Caught Inside

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." – Colossians 4:5-6

The afternoon temperature dropped steadily as the hours wore on, and Koa found himself donning jeans and a hoodie before heading outside. His stomach growled. He had just finished most of the weekend's homework, so he thought it fitting to treat himself to dinner while his parents were on a date night.

He whistled cheerfully as he spun the keys to his dad's pickup truck around his finger. He slid into the vehicle and started the ignition. A few vibrant ribbons of color were still arced against the inky blackness of the night sky when he backed out of the driveway. Ten minutes later, he reached his destination.

But the neon sign that usually greeted him was no longer glowing, and the entrance to the parking lot was roped off. Koa frowned and pulled over to the side of the street. He stared at the burger joint until he noticed a sign posted out front: closed for remodeling.

"Of all the nights," he muttered, resigning himself to his fate. He didn't necessarily want to drive back home, since the only things left in his family's fridge were some spaghetti and crusty garlic rolls. He would just have to find somewhere else to eat.

Koa pulled away from the curb and made his way towards the ocean. He knew there was a Del Taco and a pizza place somewhere up ahead, so he decided to eat at whichever restaurant popped up first.

To his surprise, Scottie's Surf Shack was the place his eyes lit on a few minutes later. He noted the intersection and realized he was one street west of the Del Taco/pizzeria locations. I really need to drive more at night, he thought, slightly embarrassed about his lack of street knowledge.

As soon as the light turned green, he made a left-hand turn and pulled into the parking lot of Scottie's. The presence of quite a few cars hinted at the crowds that awaited him inside, but the hunger pains in his stomach told Koa that he wasn't about to search for somewhere else to eat. He pushed open the front door and walked in.

The light chattering of families and couples complemented the music playing softly overhead. Koa glanced to his right and saw, through the glass window, a group of teenagers browsing the surf shop next door.

He stepped into line behind an older couple and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He only had a five dollar bill and a few ones on him, so after perusing the menu hanging above the counter, he decided to go for the least expensive meal available: a classic burger and a drink.

Peering past the heads and shoulders of the people in front of him, Koa glanced over to the waitresses working the counter and realized neither of them looked familiar. His heart deflated. Part of him had hoped Nikki was working tonight.

The girl had a strange pull on him. She was both friendly and reserved, intelligent and humorous, soft-spoken and outgoing. Her charisma made such an impression on him that he always had lingering memories of their conversations. She kept him on his toes, in a good way. Plus, it helped immensely that she was attractive...

"Um, sir? Hello?"

Koa snapped back to attention and realized he was next in line. One of the girls, a cute preppy brunette with a smattering of freckles across her nose, beckoned him over. "Are you ready to order, sir?"

He hastened over. "Yes! Sorry."

"No problem. What can I get for you?"