Secrets from Beneath

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Greta's Diner was the place I usually headed to after school. When my parents were still at work, and there was nothing at home that yearned for my attention. I went there with Annabelle or Sienna and Kiara at times. Almost everyone at Cyprus Hill, knew about Greta's Diner. It was a family business, I'm sure; I mean all the employees looked exactly like the two owners, a short brunette couple that were always speaking German behind the kitchen doors.

I opened the black doors of the diner and walked inside, with the intention of reading some of the pages I had been assigned in History. My regular booth, towards the back of the diner and beside one of the tall windows was empty as usual so I made my way over to it.

I sat inside and placed my school bag beside me. Uncovering the Truth, I placed on the table where the diner's menus where laminated onto. In a few minutes one of the staff would whiz over and ask for my order, which would be a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Although Greta's Diner supplied breakfast, lunch and dinner, breakfast was always everyone╒s preferred choice regardless of what time of day it was.

I opened Uncovering the Truth, its black and white pictures reminding me of the slides from Mr Foughlin's presentation.

There were a few people already in the diner, businessmen and their colleagues, parents with their young children and kids from other schools. They were all engaging in conversation but they were barely audible which made it easier to focus on the task I had before me. I flipped through the book, often getting distracted by either charming or gruesome illustrations and photographs that caught my attention, and arrived at the beginning of chapter 4, the Russian Revolution.

As I began to read the miniature typeface of the page, I heard the door push open and the chattering of teenage girls entering the diner. I looked up and saw Lucy, Florintina and three other girls accompanying them. The sight of them made me sink a little deeper into my chair, hopefully they'd find themselves a booth far, far away from mine. And soon enough they did, edging their way towards a table, three tables in front of mine. As they settled themselves in I realised that one of the girls with them was Kiara. She laughed at something Florintina had just said and patted her on the shoulder, encouraging her to continue. Since when was Kiara associated with them. Probably around the same time she decided to end her camaraderie with me, I thought to myself.

I pushed the textbook closer to my face in the hopes that they wouldn't notice me but Lucy's laughing soon made it apparent that they had. I looked up to the five of them staring back at me. Their gazes deep and daunting.

"Yes?" I asked them,

"Oh nothing," Lucy smiled, her pristine white teeth visible, "we were just wondering what is was you were reading,"

I nodded, obviously not convinced.

They turned around as Kiara supplied me with one last gawk, before turning around, shaking her head.

I closed my book shut and placed it on the table. Now I just wanted to go home. But of course that wasn't an option. If I did, they would know that they'd succeeded in discouraging me and there was no way I was going to leave them with that satisfaction. Especially not Kiara.

I opened my book again, a picture of the Tsar of Russia stared up at me. I would leave in an hour, I told myself.

The diner door swung open once again and I expected to see Sienna or Iris barging through, eager to join the others at the table. Instead, however, it was the gentle, calm demeanour of a blond, blue-eyed boy, closing the door as he entered inside.

What was he doing here? I thought. I mean it was true Greta's was a public place and everyone was entitled to dine here, but how was it that whenever I was put into such a foul mood, he was always there, minutes later?