Service ➳ n.h [au]

Chapter 12

"Sorry to hear that," I blow smoke from the back of my throat. The guy nods and throws his bud to the ground. How long has he been out here?

"So what's your story?"

I sigh, flicking more ashes. "I just like a girl...that's it."

He lifts an eyebrow, "What's wrong with the girl? She a lesbian?"

"No," I furrow my eyebrows. "She's just...uh, preoccupied. It's a stupid reason to be pissy, but - damn - it stresses me the fuck out." This time I actually put my cigarette out because i've had enough.

"Ah, I get it. Young love," the guy nods while slightly raising a fist in the air.

"I don't love her," I roll my eyes at him, itching to leave this conversation and go home already. Luckily for me, my phone starts to go off. When I look at the caller ID, I roll my eyes and press the phone to my ear as I walk away.

"What, dad?" I ask him harshly before he has time to say anything.

There's a short pause and I almost hang up. "Why aren't you at the restaurant? Louis says you haven't came in today."

That fucking piece of shit, Louis. I wish he would just mind his own damn business sometimes. He's not in charge of me in the slightest bit. I have the ability to put his ass in his place in less than half a heartbeat.

I hang up my phone without answering him and walk to the parking lot where my black beloved Rang Rover is parked. It looks outstanding compared to all the other shitty cars next to it. After I back up into the lot, I take the shortcut to the cleaners so that I can pick up my ugly uniform and finally go to work.

*^*^*^*^*^

"There you are, Niall!" Louis has a fake smile once he sees me. His towel is draped over his shoulder as usual. "Tables have been waiting for you."

"Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself," I spit and take the first two orders I see before carrying them out without even knowing who the hell they even belong to. Nobody stops me, so I walk around with the two dishes in my hand until a table calls on me.

"Those are mine and my boyfriend's," the obnoxious sounding woman tells me. Before I left, I could have sworn that she winked at me but I couldn't be sure.

James laughs when he sees me. "You didn't know those orders."

"No shit, Sherlock."

He figures, "I take it you're grumpy today. Here are your next orders."

"Three?" I sigh in annoyance, arranging the tray of food that holds three different meals upon it's surface.

James nods. "You have to take it to table fourteen." When I see Louis walking my way through the kitchen, I quickly push the tray cautiously ahead of me and exit into the dining hall so that he doesn't get a chance to talk to me. He's annoying, anyway.

On my way to table fourteen, however, my jaw nearly drops to the expensive red carpeted floor. How many times does Ramona have to come here while i'm on shift? Bloody hell. Liam and his mother are also sat at the table with her, his hand caressing Mona's soft arm. My blood is boiling as I watch their feet constantly touch underneath the table. Ramona, so beautiful, is laughing at something Liam's mother is saying. She's probably just trying to be nice. There's nothing funny about that woman.

How do I make this quick without spilling anything? What if I just roll the tray to them and let them take off their own food so they can serve themselves? I could send James over to pick up the tray again.

Going with my plan, I quickly roll the tray closer to where their table is located in the restaurant.

"...it was quite hilarious, wasn't it Liam?" His mum is speaking as I approach their spot. Once I drop the tray off, I intend on damn near making a run for it. That was, until my name was called repetitively.

"Niall! Niall, oh Niall!" The voice of Liam's annoying mother, Karen, calls me making my body spin towards them once more. I groan and drag my feet as I wonder what the hell would she even want me for if I already gave them their food...partially.

Instead of asking her what she wants, I give her a questioning look and she smiles at me.

"You must certainly remember Liam and I? We come here quite often."

I mumble, "Okay." My eyes try their hardest not to at least take the smallest peek at Ramona who is probably staring me down.

"Great!" Karen annoyingly clasps her hands, "This is Liam's girlfriend, Mona. She's new here, I reckon."

"We've met before," I quickly say before anyone can protest, my eyes flicker towards her to she what she's doing and she's not even looking at me. Is she embarrassed of knowing me?

"Is that so?" Karen asks, slightly surprised with a wrinkled hand to her saggy chest.

"Yes ma'am. Liam's taken me here before. That's how good of a boyfriend he is to me."

"Am I done here?" I rudely ask before simply walking away. Ramona is getting on my last nerve. She's getting under my skin with the constant reminder of who's her boyfriend every thirty miliseconds.

I push my way into the bathroom and take a piss before washing my hands and staring at my reflection. I really need to stop smoking because i'm getting those bags underneath my eyes like Zayn. Also, I think i've gotten a tan since last season which sort of makes me feel a little proud.

My hands grip the sides of the sink as I roll my sleeves up higher and stare at the lack of tattoos on my arms. Did Ramona like tattoos? Is that why she's so attracted to Liam? She can't be only attracted to his lame ass personality, that's for damn sure. If I was her, i'd be falling asleep every time he talked to me.

I heavily sighed as I made my way out of the bathroom. But what I did not expect to see, was Ramona walking rather quickly towards the restroom entrance. I wasn't going to stop her, until I heart the faint sniffling coming from her being. My hand reached out to grab her forearm and this felt like deja vu to whenever I had spilled sauce on my uniform and she stopped me in this very hall.

She was hesitant to turn and face me but when she did, there was a tear falling down her cheek. She looked so damn precious, so vulnerable.

"What happened?" I didn't refuse asking her.

She looked towards the floor, but I brought my finger to tilt her chin up so that she would look at me. I probably shouldn't have touched her, but I felt something was genuinely wrong.

She didn't answer as her glossy brown eyes bored into my own, so I repeated my question. Ramona took a small breath.

"She...Karen...keeps making all these remarks. I shouldn't be crying," she laughs at herself before slightly pulling away from my hand that was touching her cheek. I didn't even notice it was still there.

"Remarks?" My eyebrows furrow, "Do you mean racist remarks?"

"It's nothing," Ramona wipes her face quickly, making her makeup smear across her cheek. "I just thought she would be a little understanding."

"What can I do to help you, princess?" I asked her, genuinely wanting to talk some sense into Liam's mother if I had to. If i'm honest, though, I didn't mean for her nickname to spill out.

Ramona moves her hair over her shoulder as she shakes her head at me as if telling me to stop. "Nothing... Thank you for caring, though."

Before I even have time to say something, she speed walks inside of the women's restroom. I would wait for her until she comes out so that she can talk to me more, but I have a feeling that she doesn't want to. So, shrugging, I sigh and make my way back into the employee kitchen when hopefully Louis doesn't nag on how poorly my serving skills are.

-

sorry it's been so long
schools a killer
ily
- Kat (changed the C to a K)