“Your grandmother never took you to there?” Kara asked. “Girl, you’ve been missing out.”
Thirty minutes later, we were seated in a booth at Herschel’s, a Back-to-the-50’s type of diner, where the waitresses took your order on roller-skates and classic music played out of an old fashioned jukebox.
“This is cool,” I said as we sat down in one of the vinyl booths.
Our waitress, Connie, who was dressed in a cute teal and checkered car hop uniform, handed me a menu “First time here?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Well, welcome to Herschel’s. If you haven’t already heard, we have the best burgers in Diamond Lake and over twenty different malt flavors. They’re huge, too, so be prepared.”
“Good to know, thank you,” I replied, looking around. The place was pretty busy, especially for a Monday night.
“No problem. Just a warning, we’re a little short-staffed tonight,” Connie said. “It’s taking longer than usual to get the food out, so I want to apologize in advance.”
“Don’t worry, we’re probably just going to order malts anyway,” Kara said. “And, maybe some fries.”
The rest of us agreed.
“Sounds good. I’ll go and grab your waters while you’re deciding,” she said.
“You wouldn’t happen to be hiring, would you?” I asked, looking around again at everything. There were old-fashioned gas stations signs, posters of pinup girls, and vintage memorabilia. The diner looked like a fun place to work.
“Always, especially now that college has started. If you want, I can get you an application,” she replied.
“That would be great. Thank you.”
When she left, Kara asked if I knew how to roller-skate.
“Yeah. It’s been awhile. I’m sure it’ll all come back to me,” I replied.
“I heard the tips are really good at this place. Like, you’ll walk out of here on a Friday night with over one-hundred dollars,” Maya said.
“I could never waitress,” Kara said. “I’d end up screwing up everyone’s orders or spilling hot soup on some poor soul.”
“Yikes, I’d better talk the customers out of soup if I get hired. I’d probably do the same thing. Do any of you have jobs?” I asked.
I learned that Kara worked at a yogurt shop, Sara in a book store, and Maya at a veterinarian clinic.
“What do you do there?” I asked Maya.
“Clean kennels. Feed the animals. Show them some love,” she replied, smiling. “I want to be a veterinarian someday.”
We talked about our college plans and Kara said she was hoping to be a pharmacist. Sara told us that she was interested in becoming a lawyer. Maya wasn’t sure yet.
“What about you?” Kara asked.
“I’m not sure. I’ve always liked the theater,” I replied and then told them about the plays I’d done in Santa Clara.
“Why’d you move to Diamond Lake?” Maya asked.
I took a deep breath and told them about my parents being killed in a car accident a few months back. They were all shocked and horrified.
“So that’s why you’re living with your grandmother?” Kara asked.
I nodded.
They gave me their condolences, which brought a lump to my throat.
“I can’t even imagine,” Sara said softly. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. Um, it’s been… hard. Anyway, let’s talk about something else before I start balling like a baby,” I said with a sad smile.
Kara reached over and squeezed my hand. “Okay, but if you ever need to talk about it, we’re here for you.”
Sara and Maya agreed.
“Aww… thanks, you guys,” I said, once again grateful that I’d met them.
“Of course,” Sara said.
“Hey, what do you think about Mattie and Gus?” Maya said. “Do you think they hooked up?”
Kara smiled. “I did hear something about those two having sex at a party, last summer. I thought it was bullshit, but... now I’m not so sure. You should ask him about it. He might tell you the truth, Mackenzie.”
“Yeah, maybe I will the next time I see him.” I hoped not, though. I liked Gus and the idea of him screwing around with Mattie made me ill.
The waitress returned, handed me an application, and then took our orders.
“The owner will be in tomorrow,” she said to me. “If you fill that out tonight, I’ll make sure she gets it.”
I smiled. “Thank you. I’ll give it to you before I leave.”
“Sounds good.” She took our menus and left the table.
“Oh, great,” muttered Kara, staring toward the front door. “Guess who just walked in?”
I glanced over my shoulder and groaned inwardly. Chase, Sonny, and some of the other guys from the race were waiting to be seated. Fortunately, Mattie wasn’t with them.
“That was fast,” I murmured.
“Yeah. It’s kind of odd they’re here and not still at the park. I wonder if he won,” Sara asked in a low voice.
“I’ll find out,” Maya said, pulling out her cell phone. She began sending texts.
“Chase looks like he’s sulking. I bet he lost,” Kara said.
“Have they seen us yet?” Maya asked.
“Not yet,” I replied, ducking away when I noticed Sonny turn toward us. Fortunately, the partitions separating the booths made it hard to who was sitting in our booth.
Kara snorted. “Who cares if those assholes see us? If they come over and say anything, we’ll just ignore them.”
“Exactly.” I watched as the four guys were shown to another booth, far from us, and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, shit. Look who else is here,” murmured Sara, staring toward the entrance.
It was Gus and another guy.
Kara turned to look. “Weird.”
“Oh, wow. Kesha Reed said that the race was halted because the cops were waiting for them at the Finish Line,” Maya said, reading from her phone. “She thinks they both got tickets too.”
“Didn’t one of you mention that Mattie’s dad was the sheriff?” I asked.
Sara nodded.
“Apparently, it doesn’t matter. They were there to stop the race and apparently, it worked,” said Maya.
“No wonder why Chase looks pissed,” Kara said.
“Check that out. Gus and the other guy are being seated at Chase’s table,” Maya whispered.
“Maybe they’re friends now?” Sara said.
“I doubt it,” Kara replied.
The waitress returned with our malts and basket of fries. She then left us and went over to the guy’s table. After talking to them for a few seconds, she nodded toward another booth. Chase and Gus stood up, walked over to it, and sat down. Alone.
“Ah, the plot thickens. Something must definitely be going down,” Sara said.
“Maybe they’re just making plans for a rematch?” I suggested.
“Why would they do it privately?” she replied.
“Maybe they’re talking about Mattie?” Kara said.
“I doubt it. They’d be talking with fists,” Maya said. “Something is definitely up.”
13
Chase
I stared at Gus… mind blown.
“Wait, what?” I replied, still wondering if I’d heard him right.
“You heard me.”
After being threatened by Mattie’s old man, for street-racing, Gus was proposing a different type of competition. One that sounded more like a joke than anything.
I studied his face.
Was he serious?
He went on. “You heard what the sheriff said. He’ll throw our asses in jail if he catches anyone racing in Diamond Lake. We need to let the dust settle for a while. So, I say we wager on something a little more interesting while we wait for things to settle down.”
“Why would I want to enter into something like this?”
“Why wouldn’t you? Come on, Davis. I heard you’ve do
ne more for less.”
“This is totally different.”
“Exactly. Which makes it more interesting.” Gus smirked. “You probably wouldn’t win anyway. I can understand your hesitation.”
I glared at him. “If I really wanted to do this, there’d be no competition. I’d have her panties down faster than you could jerk off thinking about it.”
He laughed. “See, this is why I can’t believe you’re not excited about this. You’re so goddamn sure of yourself.”
“Apparently, that makes two of us. Why this, though?”
“Because it’s fun. Not to mention, she’s different. She’s a challenge. Always has been.”
“So, you’ve tried before?”
“I’ve flirted casually. It’s hard to do during family get-togethers.”
“Maybe you’re just not her type.”
He shrugged. “Maybe not. Regardless, I think this will be a challenge for both of us. Especially after that shit you pulled earlier. I’m pretty sure she thinks you’re the biggest asshole on the planet.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why should I trust you, or even her, for that matter? You two could be setting me up to lose.”
His face turned serious. “I’m not a cheater. I get off on winning fair and square. The money doesn’t even mean anything to me. My parents are loaded and my grandmother left me a trust fund, which I’ll inherit after graduation. For me, it’s all about the competition and prize.”
For some reason, I believed him.
“But, why this?”
He pulled out a sugar packet from the plastic stand and began playing with it. “Why not? It’s a unique challenge. Not to mention, she’s hot. Even you have to agree with that.”
True.
“I don’t know. This sounds too easy.”
“Don’t be so sure of yourself. She’s a virgin. It’s obvious. I suppose most of the girls at Diamond Lake are sluts, so you’re not used to reading the signs-”
“Fuck off.” Even if it were true, I wasn’t going to let him talk shit about our school.
He laughed. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
My mind went over the wager again. I still couldn’t believe he wanted to place a bet on who could fuck Mackenzie first.
“How much?” I asked.
“One thousand dollars.”
“Fuck.” The money sounded nice. Especially if I was moving out of my old man’s house. But, what if I lost? I couldn’t afford to. A thousand bucks was a thousand bucks.
“We could go higher if you want,” he said, misunderstanding me.
“No. That’s the highest I’d go. But…” I scratched my chin. “I just don’t know.”
“You still don’t trust me.”
Fucking-A-Right I didn’t.
“It’s not just that. You two are friends. You already have an advantage.”
“What if I piss her off? We’ll both start off evenly.”
I frowned. “How would you do that?”
He was silent for a few seconds and then brought up that they were having a formal dance at their school to raise money for charity. “It’s next weekend.”
“I’m listening.”
He went on. “I’ll invite her to the dance, make sure she gets a new dress, and… stand her up.”
My eyes widened. “Dude, that’s cold.”
He laughed harshly. “Yeah, she’ll probably hate me.”
“Fuck yeah. It is pretty extreme.”
I just didn’t get it.
“It’s like I said before, I need a good challenge. I thrive on this shit. I want to prove that I can break her heart and still win her back.”
“I don’t think even you could pull that off.”
“Oh, I can and I will.”
I grunted.
“One thing though. You can’t start romancing her until after I stand her up. That way, we both start off on the same playing field.”
“I guess that’s fair.”
“I’m probably going to fuck her one way or another anyway. But, if you can beat me to it, you’ll get bragging rights and some spending cash.”
“And if I lose, I’ll be out a grand.”
“Well, shit. I’ve never known any of you Diamond Lake boys to consider losing even a possibility. Especially you, Davis.”
He was right. Winning was, and always had been, everything. My old man had drummed the importance of that in my head from early on. If you lost, it was because you gave up. You pussed out.
“So, you in?”
I sat there and mulled over everything Gus had said. In a way, I felt bad for Mackenzie. She clearly thought he was her friend and here the guy was, placing a bet on who could fuck her first.
And I thought I was a dick.
“How do we prove who’s had her first?” I ask.
“Get a pic of her naked.”
I drummed my fingers on the table anxiously. As long as he didn’t cheat, I had a damn good chance. Hell, I’d make sure I won. The money was something I really needed. Not to mention, fucking Mackenzie would be icing on the cake.
I sighed. “Fine. I’m in. But, we need to agree on some clear ground rules.”
“Of course.” He held out his. “So, we have a deal?”
I stared at it. “One question - did you fuck Mattie?”
“What do you think?”
His expression told me everything I needed to know. He’d gotten a piece. It didn’t bother me as much as it would have six months ago.
“Fuck it.” I shook his hand. “Sure, why not.”
14
Mackenzie
After Gus and Chase’s little powwow, we watched as they went their separate ways.
“Hmm… very interesting. Did you see them shake hands?” Kara murmured as Gus walked out of the diner with his friend.
“Yeah. They’re probably just setting up another race,” Maya said.
Kara sat back in the booth. “Chase must be so pissed off at Mattie’s dad.”
“She’s probably just as angry at him. It sounds like Sheriff Robbins drove her home in his squad. She probably got her ass chewed out,” Maya said, still scrolling through the texts on her phone.
“Oh, boohoo. Poor baby,” Kara said sarcastically. “At least someone can control that bitch.”
Sara stared past our table. “Don’t look now but Chase is walking this way.”
I looked up just as he was nearing our booth, probably on route toward the restrooms. From his expression, it was obvious that he was stunned to see us.
“Hey, Chase,” Kara said. “We heard about the race. That really sucks.”
“Yeah.” He stopped at our table. “How long have been here?”
“Long enough to see you talking to Gus,” Maya said with a little smirk. “Did you set up another competition?”
He suddenly looked very uncomfortable. “What do you mean?”
“Another race?” Maya replied.
He relaxed. “Yeah. But, it’ll be awhile. Sheriff Robbins threatened to throw our asses in jail if he caught us street racing again.”
“So, Mattie can’t control her daddy anymore, huh?” Kara asked.
“Fuck Mattie,” he replied gruffly.
The four of us stared up at him in surprise.
“Woah, aren’t you two still a thing?” Maya asked.
He snorted and looked away. “We haven’t been that for a while. Anyway, I gotta go. See you around.”
We watched in silence as he left our table and headed to the bathroom.
“Someone should tell Mattie they’re not together anymore,” whispered Sara, looking amused.
“Maybe he’s afraid of the crazy bitch, too,” Maya replied.
We all laughed.
We finished our malts relatively quickly and then headed to the front register to pay our tab. Our waitress met us at the counter.
“I finished the application,” I said, handing it to her.
Connie smiled. “Okay, cool. I’ll make sure it gets into
the right hands.”
“Thanks.” I looked around the diner again and that’s when I caught Chase staring at me. Our eyes held briefly for a minute and then I looked away.
“I saw that,” murmured Kara, who was standing next to me. “Either Chase finds you interesting or he’s still pissed that you and Gus are friends.”
I shrugged. “I don’t care either way.”
“You should. He and the A-squad might make things difficult for you at school,” she replied as we followed Maya and Sara out of the diner.
“Fuck Chase and fuck his friends,” I replied, my gut twisting as I thought about it. I wasn’t afraid of them but I also just wanted to be left alone.
“Just stay out of their way for a week and they’ll forget all about it,” Maya said.
“Oh, I plan on it.” I wasn’t going to let Mattie bully me, though. If she got into my face again, I’d make sure it was for the last time. She might have been bigger than me, but I wasn’t about to be anyone’s doormat.
15
Chase
At around eleven-thirty, my old man started calling and leaving me messages, including a text.
Dad: Sorry for earlier. I over-reacted. Come home, Son.
Still angry, I didn’t reply. It wasn’t his first apology and it wouldn’t be the last. I was tired of being his punching bag.
“Sonny, could I stay at your place tonight?” I asked, as we headed out of the diner.
“Yeah, no problem,” he replied.
“Thanks.”
“Having problems with your old man again?”
I nodded.
“You’re eighteen now. You could move out.”
“I’m planning on it. I just need a place to sleep until I can figure out what I’m going to do.”
“I’m sure if I talk to my mom, she’ll let you stay for a while.”
His mother was cool but she also was a busy-body. I didn’t want her knowing my business. The entire town would find out about it before tomorrow’s breakfast.
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t say anything. I just need a place to stay tonight. I’ll figure things out tomorrow.”
After Burn (High School Bully Romance) (Diamond Lake High School Book 1) Page 7
