Silver Clouds [COMPLETE]

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I always wrote my best songs outside, sitting under a bright blue sky filled with silver tinted clouds. Inspiration rained down on me in bucketfuls and the melody that I had been struggling to pick out suddenly fell into place and that one line that sounded choppy would start to flow like a smooth winter stream. All because of the silver clouds, the massive yet beautiful pieces of art that God decided to throw into the sky.

Sometimes, when I become extra whimsical, I wonder if he put them up there just for me.

And though I was supposed to be cleaning table five and refilling table seven's drinks, I was humming a new tune that had been brewing in my mind all day and staring out the back window of the kitchen of Mighty's Diner into the sky.

"Ella!" Wyona barked, snapping me from my daze. I jumped, spinning around and backing up into the metal sink. The edge bit into my tailbone but I ignored the ache as Wyona placed her burly hands on her wide hips. "If I catch you staring out that window again, I'll board it shut, you hear me?"

I nodded quickly. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"Now, get to it. Table seven needs more drinks and Jonah and Braylin just sat down at the counter."

"Yes, ma'am." I snatched up the tray with table seven's new drinks and bolted from the kitchen, needing to get away from Wyona's blistering glare. I released a breath as the swinging door fell shut behind me.

"Hey, Ella!" a familiar voice said to my right. I glanced over at the counter and saw Jonah waving and Braylin grinning. They were two teens that came in frequently and that I had slowly become friends with.

I smiled back, a little relieved to see them. "Hey, guys. I'll get to you in just a minute."

"No rush," Jonah reassured.

Circling around the bar, I shuffled to the booth where a rowdy family of four were eating. A baby was screaming and babbling while the toddler was throwing food at his father.

"Baxter, stop it and eat your food," his mother scolded as she cut up little pieces of food for the baby. The dad was scrubbing ketchup from his T-shirt, and all of them were too focused on everything else to notice me walk up.

"Here are these refills," I said with a smile, slipping each glass onto the table. "And I'll bring some more napkins as well."

The mother looked up at me with grateful eyes. "Thank you."

"No problem." I nodded politely and quickly grabbed a stack of napkins from behind the counter. By the time I got back, one of the fresh waters I had brought was spilt all over the table.

"I am so sorry," the mom apologized as she tried to stop it from dripping into the floor. "They're so rowdy and hard to control sometimes."

"It's okay. I'll go grab a towel to wipe it up with." I spun on my heel once again, rushing to the back to get several grey rags that we used to wipe up the tables with.

I bent down and wiped up the puddle running across the tile floor as the father used the napkins I brought to get the table. When it was all said and done, I felt my hairline glistening with sweat but the table and floor were dry, the mother had a new water glass, and all of the dirty rags and used up napkins had been disposed of.

"Sorry about that guys," I panted as I slipped to the other side of the counter once again. I whipped out my notepad and pen. "What can I get you?"

"First of all," Braylin said, "take a breath."

I breathed in and then slowly exhaled, a loose strand of my strawberry blonde hair flying up. I grabbed it and tucked it behind my ear for the seventh time that morning.