Trust Me Again

24: Rush Hour

Once out of the restrooms part of the diner at the kitchen part where only employees were permitted, a tray was shoved to my chest with such force it was a wonder how none of the food was spilled onto me.

"Take this to table three." It was the girl Sean had hired a couple weeks ago. She looked almost overwhelmed with the amount of orders she would have to take based off the line, including the part it was her chance to make good impressions. I almost felt bad for her, I remember being under all that pressure.

I nodded and she sent me off with a couple of spoons and forks. It wasn't an easy task weaving my way through the cluster chatting amongst themselves as they waited their turn to order, but once I made it through, I quickly spotted the awaiting table. It was two girls, maybe in college, laughing about something on one of their phones.

"Here you go," I said to get their attention. They looked up, wide grins still on their faces from laughing as I placed the tray at the table and handed them each their food when I raised the plate and one raised their hand.

Amy waved me over from behind the counter. We traded trays, mine empty when her's had drinks. She told me what numbered table. I hated trays with drinks, I was scared I would lose the balance I had on it and the drinks would spill over, making a laughingstock of myself.

I faltered in my own steps—or glides—when table eight was right in my line of vision. Jesse, Alyssa, Max, Adam, Ethan, and Jacob. The fight we had last night in his car replayed over and over again in my mind until I wanted to shout at it to stop.

I looked around to see if there was any other available waitress to trade trays with, it wouldn't be the first time someone trades orders because they wanted to avoid someone. There was too many people going back and forth that once somebody's hands were empty, something was shoved back into its place and then the person was given directions and they were off to another table.

I remember the warning I was given when I first was hired here. 'After school is always our busiest hours,' and there was another one. 'When there is a football game, you just may get stampeded on if you lose your footing.' The last one may be a exaggeration, but it was an example, but the part of falling was more plausible with the roller skates.

Annabelle's words repeated in my head. 'Suck it up, and deal with it,' was all the things I needed to hear to begin skating over to my friends.

"Coke?" was all I needed to say to have all their heads turning up to the voice. I smiled at them. My heart sped up when I saw Jacob was at the edge of the booth, meaning he was closest to me, with the exception of Adam on the other side of the table.

Adam raised his hand to say it was his ordered drink. I called out more drinks as they dwindled off the tray until there was only one left. And I knew exactly who's it was. Jacob's. Because it was Sprite, and we both share the same favorite soda

I gave the remaining cup to him seeing how he was the only person missing a beverage.

When I set the cup down on the table, fingers wrapped around my wrist. Fingers that sent the goosebumps up and down my arm as they squeezed when I avoided any sort of eye contact with the owner, I looked at everyone else as they talked amongst themselves and no one payed any attention. I tried tugging my hand away but Jacob wouldn't let up. I took a quick glance at him, he looked so desperate to say he was sorry, but that didn't make sense because I'm the one who's supposed to be taking any chance I get to apologize with the things I said last night.

"Waitress!"

The fingers moved from my hand to their cup to make it seem like he was drinking and was never trying to get my attention. I turned to the voice. A man was waving me over seeing as all other waitresses and waiters either had their hands tied or were in the kitchen fetching orders from the cooks.