Chapter Text
’’Just talk to him Tommy’’ Isaac spoke out, his arms wrapped around Sophie who was sat on his lap and I swallowed a little as I turned to look at them,
‘’Who, Im not doing anything’’ I told them and I watched as eyes was rolled and Sophie pointed across the lunch room to where the tall raven haired boy was stood, leaning against the wall talking to a shorter girl before they both broke out in to large smiles.
‘’His name is Adam, he’s in my theatre group’’ Sophie spoke out quietly as my eyes lingered over the guy’s appearance, lean arms covered in a distressed type of leather jacket and long legs coated in tighter jeans than my own before boots came up to just below his knees, adding another inch or two on to his height at the most again.
‘’Tommy’’ Someone called out and I turned quickly before snapping a quick what to them, ‘’you’re staring again.’’
Breathing out lightly, I rubbed at my forehead before I sat back in my seat and slouched slightly as my arms folded over my chest.
‘’Im not going to talk to him’’ I mumbled out to them before reaching out to pick up a fry and popped it in to my mouth as I glanced over towards where Adam was stood before back again.
‘’Why not honey’’ Sophie asked and I looked up at her before around the table as everyone stared at me, my cheeks starting to blush, I glanced down and breathed out deeply.
‘’Why not? Well for one, look at me and then look at him...he’s...well hot and im not’’ I told them as I sat up, ‘’Why would someone like him, like some sort of god made him so perfect want to talk to me for, its like he isn’t even from this planet, he is perfect and that’s why im not going to talk to him, I have nothing to talk to him about anyway’’ I told them as I started to push all my things in to my bag.
‘’Just have a little faith in yourself’’ Isaac spoke out and I shook my head as I stood and moved my bag over my shoulder.
‘’Im not talking to him and that’s final. I will see you in work later’’ I mumbled out to them as I grabbed my tray and walked over to the bins and pushed the rubbish inside before I headed through the hallways and towards my last lesson.
‘’Hey Tommy waits up a second’’ I paused and turned to see Isaac running towards me quickly. ‘’Hey’’ He breathed out once he caught up. ‘’I was wondering if you would mind covering my shift tonight, I want to take Sophie out for a date as it’s our 1 year anniversary today’’ He spoke out and I sighed a little before nodding.
‘’Sure, it’s not like I have anything other than homework to do’’ I told with him with a light laugh.
‘’Alright, thanks man, I owe you one’’ He told me before running off, shaking my head slightly I turned and headed in to the classroom and towards the back of the room where my desk was.
‘’Alright class, just start where you finished off last lesson’’ The teacher called out to us all, before long the classroom was filled with sounds of people writing and tapping away on keyboards of laptops while I pulled my notebook out and grabbed my history book, instantly regretting about leaving my laptop at home today. Writing away, I soon finished answering all the questions and jotted down all the notes which I needed and would be able to type up when I got home again as the bell went, signalling for the end of the day, packing everything away, I stood and stretched slightly before grabbing my bag and headed out in to the masses which had quickly gathered up in the hallways of the school.
‘’Watch it queer’’ Someone called out loudly before pushing me towards the sides of the hall and in to the lockers where the corner of an open one caught the edge of my shoulder, causing me to winch slightly at the pain which quickly flared up through my skin. Letting a small sigh out, I lifted my bag strap back up over my head and let it lay against my chest as I turned and started to walk down the hall away, my eyes on the dark flooring before I glanced up and met deep blue oceanic eyes, blinking slightly as he smiled, I paused and glanced behind me before back again as he smiled again and turned back to talk to someone, my heart crashing against my chest as I quickly lowered my head slightly as my own smile started to appear and soon started to walk through the hallway again towards the exit and towards my car so I could get home and get some of my work done before I started my shift in the cafe.
‘’Thomas Joe Ratliff, get your self down these stairs now and help me out’’ I groaned slightly as I heard my mother call up the stairs and I quickly saved my work and pushed away from my desk, my bare feet sticking to the wooden flooring slightly from the heat before I found some clean socks and quickly pushed them on before my boots, heading downstairs I watched as she casted an eye over my clothing, a tut on her lips as she shoved her apron at me. ‘’I have to go out so it’s you and your sister working tonight, I understand that you are covering Isaac’s shift?’’ She asked and I nodded as I fastened the string tightly around my waist and ran my fingers through my hair messily slightly as she nodded and then stepped forward to press a kiss against the top of my head. ‘’Behave Mr. And I will see you later tonight’’ I smiled at her before stepping out in to the back of the cafe where Lisa passed me quickly, calling out for mom as I made my way towards the counter to serve the person stood there.
A few hours later, things were starting to die down again and I was sat at the side, history book and my notepad beside my laptop as I tried to do a few more bits to it, glancing up I watched as Lisa flirted with some guy as she poured him another cup of coffee and I shook my head slightly before turning back to look at my screen. For some reason I started to find it harder to concentrate and found my fingers opening a few packets of sugar where I tipped them on to the counter top and started to swirl my finger around it to make patterns before I felt someone hit me over the back of the head.
‘’I would clean that up before mom comes home, she would have a fit’’ Lisa spoke out beside me and I rolled my eyes slightly but brushed the sugar in to my hand anyway and grabbed the packets before throwing them in to the bin and returned to my work again as I saved it.
‘’You can get off now if you want, I will be alright for the rest of the night’’ I told Lisa as I closed my laptop and pushed it out the way along with my books, ‘’I mean its pretty quiet and no doubt it will stay this way for the rest of the night’’ I said again as she grinned and nodded.
‘’Thanks Tommy, just don’t tell mom okay, I want to get paid fully’’ she laughed out and I shook my head slightly with a grin as I watched her disappear out back, leaving me along with the few customers left.
‘’I’ll tell you, with those eyes you couldn’t dare to hurt’’ A voice laughed out as the bell above the door chimed to let me know someone had opened the door to the cafe, looking up I froze slightly as I saw Adam walk in with a two other people and head over towards an table.
‘’Neil you say that with near enough ever girl you have dated’’ He spoke out, a smile gracing his already perfect lips as the other guy shrugged.
‘’Well I don’t see you dating anyone big brother’’ The guy, Neil spoke out before nudging him with his elbow as Adam shrugged and looked away slightly and towards the girl who was grinning just as much.
‘’Maybe he is just waiting for the right person or doesn’t want to date Neil, have you ever thought of that?’’ She spoke out and I watched as Adam gave her what looked like a grateful smile before turning to look around. Looking away quickly, I stood up and walked towards the back to try and look busy and to stop myself from staring, grabbing some coffee filters, I walked over to the machine and stood staring at it slightly before I reached up and pulled one of the levers down, praying that it would spill all over me like it normally did when I tried to change the filters. Smiling to myself as I got them changed and stayed clean myself, I threw the old ones out and turned back to see the girl stood at the counter and I offered here a smile as I walked over.
‘’Hi, how can I help’’ I asked her and she smiled sweetly at me before glancing over her shoulder towards the others, my eyes following before I quickly looked back to the girl as I noticed Adam watching.
‘’Two coffees, and what tea’s do you have?’’ She asked and I nodded slightly before I grabbed two cups,
‘’we have a few herbal, vanilla, mint green, honeysuckle and cinnamon. ‘’ I told her softly as she nodded a little,
‘’Cinnamon will do thanks’’ She told me and I nodded as I grabbed another cup, balancing them on top of each other, I walked over to the coffee machine again and placed the cups down as I filled two of them up and walked back over to the counter an placed them down. Turning around, I walked over to the back and picked up a new box of cinnamon tea and opened it before taking out one of the bags and placed it in the other cup with some hot water before taking it over to her. ‘’How much do I owe you’’ She asked and I counted it all up,
‘’$5. 49, milk and sugar is at the end of the counter if you need it’’ I told her before she handed the money over, walking over to the till, I punched the numbers in and glanced up as the door opened again and Isaac walked in with Sophie, laughing together before he glanced over towards Adam and then back at me with a small wink as Sophie nodded and I shook my head, putting the money inside I closed the till with my hip as I grabbed a tray and handed it over to the girl so it would be easier for her to carry the drinks.
‘’I thought you were going out tonight?’’ I asked Isaac as they came over and stood against the counter as I wiped my hands on the front of the apron.
‘’We are, just wanted to get coffee first’’ Isaac said and I nodded a little and grabbed two to go cups and walked over to the coffee machine before filling them. ‘’Wow, did you actually change the flitters without being spat at for once Tommy-Joe’’ Isaac teased and I glared towards him as I walked back over.
‘’Don’t make me regret not spitting in your coffee’’ I grinned out to him to show that I was playing around as he mocked being offended. ‘’Anyway, im gunna put those down on the tab so it will come out the wages’’ I winked at him before he held his hand out, bumping mine against his; I leant over and kissed Sophie’s cheek. ‘’Have a good night kids, don’t do anything stupid’’ I teased.
‘’Okay daddy’’ Isaac laughed before Sophie playfully slapped him and smiled at me.
‘’Thanks Tommy for this’’ I smiled and shook my head slightly as I shrugged,
‘’It’s nothing, I would do anything for you guys’’ I told them as they both said by and left the cafe, shaking my head with a grin slightly, I grabbed a cloth and moved out from behind the counter to start wiping down some of the empty tables.
Moving around, I looked towards the door as it opened and a group of four teenagers from school came walking in, their eyes glancing around and darting to me before they walked over to the furthest table away and sat down together, talking closely before I made my way back to the counter again and slipped in behind as footsteps came down the stairs, looking up as Lisa walked through the beaded curtain, I smiled over at her and sat back down as she came over to me.
‘’How is everything?’’ she asked and I shrugged a little as I glanced around the few people there before over to the group who had just entered before back to my sister again,
‘’All good really, im 16 Lisa, no need to keep checking up on me okay, I can look after the cafe for a few hours on my own, I’ve done it before’’ I told her with a slight smirk as she shook her head,
‘’Okay, okay I understand, anyway im just going to head out to the shops, outta milk upstairs and I think we need a few more things for down here until mom can get back from the large market.’’ She told me and I nodded slightly,
‘’Awesome, get me something to eat, im staving and didn’t eat much at lunch today’’ I told her and she rolled her eyes slightly before nodding.
‘’Taco’s good for you?’’ She asked and I grinned slightly.
‘’Perfect for me’’ I laughed out as she pulled her jacket on, watching her walk around and out again, I settled back and let my eyes close slightly before I opened them again as the noise rose slightly, looking over towards the group who had come in, I watched as they sat close together as they talked and then laughed, each one looking around every so often.
‘’Hey, could I get the same again please’’ I turned to see the girl stood at the counter and I smiled at her softly before I nodded with a smile and stood, grabbing the coffee pot i walked over and poured out two more cups before reaching down to where I had placed the box.
‘’I told you im fed up about it, no leave it out of it’’ A raised voice yelled out and I looked up slightly as I put the bag in the cup and turned to get some water from the bag.
‘’No im not leaving it you asshole’’ Another voice yelled out and I swallowed before I turned to look towards the front where two of the kids were fighting, both stood up before something glistened in the over headlights and then there was a loud bang.