Twisted Strings [MONSTER EDITING - Read at your own risk]

It's gonna be me

7. It's gonne be me

NSYNC's 'It's gonna be me' played on the radio when I entered the Café that afternoon. A blast of cool air from the air con welcomed me, and I swiped my sweaty forehead with the sleeve of my shirt. I almost crashed into a plump woman, who was rushed out with a tray of four coffee cups balanced in one hand, and a huge bag in another.

''Oh! You're here! Take this to table no. 5, please!'' Linda called when she saw me. She was working like a machine again, hands moving with speed of light as she prepared one order after another.

''I just entered.'' I pointed out and placed my bag on one of the spare chairs and fastened my hair in a ponytail. A lady sitting beside the counter glared at me, her scrutinizing gaze resting on my hands. Did she expect me to wear gloves or something?

I helped around and Linda slipped me a glass of cold water when we took a short break. She must have noticed that I was upset and made me my Cinnamon Mocha, without me asking. She even added some cream on the top.

''Dad went birthday shopping for you today, do you want me to spoil the surprise?'' Elliot asked me after the rush hour passed. He was leaning against the counter, changing the radio station, after every two seconds.

''Do whatever.'' I muttered and rested my legs, by stretching them on a spare chair. I leaned back against the chair and took a sip of the coffee, letting the mixture of sweet and bitter sooth my nerves.

''Why? Aren't you excited? And you're the most greedy one in our house.''

''Hey, change that.'' Linda demanded after he stopped at the news channel. They were talking something about the rising prices of Petrol or whatever and Elliot was listening to the whole deal religiously. He changed the station when Linda glared at him and threatened not to make Strawberry Shake for him.

''I'm not greedy. When was I ever greedy?'' I shot at him.

''Huh uh, you're not greedy at all. Instead you were being possessed last year when you demanded Dad to give you presents on behalf of Clay and Drew as well.''

I glared at him, ''And how's that relevant?''

He finally settled on a station we were listening to before and it was playing Amnesia by Five seconds of summer. That was one of my favorite song ever. I ;et the nostalgia brought by the lyrics, wash over me and heaved a sigh.

''Where's Dad?'' I asked Linda after a few seconds. The obvious answer was kitchen but he was hauled up in there for so long.

''The evaluation people are coming in less than two weeks. He's trying to come up with something to impress them.'' She answered, sounding annoyed by the idea.

''Hey'' Just then Dad joined us. His coat was all wrinkly and it looked like someone had bathed chocolate all over him. Jeez, I had never seen a chef being this messy.

''Hi, I heard about the evaluation. How's it going?''

''I'm still planning a little. They'll probably come during afternoon, which means we'll have to be faster than usual. I'm going to surprise them this time! Chocolate fountain-''

I winced, ''Dad, no.'' Last time the evaluation team arrived, Dad had turned into a mad man. The whole week, he would stay in the kitchen, tempering chocolate and making weird shapes out of it. He claimed that chocolate was his winning ingredient and that it could turn us into millionaires. A farfetched dream, if you ask me. He didn't care about money, he would never have left The Mile, if he did. It was perfection he wanted to achieve from his creations.