chapter Three: ERR Restaurant

Audrey's POV Oh Good, someone came to save me from this guy. "Hi Kyle, Hi Newbie" A girl walked toward us and said. "I'm Audrey" I don't like being called Newbie. "Meet Elena, my friend" Kyle said and Elena stretched her hands to have an handshake with me. Then we shook hands. Wait! The first set of people I met were unfair but these ones, I'm so glad to have them. "You are welcome to Wearous High School" She said to me and I smiled - remembering how I never wanted to be here at first b'cos I thought there won't be nice people that would want to make friends with me but here they are; Kyle and Elena. "So tomorrow, we would go on a tour around the school and I'll tell you somethings you ought to know" Elena offered. "Well, I already told her" Kyle said. She gave him a light punch on his shoulder and said "When would you stop being a reporter?" and I laughed. Right, he's kind of a talkative but a jovial one. "Whatever, Hey Audrey, I'm all yours tomorrow" Elena said to me. "Err... Well, I do not need to go walk around school... There are guides and instructions that I can follow" I told her. "Oh Okay.. " Elena said and Kyle showed out his tongue out to her mockfully. Simon returned to the classroom and those girls were still with him, the three of them.. acting like mosquitoes. But seriously, don't they have work to do? As if he was looking for me, He ( The Simon guy) turned to where I sat and I freezed. He scoffed and went to his seat...Maybe Kyle was right.. If I hadn't leave, he would have been on my neck. *** **** "So we'll be walking home together, two of us. Elena's driver has come to take her home" Kyle said when school dismissed, after I told him which way I would walk through. Wait, how about him? I mean, since he attends this school..definitely he is from a rich home. Why is he trekking home when most students were being picked by their drivers? I didn't bother to ask him these questions anyway, we began to walk down the lane. "I won't be going home directly, I would be stopping by at a restaurant" I told him. "Why? Do you have a date with your boyfriend?" He asked. "Yeah" I said giving a short laugh. "Oh really? " Having a boyfriend is the second to the last thing on my Agenda. I need to learn from Mom's experience...I don't wanna make the same mistake she made. I'm not saying I won't have a boyfriend but maybe not too soon. "Boyfriend? I and my mom just moved to this Wearous area, do you expect me to have one already?" I said not full giving him an answer whether I do have a boyfriend or not. "Then why are you going to a restaurant before going home? " He asked me. "I just hope you won't mock me" I said and stop walking "I want to work there" I told him and I saw his face expression, he looked - perplexed which made to stop walking too. He stood in front of me, surprised. "Ok, I can see you are so surprised and you are gonna laugh at me soon. I'm not a pretender and I never wanted to act like I'm super wealthy like you guys. I'm just some random girl living a random life, I still don't know what I'm doing here and in your school" I expatiated yet he didn't say anything. "Would you continue to stay silent just because I told you I'm a poor minor girl? Ok, it's fine if you don't wanna make friends with me" I said feeling dejected then I began to walk ahead of him. "No, I.. I'm just surprised" He finally spoke and caught up with me. I scoffed:"Why? " "You courageously said the truth but I think it's okay to be poor but to live a happy life" He said. "What do you mean? " I asked staring into his eyes. "Unlike my family, we are not wealthy too, I'm not a wealthy guy" He confessed and I stood in bemusement. "I had to attend Wearous High School for some reason too" He continued. "Oh.. Okay" So, I'm not the only poor one. "So what's the unhappy part of it?" I asked but he didn't say anything. I looked up to his face and saw him and noticed his eyes were teary and a tear began to roll down his cheeks then another dropped. "What's wrong? " I asked him. He tried to smile amidst the tears.. "It's just that.. " I interrupted him: "Ok, I'm so sorry if I made you cry" "C'mon" He paused about to say something. "My parents usually quarrel over the same issue and it's getting out of hand. My house is on fire and it makes me sad. You see Audrey, you live with only your mom yet it's an happy one.. " He said. I wanted to ask him what happened to his family and why he said his house is on fire? but I kept the questions to myself. I felt it was none of my business but I was so concerned. He will tell me what's wrong when he wants to. "Here we are" He said. I looked up to the tall building in front of us.. Boldly written on it Eat - Rest - Relax, ERR restaurant. "This is the restaurant" He said. "How do you know I was referring to ERR restaurant?" I asked him He smiled: "It's a popular restaurant. let's just say I guessed right" He said. "Oh, thank you very much" I said and he smiled again. "We are departing now, are you sure you'll be fine? " I asked him and before he could answer, I spoke further "See Kyle, I'm really sorry to have asked you a question that would hurt you to the marrow of your bone" "It's okay" "You are such a great friend, I'm glad we met" He said. It's not even hard to make friends here afterall. My first day in WHS, I made two friends - a favourite one who is standing right in front of me. Who knows? He might be the charming knight in my shining armor. What did I just say? Ugh?! "So Bye Kyle, see you in school tomorrow " I waved at him. "Take good care of yourself" He said. "Yeah, I will. You too" I bide him bye and watch him leave. He is not bad as well.. I think he is more handsome than Mr Handsome, Simon. I turned to the building which has sparkling beautiful lights. I took a brief sigh and said to myself: "Come on Audrey, I can do it" Then I walked into the restaurant. Kyle's POV "Mom, Dad.. I'm around" I said as I walked into the house but I was welcomed with quarrels and yells. It was Mom and Dad, they were quarreling again, there's no day they won't fight over the same issue, an issue one would just cry over and finally let it go. "You were too careless, I swear I have never seen a woman as dumb as you are. As long as you are staying under this roof with me, without that child then I will continue to make your life miserable " My Dad yelled at her and she yelled back. "Read my lips Austin, I don't care. Make me feel so miserable all you want, It won't change anything and I'm not gonna leave this house. What else do you want me to do Austin huh? It's not like I'm so happy that we lost a child, I'm not. I made it so quick to bear you another but you.. " "Will you just shut up? " Dad cut in sharply. I heard the whole story and I think I know what happened. *Nineteen years ago..... It all happened nineteen years ago. Isn't it suppose to be over? Mom worked at a mall and as usual, she placed the six month old baby Ralph in the baby cycle while she attended to the customers with so much interest. When there were less people to attend to, like she always do, she went to check on the sleeping baby she kept in a baby tricycle but he wasn't there.She had checked around, ask people whether they carried him to pet him or something but none.. he wasn't found. It was the worst day of her life. When she got home, being the strict man her husband (my Dad) was and he's still... She had to lied to him that she took the baby to the hospital because he had almost hot temperature. That same night, she lured Dad to bed because she lost the hope that Ralph cannot be found. As if it was too easy to have another child, she slept with Dad that night. A secret cannot be hidden for long or too long. After a week, Dad became suspicious since his wife (My mom) kept on saying baby Ralph is in the hospital. Dad went to the family hospital (the same hospital Mom was referring to) and there were no record of the baby except his birth record. With the meanest look he has, he confronted my mom with a hand on her neck threatening to kill her if she doesn't confess what happened to the child. She did confess how the baby was kidnapped while she was engrossed with attending to the customers as the mall. She should have just told him the whole truth when it happened. Now Dad won't take it easy with her, he went ahead, close down the mall and as if it is enough, he normally recall the issue day by day which will always result to chaos. Meanwhile, mom was pregnant - Me. A result of what she did, a form of apology. I'm on the fence because I don't know who to blame or who take sides with. Is it my mom who lied to Dad and had sex with him so that she could bear him another child quickly or my strict, mean and harsh dad who cherish the first born more than anything else. "Look for that child or you will never know peace" Dad barked. My heart is in pieces. It's a day by day anthem yet I can't get used to it. I walked passed them to the kitchen to get my dinner which I know mom would have cooked already -maybe before the quarrel - today. Not even a welcome from them, I walked passed them avoiding to be hit as I went to my room with dish of dinner and a cup of juice. Then I locked the door. I know mom would be the first person to come meet and welcome me when the conflict is over - for that day. I'm so sad, when will all this be over - forever? I drank a bit from the fruit juice then I suddenly remembered the newbie, Audrey. I have never been so intimate to someone like that. Ever since I got to WearousHS, I made no friends except Elena. No one want to make friends with someone from the slums since they came from a rich family and lack nothing. I've come to realize that when one is wealthy, they tend to develop pride and they stay away from people different from them... Well, except for Elena. Yes, she is from a wealthy home but she is very different from Others in terms of attitude. Audrey, She just like me.. If I'm not mistaken, Audrey and I are the only the poor students in the whole school.. There might be many more but most are pretenders. I finished eating, dropped the plate aside, sat upright and began to do what I love the most - singing -It will sure take me places someday. I began to sing one of my favourite songs but my parents voices won't even let me hear my own voice. Arrgh! I layed on the bed hopelessly with a pillow on my head, covering my ears... Yet, I could still hear them, loud and clear. Arrrrgh!! *** Audrey's POV I walked into the beautiful restaurant with blinking, sparkling and flashing lights. There were so many people, some were with their lovers, some were alone drinking and there was this particular table circled with guys, ruffians... Ugh! I hope I'm not making a mistake. I walked straight with no exact direction and a girl noticed I was lost. "WHS babe" She walked over to me. Oh! I was still wearing my uniform. "Hi" I replied. "Do you want something? or are you looking for someone? You seem lost" She said to me. She's friendly, thank goodness. She wore a pink shirt and I notice she wasn't the only one. The uniform I guess. "I.. I'm new here, like I came to work here" I tried to explain myself. "Are you Audrey Kathleen?" She asked me. "Yes " I answered. "Oh come, we've been expecting you! " She said. Like We? Who are the 'We' ? I just smiled nervously anyway. "Climb this stairs, the first room you would come across is the manager's room" She directed, pointing at a Zig-zig stairs. "OK thanks! " "You are welcome" She said and went to serve someone. She was with a tray of food which smells yummy! * I got to the room she had directed me to, stood there for some seconds asking myself if I was really ready for to work here then finally, I knocked on the door and I got a response immediately. "Come on in" I sighed then opened the door and walked in. "Evening ma'am" I perfunctorily greeted. The restaurant manager is a woman and she is very plumpy. "Evening, are you Audrey? " "Yeah" Indeed everyone has been expecting me. "Come over here or will you keep standing there? " She said.. That was when i realized I was still standing at the door. "Oh" I mouthed and moved closer. She brought out a new pink shirt from somewhere maybe the drawer or a very small closet, Then she dropped it on the table. "Here is your uniform, you must have noticed it" She said. "Yes ma'am" I said. "Since you are not with a jean trouser or skirt then you would be wearing it on your school uniform " The woman said. Ah! Awkward! "The bathroom is behind, go ahead and change into it, then start the work immediately. When you climb down the stairs, meet with Vivian, she will tell you what you have to and need to do" The manager said. "Ok " I said and turned the knob to take my leave. "I am Mrs Blakeston" I heard her say. I just nodded and left her office. Ok, now I'm starting to work here.. I went to the bathroom, pulled off my school uniform shirt and wore the pink shirt given to me. It had a badge on it. "ERR, Eat, Rest and Relax" My dressing looks so weird completely. I tied my hair in a bun style. The same hair, I overheard one of my new rich classmates saying to another that it's suffering from vitamin D deficiency. They are stupid. I kept my uniform into my backpack and kept the backpack somewhere I think is safe. Then I climbed down the stairs.. By the way, Who is Vivian? and who am I gonna ask? While I wandered, my eyes caught something, I mean someone.. Mr Handsome but rude. Simon. ********* *******