When Stars Collide » hs

three - coca cola

HARRY

I should have known something was wrong when Willow called in a vacation day; it was rare of her to even be late to her shifts, much less absent. But the minute she walked through the doors with Ashton, I could already feel my blood boiling.

    "...And she said, 'see you later, sweetie!' Like, no, Isabelle, you won't see me later, I've talked to you once and you're already annoying me," she laughs, not making eye contact with me as she slides into a booth, Ashton doing the same.

    "She's such a tryhard," he agrees, rolling his eyes until they land on me. "Harry, my man, how you doing?"

    "Hi, guys, can I get you anything to drink?" It's been two minutes since they entered the restaurant, and I am already done with his obnoxious behaviour.

    "I'll have a Coke," Willow says, picking at her nails and still not looking at me. Almost like she's... embarrassed?

    "So will I," Ashton says, reaching out to grasp her hand. She glances up and smiles fondly at him, and finally looks at me, but her expression is merely one of annoyance.

    I nod and go behind the counter to get their drinks from the machine, and when I return they are still gossiping like my grandmother and her friends who get together for their knitting clubs. "Here are your drinks." I slam both of the Coke cans onto the table in front of them with a little too much force. "What do you want to eat?"

    "We just sat down, Harry, can you not give us a minute?" Willow snaps, as if I just interrupted something important.

    "Really?" I say. "I mean, you work here, you know what's on the menu, and you know there isn't a huge selection."

    "What are you talking about?" she says, chuckling nervously and letting her gaze move to Ashton.

    "Babe, you work here?" he says incredulously. "How come I never knew? Anyway, we'll have burger meals, I guess. With the fries and stuff." He doesn't seem to know what he's talking about, but I stalk off and angrily assemble his stupid burger anyway, more vigorously than I normally would - which is still vigorous, because I hate working here. I finish within 10 minutes, but Ashton and Willow both don't seem to be in a hurry for their food, so I scroll through Instagram and check Snapchat for a little while, before returning to my 'work'. I pick up both plates of food and set them on the table in front of the couple.

Willow looks up at me with a look of distaste and cuts Ashton off mid-sentence, "Took you long enough. I think I've gotten six years older."

"Sorry, there was something wrong with the deep fryer." I lie.

"It's okay babe," Ashton begins, "It looks good Harry, thanks man-"

    "No, it isn't. I could see you on your phone back there! I'd hate to have to tell the boss that you aren't doing your work."

    "And I'd hate to tell the boss that you were the one who broke all the dishes on the floor the other night." I say, looking at her with equal disgust.

    "Ugh, you are so - ugh!" she almost yells.

    "I'm sorry, I'm so what?"

    "Selfish, rude, a jerk-"

    "Uh, Harry, man, hate to interrupt, but could I get another Coke?"

    I swipe the empty can off of the table and return with another can. "Here, why don't I open it for you?" Unaware that it has been slightly shaken, I hold the can out to him and the drink projects itself all over the front of his white shirt.