Chapter 1

Kent town is famous for its obnoxious amount of abortion clinics and motels; subtle traces of abet masking the walls, with its, one and only, diner. It attracts it's residents from their safe havens every Friday night. The secrets of this town runs deep down the veins of its folks, making it that hard to trust someone easily. 

'HALLs' Diner' showers my pale white skin with its big fat red letters flickering to life every 2 seconds; The 'e' missing. The yellow light from the diner drowning me in vibrancy, in contrast to my bland self. My eyes shift from the cigarette butts on the ground to the phone in my hand.

5:50 pm

"Fuck this shit." I kick the pavement before hurting my toes. I hug my jacket tighter around me as the pace of the wind picks up, irking me.

Maybe its the cold.

I look back at my phone. 5:51 pm glaring at me, mocking me by moving at a turtle's pace.

Maybe not.

Just when I was about to leave, a black sedan rolls into the parking lot of the diner. Parking itself between two other cars. I can already see the apologetic look she wears as she gets out of the car. She smiles before approaching me. I turn around and make my way to the diner's door with her struggling to catch up with my long strides.

As I push the door open the sudden whiff of air conditioner and faint ting barely fills the already packed place. "Would it have killed you to be on time?" She sighs before making her way to nearest booth. I sigh as the smell of shakes and waffles hit my nostrils. I slide in after her in the opposite seat.

"I had to drop Rosie at Keith's." She says looking behind me. I give her a dubious look. "And also fill the car's tank" I shake my head at her. "Still don't see why you trust that fucker enough to leave your sister with him." She laughs before looking behind me again. "I'm not leaving her with him. I'm leaving her with his sister."

"I don't trust the Fishers. Nor the brat. Especially not the brat." Jade laughs again as somebody walks to our table.

"She isn't so bad. Really, Becky is nice." She says as Danna Lee stands next to our table. The diner's uniform sticking to her body in an uncomfortable manner. I can see her scratching her breasts every once in awhile, nevertheless she greets us with a smile stretched on her face. "I was expecting you guys." She says taking out her pen and pad from the back.

"30 minutes early perhaps?" I ask directing at my best friend just as she kicks my shin from underneath the table. Ouch.

Danna ignores the mere dispute smiling, before her eyes shift back to her pad. "So the usual?"

"Yep" Jade answers popping the 'p' with a sickening yet a knockout smile. Jade Anderson was always the prettier one from us. Though she is not very athletic nor does she work out, she was simply fit like that. A natural model—everybody at school would say. Her dark red tainted lips and olive green eyes that matched her skin glowed under the yellow bulb over our heads.

I sometimes wondered what It was about Jade that caught my attention. Our differences were as stark as day and night. While she dressed herself in skirts and sweaters that was bathed in bright colors like yellow, I dressed myself in shirts and jeans that has seen better days. The one I'm wearing right now is of 6 years old. How it fits me, only Lord himself knows.

Even then I'm not complaining. I like our differences. It's what makes us interesting. Or her. Which I will shamelessly admit.

Needless to say, I'm happy with her here. Really, there's nothing that can make me leave this town or its selfish people. Like your parents? Shut up. I sit straight and slurp the rest of my milkshake. "You've been awfully silent." I say avoiding looking at her eyes. She sighs and brings herself to talk - before shaking her head lightly and slumping back, like she changed her mind last minute.

"Nothing."

Of course it's nothing. I nod before getting up from my seat and making my way to the diner's exit, not waiting for Jade. When I step out, the roaring wind hits my face before my body. I take out the pack of cigarette from my pocket, shaking it open to find there's only one left. Well fuck. I flick the platinum lighter continuously, trying to light the cigarette that's placed between my teeth. I hear her soft footfalls before I see her.

"I'm sorry." Jade says taking a seat on the dusty pavement. "For what? It's not like I caught you doing something you are not supposed to do. Not like I found out you are hiding something from me. Which, as a matter of fact, you always do. But we will pretend like I don't notice. Yeah?" I take a puff of my cigarette, coughing the smoke out. "I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark." She says looking away from me.

In a way smoking makes me feel what I already feel inside. Fogged. I don't know why a dark gray cloud looms over my head. I don't know why every breath I take is dragged, like these puffs of cigarette, from my lungs with such strong pull yet so weak. Leaving me numb. Just like I don't know what's bothering her. Will I ever?

She looks at her silver watch before cursing "I told Rosie I'd be there by 7. I better go pick her up, Drop you on the way?" She asks with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, like she wants me to be with her even for awhile. All for what? Grave silence.

"No, thank you. I'll probably walk. Need the air and shit." I let go of the cigarette butt, it hitting the ground before I grind it with my shoe. The corners of her mouth stretch down to form a frown. She quickly puts a smile back on her face before walking off to her car.

"Don't forget about tomorrow, Vera Lucas!" She yells , rolling down the window, from her driver's  seat. I scrunch up my face at her "I would not if you tell me what it's about!" she laughs before pulling out of the lot, her car fading from my vision.

Her absence says more about her presence. The hollow I feel in my chest deepens with every tick of the pendulum that exists in my mind, with every flutter of the birds, with the setting sun that shines it's last few rays of yellow at my pale white skin in hopes of coloring my gray self.

If I had known that that would've been the last time I would see her, then maybe I would have said more or done more than just be an ass to her. Suddenly showing up late doesn't sound so bad as not showing up at all.

                  _______________________

                                      A.N

That's what I'd imagine the diner to look like.. but brighter.

And yellower.

There will be lot of errors. Feel free to correct them! But be nice.