Something Beautiful

Five: Clumsy

"Love is beauty of the soul" - Saint Augustine

Oh. My. Goodness.

He called me... beautiful? What the hell! What is wrong with him? Maybe he's... blind. Or delusional. Maybe he was just... saying that? Just to be nice to the poor ugly girl. Yeah, that's it! Or even better, he was just saying it cause he's-that kinda guy. Like the guys in the movies who just call girls "beautiful" or "doll face". That could definitely be it.

Feeling in a sort of daze I half walk half stumble to the kitchen, before I realize that well... I never took the guys freaking order! No! Now I have to go back! And face him after babbling like a fool and running away like a psychotic coward! No, I can't. I can't take anymore of him, my head is in a frenzy not to mention my heart is beating out of my chest. This may definitely be a total overreaction, but I still just need some time to think this over.

Quickly I whip off my apron and dash for the cooking area where my father is sure to be. Maybe he'll let me go home? I can only hope so, I'm feeling faint.

"Dad?" I call out before I see him, then when I'm with him by the stove I continue," dad, can I go home? Please?" My voice sounds breathless, like I've run a marathon even. Boy, this is not good. Not good at all!

He turns to me with a curios look in his eyes and on his face, then questions,"you sick?"

Am I?

Well... not necessarily sick per say. I mean, of course my stomach feels like it might implode and my head is floating a million miles out to sea. But I'm not nauseous or anything, actually I feel- kinda nice? Almost warm even.

"n-no. No, I'm not really sick..." I start, but trail off then trying to rack my brain an equally legitimate excuse, but come up short when he answers.

"Well I really do need you if you can make it, Annie's not gonna make it tonight so we need all the help we can get," Annie the other waitress who usually helps me. Tonight it's just me and the hostess, Bernice. Bernice is old though and not the best with customers, so the whole night is basically sitting on my shoulders. Yeah, guess someone's not going home any time soon.

"Yeah, it's fine dad, I'll stay," I say sounding defeated, but I offer him a smile of reassurance to let him know I mean it when I say it's fine.

Just as I finish my statement the kitchen entrance door swings open revealing a rushed looking Bernice, she takes a deep breath then says-directed to me-, "We just got a whole load, three tables. You're on, Elena," then leaves just as hastily.

Sighing quietly I wander over to replace my apron around my torso, then grab some more menus and head out to the dining area. Sadly, I know just who these new customers are so I prepare myself for the worst. The high of being called beautiful fades almost instantly as I see the large group of popular kids from school, crowded around booths and tables near the back of the restaurant. Once again I'm just an insignificant little ugly girl, no name, no face.

Without speaking I take the menus to the least painful table, a table of wannabe's who are only mean when the real cool kids are. Without the leaders with them, well they're just normal kids. After taking their orders, I go to the most painful table. The one where sits Annabelle, queen bee, and of course my die hard crush Jason.

"Welcome to Dino's, can I start you off with some drinks?" I say as quickly as I can get the words out. The all look to me at first a little startled, then they all let out some um's and ah's before Jason starts.

"I'll take a diet coke," he says without looking at me, but instead making eye contact with Annabelle across the table, probably saying something about me with their eyes alone. Feeling uncomfortable and exposed, I stand poised to take her order, my pen ready to write and my eyes fixed on the pad before me. She takes painfully long to begin her drink order though, and I know it's on purpose.