Caught Between a Mate and Love

Chapter 2: Sneaking Around Ain't So Easy

Coming home was easier said than done. After making out with my mortal boyfriend, I had to run laps just to sweat off any smell that could linger and then go home the long way around, it was just a bigger ordeal than I wanted to deal with. Not to mention Dad was waiting in his scary armchair in the living room like those parents you see in movies. He is the perfect portrait of the overbearing Italian father. Not only because he has all the extra eyes of the pack watching over me, but his little outbursts like dinner or interrogating boys or just waiting for me to come home in his arm chair.

And it's not like he's doing anything in his armchair. He's not reading or watching TV, the man is sitting and waiting for me to reenter the house. He's probably thinking but I've heard a lot of men simply zone out, and he must do it a lot. Mom always says he just likes to think in the dark, when he won't get distracted.

"Long run," He says. I stand in the foray and nod, mostly because I'm panting like hell from running around like a dog, partially because he can sense when I'm spitting lies. "Well I'm glad we're on the same page now."

He stands up, at six foot three he's a giant to me, and gives me a side armed hug. We walk together to the staircase, but part ways. He goes up while I go around to my room, one of two downstairs, the other being occupied by bird brains and Hannah.

The next day went as usual, for the most part.

"Rita, when you go to work, ask Debbie about the McClellans," Mom tells me in a hushed tone, ushering me out the door. "Daddy might be able to be of use to her papi."

"For what, Ma? Telling him how to clean the damned stove right?" She chuckled and hit my arm.

"No! He was a strategist in our time, how do you think we got to Deltas, hmm?" She laughs some more and closes the door on me, not giving me the chance to grab my sweater from it's hanger. I was lucky I grabbed my keys before she shoved me out. I got into my little Camry in front of the house and drove into town, past Zack's house and the forest and one of our smallest diners, to my favorite one.

My favorite was settled right in the middle of the city, where strangers often came in and you could feel the bustle of work hit your arms by the end of the day. I guess I'm just one of those people fit for diner work.

"Finally you're here," my other best friend, a fellow pack member, Deborah Rinaldo greeted me with a stack of menus and a stressed smile. "Fuckin' Spongebob back there refuses to make a cappacino!"

"Why didn't you just do it?" I raised and eyebrow and went past the tables and the bar to the back, for my apron. The kitchen was full of workers and our other waitress who only came in twice a week, Kelly. She was a mortal, but she was safe when we were working. She wasn't the one I was after anyways. I was after our famous burger man, Henry Asti, who refused to use any new technology.

"Henry, is something wrong with the coffee machine?" I shouted over the bustle of work. It was only nine AM, but that was our truck driver time. They like our hotcakes.

"Nuh uh, no! Young lady, make the girls work that peice of-"

"Henry, you push a button," I shook my head and made one for Debbie, hoping a customer was already angry. He was an older man, and normally I would listen, but I was already frustrated with having to hide Zack from more than my father.

"Here," I handed Debbie her drink. "Tell the customer it's on the house."

She giggled and took a sip, "I just like to start your day yelling at Spongebob."

"Debbie!" I whined but giggled with her. She hated Henry because he was the bossiest person here, so she called him Spongebob because he's the fry cook. Even to his face. She was lucky her father was a Gamma, otherwise Henry would probably slap her or worse. "Tell me about the McClellans. Is it as bad as my father keeps screamin' about?"