Cherry's POV
Hands getting cold, I put them under my apron to try in vain to warm them as I lean against the countertop, waiting for a new customer. The cafe's half packed and quite loud, and as my coworker rattles onto me about the trivial things he did last night with his partner I inwardly sigh, exasperated. I don't have time for boyfriends, or idle chit chat for that matter.
The doorbell tinkles and I automatically stand to attention, pulling my hands out from under the apron and resting them on my notebook on the counter. I watch a group of five older teens come in and sit at a booth near the window and before my coworker begins to move I'm off skirting round tables, grinding to a smooth halt at their booth and smiling in a composed way - anything to get away from talk of romance!
I clear my throat and begin. "Hello everyone, I'm Cherry Riegan and I'll be your server today. Any drinks or do you want to get straight to the food?"
"Ooh yes, the food, the food please!" A slouching guy with a beanie sits up excitedly until he's cut off by a sensible-looking woman wearing round glasses and a pink coat. "Actually, please could you just get us all a chocolate milkshake each? We don't want to be a bother." She blushes like it's not normal to ask innocently for an order and the rest of the group nod agreeably, and I write it down then smile quickly and shoot off.
Tadashi's POV
I sigh, leaning over the table and watching her as she works a machine. She's making our milkshakes. That's beautiful.
There's no denying from everyone including me that our waitress that just came up is a real looker; a classical beauty way too, as in she has no makeup on but owns it. And, obviously I don't know her, but it seems that she doesn't know it? Or at least doesn't care? Which one? I suddenly really want to know.
As I gaze I hear a chuckle and look to my left to see Wasabi beaming at me.
"What? What?" I ask, and he giggles again.
"You like Cherry, don't you?" I roll my eyes. Typical Wasabi to instantly assume it's love.
Gogo decides to weigh in, leaning over the table and getting a good look at the girl around our age, "She does look gorgeous. Good on you, normally you develop crushes on girls who are totally out of your league."
Fred butts in. "You mean you think that lady is in Tadashi's league?! No way man, she's way too pretty!"
"Oh, you should ask her out!" Honey Lemon shouts joyfully, slapping me lightly on my shoulders repeatedly in excitement, and I hush her in case the pretty brunette looks up or comes over with the milkshakes.
Honey looks guilty for a second, then regains her usual bright smile, "You should though. Or at least go up to her and ask. What's the harm in asking?"
"She might hear me!" I hiss right back, panicking at this discussion that's totally new to me, but out the corner of my eye I see Cherry load up a tray of milkshakes and my brain seems to rewire.
I'm out of the booth, winding my way through the tables, and at the counter in front of her before I blink my eyes fiercely and realise Cherry is staring at me opposite her oddly.
Then I realise that I just ran to her.
Oh Beyonce, that mustn't have looked right. To cover up my awkwardness I smile nervously and rest my hand on the tray.
"It-it's okay, I'll take them. You can have a rest, or... or talk to me on the way, cuz we've looked at the menus now you see." Actually only Wasabi and Honey have, because they're the only organised ones.
She looks understandably offput, and gently but firmly takes my hand off the tray.
"Thank you for offering, but I must do my job." She smiles at me in a way that looks practised and walks out of behind the counter and toward our booth; body still not responding to my brain I walk right behind her, and I can hear her sigh slightly in exasperation under her breath.
We get to the booth and whilst she places the milkshakes in front of each of us using one hand expertly I slide into the seat and watch her. Am I being slightly creepy? I think yes, and immediately turn my eyes to the milkshakes on he table. Don't be creepy, don't be creepy!
When she's finished Cherry tucks her tray under her arm and whips out a notepad. "Have you all looked at the menu?"
Honey Lemon and Wasabi say their orders politely with smiles on their faces looking between me and Cherry and she jots them down in a millisecond and waits expectantly, and it kicks in to the rest of us that we need to order. Gogo peruses the menu but in the end decides to just suck on one of her batches of lollipops that she has stashed about her, Fred hems and haws a lot until he asks for a brownie (none of us have the heart to tell him it's not like his *special brownies*), and I stare unabashedly with my mouth open straight at her and awkwardly order a slice of mint cake. She writes that down too, smiles quickly and off she goes again - then I realise I've no idea what mint cake is.
As everyone starts chatting again about our latest assignment I assume a leaning position on the table watching the girl cut brownies and cake. I know by now that it's weird to watch a stranger sort baked goods but I can't seem to take my eyes off of her. I want to know more about her:
How long has she worked here?
Does she know she's gorgeous?
Does she have a boyfriend - or a girlfriend? I silently and selfishly pray to Beyonce that she's straight and single - and not too busy to listen to me struggle to ask her out.
She comes back with the cakes and Fred tucks in greedily (I guess nobody's telling him then), but I get out of my seat and follow her to the counter where she looks again confused that I'm miraculously here again. I don't blame her: I probably seem very annoying to her now, and I probably am being very annoying.
I lean across the counter which is comfortably at my height as she stands upon her raised bar area with pencil tapping in her hand. I watch her slowly raise her eyebrows in her calculating face and realise I didn't come with anything to say, so I blurt out:
"Hi. I'm Tadashi."
She simply nods and near her clicks her fingers to another waitress to go to a waiting table.
"Do you need anything?" She asks turning back to me with a carefully composed expression on her face, and instead of replying like a normal person I stare into her eyes.
Her eyes are beautiful. They're brown, like the leather spines of books you find in the SFIT library, like the tunnel in Alice In Wonderland. I never thought brown eyes were anything special, not even my own, until I saw hers.
I finally remember some manners and shake my head, trying to shake out the stupid thoughts. Unfortunately, this prompts her to raise an eyebrow again and turn to the chef's order sill to wait for food and I blurt out, "ACTUALLY!"
She turns back with the same composed look on her face and like an idiot I go, "Uuuhhhhhmm..."
She must be very pissed off under there.
I look at her and gulp, and she waits patiently with me.
"I was, wondering, uhh, if you... if you could possibly..." my words get stuck in my mouth, so I route for the easy option, "tell me where the toilet is?"
She points over to the corner where a door stands. "Go through that door and there will be two doors with placards on them saying 'women' or 'men."
Disappointed with myself I turn to the door and behind to trudge over - I don't even need it, oh Beyonce I'm terrible - until I hear Cherry say calmly, "If you want to ask me out you can, but I'll say no."
I stop in my tracks, look back at her, and go back to the counter where she's leaning over it.
"Huh?" I say stupidly. Maybe that's why she won't say yes - I'm acting like this is my first time out of the hospital with big white walls everywhere.
She nods, "I say no to every man who asks me out. It's not because I don't find you... attractive..." she glances at me and my lungs contract, "it's that I have to concentrate on my studies."
I don't know what to reply with, not the first time this conversation, so I just say, "Oh. Where do you go?"
"Nowhere," she replies curtly, then she turns round to take some orders from the kitchen to a table, leaving me confused.
How can she study when she has no classes?
How does that make sense?
Then again, it doesn't make any sense how my big brain has magically turned to goo that can't form a coherent sentence.
I stay in the same place as if I'm bolted there until I hear her come back and sigh. She pushes a cloth around a cluster of coffee stains near another bar stool.
"I'm very busy, okay? Bottom line is I'm not going to go out with you. So please go back to your friends, and try not to watch me do my job. Please."
The please sounds out of place with the other words, more human, and pleading. It gets to me, so slowly I slide off the stool and walk back to the booth, still looking behind me at her.
Fred had already eaten my cake, most likely disappointed that his brownie didn't have any *herbs* in it. I sit down and put my face in my hands, and I feel Wasabi's huge but gentle hand pat my shoulder.
"Why did she reject you? She gay?" Gogo asks with a hint of curiosity - trust her to always think about her own dating life rather than my lack thereof.
I take my head out my hands. "She has no time because she's working and she's studying for classes she doesn't take anywhere. So much for the 'cinnamon roll' you guys say I am."
I sigh and look over at Cherry with my chin on my hands as the guys continue their conversation.
She finishes wiping down the counter, checks that the other waiter is doing his job, checks there's no outstanding orders or food, then ducks beneath the pay machine and brings out a hefty book and turns to a specific page.
What book is that? She's reading it intently; I can see her eyes darting back and forth, with her pale pink lips parting every so often to say a particular word or phrase; her focus is so strong, it only shifts when two people step up to the counter and say her name.
I know she told me not to stare, and I know it's wrong and creepy to stare at a stranger, but I can't bring myself to tear my eyes away from this pretty brown-eyed girl who reads from a large book and doesn't want a boyfriend because of something most likely linked to aforementioned large book.
I have a strange urge to know more.
The guys murmur to me to come on and I realise that they've all got up and are ready to go, with Wasabi trying unsuccessfully to slide out behind me. With a sigh I straighten my cap and follow them out the door, not even getting a last look at the waitress girl who's making me act like a primadonna.
Cherry's POV
My friend Antoni peers over his shoulder and all three of us watch from the counter the group of friends leave the shop. I walk out from behind the counter and over to their booth, where they've counted up their money perfectly and left it in a neat little pile with their plates and a sizeable tip. I pick the plates up with one hand and the money with the other, and stand there for a while.
From over the other side of the gradually emptying shop, Antoni's twin sister Tonya shakes her head. "Yanno Cherry, at some point you're gonna crash if you don't take a break. When was the last time you went home instead of worked overtime? When was the last time you made yourself a milkshake with this very machine?"
She gestures to the machine nearby, and as the very last person leaves and the other waiter starts to clean up for my afternoon shift, she studies me with sorrowful blue eyes and says,
"When was the last time you let yourself be attracted to a guy like him?"
I stand still, my hands sturdy with money and crockery but the corners of my mouth twitching.
I don't need this right now. I never need this.
I already know, okay? I know.
Taking a breath in, I tut to cover my feelings and walk briskly over to the counter. I place the plates and cutlery on the chef's sill before spilling the money on the counter, deliberating before sighing and splitting the money to each member in the kitchen.
Tonya and Antoni look on with glum looks on their faces. I glance up at them, a frown on my own.
They should know I don't take their advice. They should know I don't want to listen to them. Maybe when I've achieved my dream, maybe when I get into SFIT, then I can let go and be a normal eighteen year old girl.
"Just give me the textbooks okay? You promised me you'd buy them."
Tonya sighs in a mixture of sadness and exasperation, and bends down to pick up a stack of textbooks and dump them on the counter. I instantly delve into the first one and my eyes widen at the new information.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up to see Antoni patting me with a worried look. Tonya is already at the door, pissed off and ready to go.
Antoni leans in and lowers his voice.
"Hey. She's still getting used to it."
I breathe out my nose and fiddle with the pencil on the counter. "It's been years. I just wish she didn't make it harder to see myself."
He nods, eyes downcast before looking back at me and patting my shoulder again. "Look, just a couple more years and it'll be all over. Hang in there; we'll help you whenever you need."
I sigh, and smile bravely. Antoni smiles back and turns.
"Come on Tonya, class starts in a half hour."
Tonya sighs petulantly and leave the shop, with her brother following suit. Leaving me with only a waiter finishing up, and a couple chefs who are having a break whilst nobody is here.
I tut to myself and try to study using my new textbooks.
Strangely, I can read the information but I can't take it in.
I shake my head, and try again.
Still nothing.
I try again and again to focus on the textbook, but I just... can't.
I groan out loud in frustration, knowing that nobody can hear me, and slump against the counter.
Why can't I think?
Perhaps it's because of the boy...