"I believe that everything happens for a reason."
– Marilyn Monroe
"Waverly?" Hamilton questioned as he straightened up and wiped his hands on his apron. "W-What are you doing here?"
I put my own hands in my pockets and lifted my shoulders. "I'm the new waitress. Donna hired me yesterday."
Hamilton raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. "Oh."
Oh?
Well at least he acknowledged me. For the past week I had been his bus buddy but hadn't had even the slightest hint of a conversation with the guy. He only moved closer to the window to make room for me and then looked away. Even now he averted his gaze, his eyes seeming to look everywhere except into mine.
We just stood there in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say. At least, that was what we did until we heard an obnoxious horn blaring out a fanfare at the end of the alley.
I blinked and snapped my head to the right where I saw a rather large calzone parked at the entrance. My brother was inside of it and was waving, rather enthusiastically, with a grin on his face as he leaned out of the window. I raised an eyebrow at him and glanced over at Hamilton who was watching my brother with a surprisingly calm expression.
"WAVERLY!" my brother shouted into a megaphone, causing my name to echo around us.
I wasn't sure why, but my cheeks flushed red and I frowned. "What?" I yelled back, refusing to look over at Hamilton again.
"DID YOU KNOW THAT CASHEWS COME FROM A FRUIT?"
For a moment I was speechless and just looked at my eccentric brother with furrowed eyebrows, squinting at him. "Um no, no I didn’t."
"CA-CA-CA-CA-CASHEWS, CASHEWS, FR-FR-FR-FRUIT!"
And with his rather unexpected reply, he honked the fanfare horn again, and then sped off down the road with the tires squealing behind him.
After a moment, I finally turned to look at Hamilton who was staring back at me. "Do you know what that was about?" I questioned with an eyebrow raised.
He smiled, something I had never seen before. "No idea."
* * *
The next time I saw my brother was after work when he picked me up in The Calzone.
When I climbed into the truck, he said; "My life has been changed indefinitely."
I glanced over at him as I buckled my seat belt, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "Does that 'indefinite change' have something to do with what you hollered at me this morning?"
Terrance grinned and gave me that you-know-me-so-well look as he put the truck into drive and started down the road.
"Oh it does, little sis, it totally does."
"Uh-huh. And what is this indefinite change of yours?"
He leaned over the council and fiddled with the radio for a moment before pressing play. "Listen. You just gotta listen."
And as I settled comfortably into my seat, I did. I listened to the whole two minute and forty-four second song that apparently changed my brother's life.
"What do you think?" He asked as he turned down the volume when the next song came on.
I blinked and stared out the windshield at the flashing red light before us. My brother stopped The Calzone, looked both ways, and then continued down the road. I turned to look at him.
"What the hell even was that?" I asked, my ears still ringing from the ridiculous song blaring around us.
"The Viral Song," he replied with a grin. When I didn't reciprocate it, he pouted like a child. "Come on Waverly! It's the best song, you have to admit it."
I put my hands up in defense. "I don't have to admit anything. My personal opinion is that the song has pointless lyrics like all of the teeny-bopper songs these days and the fact that you like it surprises me. "
Terrance's pout deepened but he didn't reply. After a moment I heard him grumble; "I bet Hamilton liked it."
I didn't know what Hamilton had to do with anything, but before I could voice that thought, my brother was shouting again.
"Hey, there he is!"
My eyes followed my brother's finger where he pointed outside of my window at a familiar figure who was pedaling down Boysenberry Street with a black helmet strapped to his head.
Terrance slowed The Calzone and rolled down my window. I watched as he grabbed the black walkie-talkie and yelled into it. "HAMILTON!"
I winced at my brother's loud tone.
Hamilton whipped his head in our direction, the sudden movement causing him to lose control of the bike and to tumble to the ground.
"Oh, my god." I muttered and looked over at my brother. "Look at what you did! What if he broke something?"
Terrance slammed onto the brakes and I hastily unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out of The Calzone with my dimwitted brother in tow. I hurried over to Hamilton who was sprawled awkwardly on the concrete, his limbs tangled around his bike. I cringed at the sight.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I kneeled beside him, struggling to help my brother untangle him from the man-powered vehicle.
I heard the injured boy mutter something unrecognizable before he squinted up at me. His glasses were gone. "Oh, your glasses." I stood up and glared at Terrance. "You help him up, this is your fault by the way," I scolded before I began my search for the Missing Glasses.
By the time I found them, the tape had come off the center so they were split in two, and Terrance had Hamilton on his feet. He seemed to have only a few scrapes on his hands and knees, but nothing too serious. I handed him both halves of his glasses with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that," I said as he took them with a frown.
He began cleaning them with the tail end of his shirt before pulling a little roll of tape out of his pocket and applying a new bandage to the middle. Once finished, he pushed them up his nose and put the tape away.
"It's—it's okay."
I glanced over at Terrance who was rubbing the back of his neck guiltily. "Sorry about that man, I was just trying to get your attention. I didn't mean to scare you like that."
Hamilton shrugged and straightened his helmet. "It's fine."
"Why don't we give you a ride back?" Terrance asked. "I'm sure we can fit your bike in The Calzone."
Hamilton glanced over at the giant food with a look of apprehension. "Um, I'm good. I'll be fine with my bike."
Terrance opened his mouth to argue but I elbowed him in the side to silence him. "If that's what you want." I said.
He nodded. "Yeah."
I watched as he picked up his bike from where it leaned against a light post and then climbed onto the seat. "See you around," he muttered before pedaling down the road.
"I was just trying to be nice."
I turned to my brother and rolled my eyes. "You already made him fall off the bike, let the poor boy be, Terrance."
He sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "That was such a waste of the megaphone. I wasn't even able to get an answer."
I pinched his cheek with my lips pulled into a mock-pout. "Oh poor baby," I told him before patting his shoulder and climbing back into The Calzone.
After a moment he joined me and started up the truck before making his way back down the road and to the apartment in silence.