seraphic [h.s]

chapter six.

I was currently five hours into my shift, I wasn't sure where all the hours seemed to go, my body being called left and right to either clear tables, take orders or 'stop having chit chats because this wasn't a social gathering'. Having Avery around helped for the most part, without her here I most definitely would have carked it long ago.

Tom seemed to understand my excuse, I assumed my teary eyed gesture helped my case out further and I promised myself to never let this kind of thing happen again. The elastic of my hair tie pulled my pony tail into its sleek positioning, though now it began to ache and I knew this would never normally have happened when my scheduled morning would go to plan. It wasn't a particularly busy day, the usual lunch rush felt to be the most draining though now we were easing out of it and I was just glad I'd be out of here right on dinner time.

"Mabel, head to the till there's a customer for you and once you've done that please start off mopping the far section, preferably before it gets dark." Tom huffed as he knocked and opened the door between us, wiping his grimy hands on the black apron surrounding his body, "Uh sure, I've just got to finish these bathroom mirrors and I'll be right out." I mumbled. For some unknown reason I always seemed to be the one who had to clean the bathrooms, after a while I came to terms with it and used it as a recharging method for having to put up with him all day.

"It wasn't a choice, Avery can finish that up, the customer asked for you so please go now."

Scrunching up my face, I placed the spray bottle upon the counter and slipped my gloves off after hearing him leave, throwing them into the tiny bin in the corner. "Asked for me?" I whispered as I let the cold water clean my hands, confused because in my long past history of working at this diner, nobody had ever specifically called for me.

As I made my way out towards the till, walking past the numerous tables and rounding the counter, I could have sworn the brown mop of hair belonging to a tall framed person with their back to me looked awfully familiar. Far too familiar that only one name ran circles through my mind and I wasn't sure why on earth I was looking at his baggy denim jeans sitting on his slim waist.

I knew it was Harry, seeing the tattooed arms poke out from the extremely loose white t-shirt he wore. His arms were crossed, smoke gliding out of the cigarette he held between his two fingers, the tapping of his foot caught my attention. "Good afternoon, welcome to Diner on Fifth, what can I get for you?" I cheerily spoke, knowing Tom was lingering in the kitchen behind me. Instantly, Harry span around, a cold expression on his face as he blew out the smoke brewing in his mouth, "Are you warped? Somethin' not functioning properly in that brain of yours?"

"I'm sorry?!" I hissed, frowning my eyebrows in question. Harry took a few steps closer towards the counter, one hand sprawled on its surface as the other held his burning cigarette. "You. Did you really have to go fuckin' tattle to your sister that I hogged the bathroom this mornin'? Typical little sister move you know, always gettin' your way." Rage seared through my gaze, wondering how he had the audacity to storm all the way here and say such thing, did he not have anything better to do?

"I did not tattle, she came into my room while I was trying to get ready and it came up in conversation." I clarified, folding my arms across my chest in defence. "Well she made me walk all the way here just to apologise, like a damn sucker, which I am not. You tell your sister that I came here, nicely apologised and that was that." He toyed as he inhaled another breath of smoke. I wondered how he mastered such thing, the way he didn't even flinch as the smoke fled into his lungs.

Tilting my head to the side, I eyed him up and down suspiciously, "But I haven't heard you apologise yet."

"And you won't."