I quickly pulled my grey t-shirt over my head and onto my slender body in my room. I had to work today, sadly, after a fun night.
Parker was sleeping soundly on the old couch in my living room.
He’d spent last night watching over me, making sure nobody tried to hurt me. He ended up crashing before I did. Yeah, that’s exactly how you watch over someone.
I slipped on a pair of comfortable jeans and my favorite pair of vans. My hair was put up in a messy ponytail to keep it from interfering with my work.
“Parker, wake up.” I quietly told him. He only stirred slightly. He clearly wasn’t a morning person, and yet he managed to get to the restaurant before any of the workers arrived.
“Yes dear?” He yawned, flipping over so that he was lying on his stomach. His polo shirt was wrinkled from the night before and his dark wash jeans were scrunched up to his knees. His black hoodie had been tossed onto the coffee table, covering the withering rose.
I made a mental note to buy a vase after work for it.
“We have to get to work.” I said to him. He stirred slightly before pushing himself off my couch and onto his two feet.
“Oh yeah,” he mumbled. “Where’s the bathroom?” His dark eyes wandered across the room, like he couldn’t remember what had before he fell asleep.
“Over there.” I pointed to a simple white door in the short hallway. Only two doors were on it; the one to my bedroom, and the one to my bathroom.
Parker slowly made his way over to the bathroom, making sure to close the door once he was inside.
A half hour later, he emerged from the bathroom freshly showered and smelling like Axe.
“You keep a bottle with you?” I commented once I saw a small black bottle in his right hand.
“Doesn’t every man?” Parker sprayed it across his chest, making his shirt wet with the yucky perfume.
“Ew,” I cried out once the wretched smell got to me. “That’s just nasty.” That remark made Parker crack up.
“Jodelle,” he cackled in between words. “You know what; let’s get to work before that kid arrives.”
Parker didn’t like Spencer. He‘d found him annoying on numerous levels. He utterly despised how he ordered food, and didn’t even bother to eat it. He’d considered it a waste of good food.
Parker picked up his gray jacket and motioned for me to follow him out the door. The restaurant was only around the block. It was very convenient for people like me that often woke up late and in a mess.
Parker dug through his jean pockets for the keys to the restaurant.
“Darn it.” He mumbled, realizing he’d left them elsewhere. “Jodelle, I’m going to run to my place. I’ll be right back.” He said sternly, stomping off through the dark alleyway. I didn’t have enough time to protest about him taking that awful route to his place.
After he left, the employees slowly started coming up to the restaurant in their everyday clothes. Some of them were neatly dresses in good jeans and bright, nifty t-shirts, while others showed up in tattered rags.
“Where is Parker?” Manny asked me. He had a Spanish accent when he spoke in English. I absolutely adored it. I found it cute and kind of entertaining to listen to. Frankly, I’d have fallen head over heels for him if he were younger and not married with children.
“He forgot the keys at his place so he said he’d be back with them in a bit, although that was a half hour ago.” I frowned.
I knew something had gone wrong with him not showing up and taking the dangerous alleyway.
A couple hours passed by and Parker still hadn’t arrived. This is when I knew something was wrong.
But not only that, Spencer hadn’t shown up at all. He was usually the first to come by on a daily basis, rain or shine. This is just plain weird…
“I’m going to go look for him.” I said once I’d mustered up enough courage.
“Whatever,” Markus, one of the ‘lazy’ employees, mumbled. “I’m going home. Give me a ring if he shows up.” He waved dismissively at the rest of us.
“Yeah, I’m going home too.” Audrey, one of the chefs and Markus’s girlfriend, agreed.
Only Manny and I were left. I just hoped he wouldn’t bail on me too.
“Are you going to leave too?” I asked him, a frown was deeply implanted on my complexion.
“No, I need the money.” He grinned sheepishly. “Shall we go, Senorita?”
“We should.” I agreed. I took a deep breath before walking behind Manny.
My first step into the alleyway wasn’t as scary as I had thought before, but my guard was still up.
It was red, very red, and scary beyond belief.
The walls were too close together for someone like me who was claustrophobic. They were grey, but stained with red blood marks of many shades.
This was the very place where murder scenes often took place. The gang, “West Coast Soldiers,” often commit them in this very alleyway, carving the names of innocent victims into the wall. Hundreds of names were already carved in, and many more were coming.
“This place is spooky.” I quickened my pace to keep up with Manny. “Doesn’t it give you the chills?”
“No, I pass by it every day. It’s harmless!” He exclaimed, laughing jollily.
“But the Soldiers come by here…” I frowned. I feared for his safety and for his wife and kids. One day their dad/husband wouldn’t come home and another name will be carved into the list of lost souls.
“There are a bunch of sissies. Don’t worry about them.” He grinned. “Look, we are out of the alley.”
He was right; the sun was overhead and brighter than ever. Behind us was the condemned alleyway that seemed to scare the living daylights out of most people.
“Thank God!” I exclaimed, grinning like a maniac.
“What are you guys cheering about?” An all too familiar voice said from behind us. Green hazel eyes met my deep blue ones.
“What in the world took you so long, Parker?” I yelled at him. “And why are you all bruised up?” Bruises and cuts covered his gorgeous face. Some of the blood from the cuts had already dried, but some looked fresh.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “I got into a fight.” He mumbled. “But I got the keys!” He tried to grin, but utterly failed to the pain in the swollen cheeks.
I looked at him worriedly. I knew the Soldiers than gotten to him. It was obvious by the way he was hit and they were the only gang in the area.
“Come on, girlies; let’s get back to the restaurant before your uncle has a fit.” Manny said, cracking a joke at us.
“We aren’t taking the alleyway, we are going to long way.” I scolded Parker.
“Aw!” Both of them chorused. “But it’ll take forever!”
“Would you rather walk five extra minutes or have your faces bruised?”
“I’d walk the five minutes…” Manny said, stomping ahead of us. He was like a kid, which is why his kids often played the ‘daddy’ card when their mom wouldn’t allow them to get or do something. I did that too when I was younger. It always worked.
Parker looked at me guiltily. There was something he wasn’t telling me, something important. I was going to find out sooner or later.
“You should go clean yourself up.” I told him once we were inside the restaurant. “You don’t want them to get infected.”
“Alright, I’ll be out in a few. Go call Markus and Audrey, there is still five more working hours. If they don’t arrive, it counts as an unexcused missed day of work and there will be no pay.” Parker instructed.
“Okay, Mr. Boss.” I mocked saluted him and went to pick up the phone.
The phone rang twice before Markus picked up. I repeated exactly what Parker had told me to say to him, and he quickly caved in.
“I’ll be there in a few with Audrey.” Markus mumbled grudgingly. He didn’t like working, but did it maintain living in a good apartment on the safe side of town when he could be living rent free on the…not so safe part of town.
“Thank you.” I said to him, clicking the red ‘end’ button on the phone. I slowly turned around the place the phone on its charger that was conveniently placed next to the register.
Spencer was quietly waiting by the counter with his hands bunched into his pockets and his hood pulled all the way to not even reveal those beautiful eyes he’d obtained from his parents.
“Can I get a large coke, small fries, and a hamburger please?” His voice sounded raspy and strained. Normally I would think he was getting a cold, but he sounded too…weird to be sick.
“Sure,” I commented, trying to get a look at his eyes. They always conveyed how he felt no matter how much he tried to hide it. “Um, would you like anything else?”
“No, Jodelle.” He shook his head and took a step back. Spencer shook his head.
“How do you know my name?” I asked him, pretty much forgetting the fact that he was actually talking to me...verbally!
“It says so on your name tag.”
“Oh.” I frowned, looking down at my grey shirt where the name “Jodelle” was printed in a big black font.
Spencer nodded slowly and retreated to his corner. Something was wrong for him to sound so…sad.
He was a curious case and I was going to find out about him, even if it killed me.
“Are you happy, Jodelle?” Parker said sarcastically. His face had been bandaged immensely that you could barely notice his beautiful features.
“No…” I said, gently pulling him down so that he was my size. I was sadly 5’4 while Parker was 6’1. “You covered yourself in gauze.”
“I can’t be too careful with infections.” Parker grinned, wrapped his hands around my waist while I removed the majority of the unnecessary bandages.
“You are aware I am underage, right?” I decided to pull a prank on Parker. People often confused me for a thirteen year old girl; even though I am indeed nineteen, going on twenty. I blame genetics
“What!” He yelled, quickly pulling away from me.
“No, I’m nineteen, dummy!” I rolled my eyes at him. “There you go.” I said, patting his face.
“Thank you, Jodie.” He grinned.
“Don’t call me that!” I pouted. I perfectly liked my name because it was unique. “Jodie,” is way too overused in my opinion.
“Lovebirds go serve the poor starving kid.” Manny said, interrupting our little moment.
“I got it.” Parker said, snatching the tray from Manny before I could. He sauntered over to Spencer with his butt swaying as he moved. He was trying to imitate me, and he was failing at it too!
I did not walk like that! I walked like I normal person does.
After a couple more minutes, Parker still hadn’t returned. He seemed to have been in a discussion with Spencer. Spencer wasn’t facing me today, so I wasn’t able to see his face, but judging from the look of Parkers, they must’ve been really upset, or talking seriously.
I waited a couple more minutes for Parker to come back, and he does, but with a sour attitude.
“Are you okay?” I asked him, only touching his arm slightly.
“Don’t touch me.” Venom oozed from his voice.
“Ouch. Your boyfriend just dissed you.” Markus sucked on his favorite kind of lollipop, a cherry flavored Blowpop.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” I shot back.
“If that’s what you think.” Audrey shrugged her shoulders. “He’s pretty into you, but he just hates, the poor kid.” Worry crossed her gorgeous complexion.
“I know…” I agreed to the second statement, not the first. He hadn’t started showing interest in me until recently.
We all went back to our normal lives for the remainder of the two hours that was left. Spencer sat alone in deep thought, Audrey and Markus were in the back, doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing, and Manny was outside, smoking with Parker.
I was alone at the front of the restaurant, analyzing Spencer.
Tomorrow I was going to follow him, and see what he does. Even though it is considered stalking, but I’m doing it for a good reason, right? It shouldn’t count like stalking if it’s only to help him.
“Excuse me, Spencer.” He turned to look at me quickly. He was bruised just like Parker was. Could they have gotten into a fight? It was possible, but they rarely talked…until today.
“That’s not my name.” He said bluntly, looking in the other direction.
“Oh…” It slipped off my mouth calling him Spencer… “Um, we are about to close…” I couldn’t find the words to get him to leave without sounding impolite.
“I understand.” He stood up quickly, and walked out of the restaurant without even looking back at me.
I just stood at his table, dumbfounded. He’d actually started talking to me. It was a milestone in my life, a very deadly one. I knew I shouldn’t have been messing with him. It was like playing with fire. You always get burned.
I slid into his seat, and put my hands on my forehead, applying slight pressure to it.
“Jodelle, I’m sorry for snapping at you.” Parker appeared out of nowhere with a sorry look on his face. “Can I walk you home to make it up to you?” The filthy aroma of cigarettes was stuck to his clothing. I made a hard attempt not to scrunch my nose in disgust.
“Sure.” I smiled.
“I’m sorry, Jodelle.” He apologized again, taking my hand and walking me home.
“I forgive you.”
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^__^ This chapter was bit longer than the last one. Hope you liked it. Vote/comment/fan!