Al's Diner(Alex)

Discreetly she slipped in the door and took a seat at the far end of the counter. She didn’t have to wait long for somebody to come over and take her order.

“What’ll it be, miss?” asked the server while blowing a bubble with her pink gum.

Averting her eyes from the nasty display of cud chewing, Alex looked over the menu for something appetizing. “Umm… I’m not familiar with the food here so I’ll take whatever you recommend.”

Popping another loud bubble, the dark hair woman hollered over her shoulder to the cook in the back, “Yo, Vinny, I need a cow smothered in cheese and painted red and yellow.

Do you want fries, onion rings, or chips with that?”

Alex could only shrug her shoulders as she had no idea what the woman was talking about.

“Small order of fries with that, Vinny.

“I suppose you don’t know what to drink either,” she said popping the gum again.

“Actually, if you have coffee I’ll take that.” replied Alex clenching her hands into fists at the irritating smacking sound coming from the woman.

“Sure thing, miss.” The annoying waitress finally walked away and Alex felt the tension leaving her body.

Turning on her stool she observed the tiny establishment. The place had a steady stream of customers ranging in age and appearance. At a table for four sat a group of old men engrossed in a checker game. Several couples occupied the tables that lined the large windows, some holding hands others absorbed in their eating. The counter was lined with mostly men who looked like they knew what a hard day’s work was about. The cook poked his head out of the kitchen from time to time to yell that an order was up or to tell the waitress that she needed to quit gabbing so much.

“Here ya go, miss.” The waitress placed a cup of coffee before her. “Your order will be up in a sec.”

Alex watched the girl walk away; she couldn’t have been much older than herself. She had black hair that was cut close to her head and large doe shaped eyes. The server was bantered back and forth with various customers all the while blowing and popping bubbles with that disgusting pink stuff. The girl was so slender that Alex feared that she would break if she fell on the floor but yet nothing about her said that she was fragile.

“Here’s your food” plopping the plate in front of Alex with a clatter, the waitress retrieved some silverware from beneath the counter. “Hope ya like it.” She stood there in her little pink and white uniform waiting for Alex to take a bite.

Alex stared at the food in front of her feeling certain that she would be sick if she ate it. Not wanting to offend anybody, she picked up the large greasy meat thing that was covered in cheese, ketchup and mustard and sandwiched between two large round slices of bread. Reluctantly she took a bite, fighting to maintain a pleasant expression on her face.

“What do ya think?” asked the smiling waitress.

Alex could only smile politely and nod her head. This seemed to satisfy the server because she left to tend to another customer.

Somewhere in the diner a phone rang and was quickly answered by the waitress. “Al’s Diner, Susan here. What can I do for ya? . . .No foolin? . . .Get out of here. . .”

“Susan, who the heck you gabbin with now?” bellowed the cook from the kitchen.

“It’s Roselle,” she said hanging up the phone, “says to keep an eye out for that Alex girl today. Seems she’s checking out the shops.” The whole place began to buzz with talk of the girl as the waitress spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. Alex looked down at her plate of disgusting food trying not to be noticed.

“I hear she escaped from prison” remarked a grungy looking man at the counter.

“Herald, you think everybody’s escaped from prison,” interjected another man from the counter causing the diner to erupt in laughter. “Besides, I’ve been told that she washed up from sea after the ship she was on was attacked by pirates.”

“You both are crazy” replied a middle aged woman who was standing in the door. “She’s a survivor of those dreadful raids at the docks.”

Alex turned to look at the newcomer and quickly averted her gaze having recognized her as another one of the visitors to the bed and breakfast this morning.

“How do you know this, Ran?” asked the cook as he emerged from the kitchen wiping his hands on a dirty dish towel.

“I can’t reveal my sources, but I can tell you that she knows the girl first hand. The poor thing came to her hungry and beaten. She didn’t even know how to use a proper bathroom.” Ran walked up to the counter her eyes taking each customer in turn. “She’s offered to help us. She’s going to protect us instead of that thieving Riddle. No more of our hard earned money will go to line his pockets.”

“And this girl’s just gonna risk her life for free I suppose,” remarked Vinny sarcastically.

“Of course not but I don’t think she’s looking for money either. I think that if we just show her kindness and help her learn how to live like a civilized person she’ll be quite satisfied. But a little money would be nice.”

The diner exploded in a heated discussion about how to pay the stranger and if they really needed her. Alex decided that she needed to get out of there before things got ugly. Placing two gold pieces next to her plate of uneaten food, she quietly slipped out into the street.

“Escaped prisoner, pirates, dock raids, where did they come up with this stuff?” she shook her head in disbelief.

Crossing the street to put some distance between her and the diner she notice a brown rabbit sitting in the doorway of one of the buildings. “That looks like the same rabbit I saw earlier.” While squinting to get a better look the large rabbit appeared to wave and then hopped away. “Now I know I’m seeing things. Must be that nasty food.” Dismissing the idea to pursue the rabbit, Alex headed back in the direction of the bed and breakfast.