Diner

chapter two: shouldn't rush this delicate balance

Clarke's POV

February 1988

The familiar door jingled as I had walked through it.

"Back so soon?" Bellamy smirked at me.

"Yeah, I just had to get another taste of that milkshake. I feel like I didn't get to thoroughly enjoy it the first time, something about a guy who kept interrupting me-"

"I did not interrupt, oh. I see what I did. And just did now," he laughed leading me to my booth.

"I still can't believe you seat people here now. So fancy."

"My boss is looking," he said. "What can I get for you, ma'am," he said a little louder, probably to show his boss he was capable of doing his job.

"I'm going to have a chocolate milkshake and a slice of the banana cream pie, sir," I said imitating his tone.

"Okay, he's gone. Seriously? Again? I mean, you're the customer," he said walking to the kitchen.

I laughed quietly to myself. I took out the photo of my father and I once again, placed it against the napkin dispenser.

"You looked happy," I heard. Bellamy had placed the pie in front of me and reached in his apron to hand me a straw.

"Yeah, you could say that," I sighed.

"Well, I'll leave you to it-"

"You can stay if you want?" I said pointing to the seat across from me.

"As you wish," he smirked sliding into the booth.

"Don't take it as a compliment," I said taking a sip from my milkshake.

"I just did and you can't tell me to take back a feeling I felt," he exclaimed.

"So, Blake. How long have you worked here?" I asked.

"Coming up on two years now. I'm helping my sister with tuition costs," he said.

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, Octavia. She wants to be an English teacher," he smiled.

"What do you do?"

"I go to community college right now. I honestly don't know what I want to do with my life," he smiled awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I go to a community college, too," I smiled reassuringly.

"Really? I just thought-"

"Education is education. Going to a community college makes economic sense. I still don't know what I want to do either," I said taking a huge bite of my pie.

"You got a little.."

"A little what?" I asked with my mouth half full. He pointed to the corner of his lips. I blushed and wiped the pie away right before he stuck his arm out.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I was going to swoop in and wipe the pie off your face for you like a true romantic, but you ruined my plans."

"Darn," I said as I snapped my fingers playfully.

"I like you, Clarke. You're different," he said leaning back, getting more comfortable.

"Thank you," I said taking the last sip of my milkshake.

"I'm gonna go grab your receipt," he said standing up and walking to the register. When he came back, I already had my money out to pay him.

"I wish every customer was like you," he joked.

"Do you have a pen?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?" He replied handing it to me.

I took the receipt and wrote down the second digit of my landline.

"Don't spend it all in one place," I winked as I headed towards the door with the picture of my father resting in my pocket.

"Spend what? It's just the second number!" he shouted as I was already out the door.

~

Bellamy's POV

She left a smile on my face. A smile that lasted the entire day. I was on closing shift tonight, so I had to wait until eleven to go home. Hours passed and I was finally locking the DIner's door behind me. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I started the walk to my car. Once I reached it, I opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. I immediately started the car and tried to get the heater to work, to no avail. I sighed and proceeded home anyways. On the way, I kept thinking about Clarke and the hold she now had on me. I loved it. I pulled into my assigned parking space, locked my car, and rushed to the apartment complex. As I opened the door, the warm air engulfed me in a never ending hug. I smiled as I started the climb up to my apartment.

"Just one more flight," I told myself almost out of breath. I reached my floor and got out my keys again. I unlocked my front door, and as I stepped inside, I silently tried to shut and lock the door.

"Success," I breathed under my breath as I tossed my keys on the counter. However, they hit the vase, and the vase went flying on the floor. I cursed under my breath and quickly grabbed the broom. Just as I started to sweep the glass, I heard,

"I'm calling the police!"

"O! It's just me!" I said.

She turned on the light switch in the kitchen, relaxing enough to put the baseball bat down.

"What were you going to do with that?" I joked.

"Hit someone if I needed to. Let me help," she said shoving me aside. She had a knack for cleaning up my messes.

"I'm sorry I woke you," I told her as I threw the last piece of glass in the garbage bin.

"It's fine. Who needs sleep, right?" she laughed.

"You do. Now go back to bed because you have your 7am class tomorrow," I said shoving her towards her bedroom.

"Alright, alright," she said as she put her hands up, mocking defeat. When I heard her close the door, I slumped onto the couch in exhaustion. I shifted onto my side and then heard a crinkle. Clarke's first number. I set it on the small side table next to the couch as I immediately fell asleep.