday normal job like this one. Teenagers did this kind of stuff all the time and Victoria had no experience for it.
"Okay." She said as Sally ushered her back into the kitchen. "Now for today you can learn the menu with Bob. He knows this food like the back of his hand. Then if you come back tomorrow you can start helping me up front." She nodded with a smile. Victoria thanked her as Sally gave another smile and excused herself to go back to the customers. Victoria still a little stunned that such people like them would help her that she almost didn't hear the booming voice of Bob by her. Snapping out of it she moved into the kitchen as Bob would explain the menu and even show her a few tips on how to cook like the best of them.
Victoria actually felt a spark of warmth move through her body but at the end of the day, put it behind her.
