bright red. Her heart began to beat wildly. “How did he know?” Myra asked herself out loud. The waitresses in the restaurant quickly swarmed around her to read the note. “Hey! What are you guys doing?” she questioned. Her face was bright red, and her smile couldn’t disappear. She tried to make her normal expression, but she failed.
That same day, another man came into their diner. He was wearing black jeans and a simple blue hoodie. To say he was dark was an understatement. Though, he was extremely handsome. His silky brown hair covered his well chiseled face. The only problem was his piercing blue eyes and cold smirk that could freeze over Hell. He sat down in Reed's favorite seat. There was a mixed reaction from the waitresses. Some were giddy at such a handsome face, others were scared of the strong demonic sense his smirk held within itself.
When Myra saw the man, she tried to run to the back of the diner kitchen to hide. The manager blocked her and told her to serve the customer. “Why must I be the one to serve him? Look at how much the other waitresses want to serve him. They are practically begging to,” she said, pointing to the rally of excited waitresses wagging their tails, behind the counter waiting for the manager to tell one of them to serve the man. It was as though they were small puppies waiting for their master to throw them a bone.
“You are very well with handsome men. You do not drool on them or stare like the others. Plus, you seem like you are really beginning to open up with your customers. I am very proud of you for that,” her manager stated, “Now go get 'em tiger!” The manager pushed her out from behind the counter and towards the man. He looked up at her and let his icy smirk turn into his sadistic smile. It burnt Myra's mind. She flinched and tried to back up, but the man quickly pulled her towards him.
“Are you trying to avoid me Myra?” He asked, clutching onto her arm tighter. She looked at his fearsome eyes, and tried her hardest to step away, but she couldn’t seem to force a release from his grip. “Aren't you going to be a courteous waitress and ask for my order?” He finally let go and she fell to the ground. Standing back up was a simple task to do, but it felt impossible for her. She was finally able to get up and hand him the menu.
“What would you like to order?” Myra asked, forcing a fake smile to puncture through her anger. This man was no stranger to her. He was her old childhood friend, Sean. He had moved into the house next to hers when they were both five years old. They were naturally drawn to each other and became friends. As they grew, so did their friendship. Sean was always smiling and happy, until the day they began dating. As time went by, he became dark. He tried to hurt her in as many ways as he could, both physically and emotionally. He would attack and beat her or play sick mind games with her. If he didn’t get his way in the relationship, he would threaten to leave her and never come back. Myra felt it was impossible to leave him at the time, thinking she truly loved this man. Eventually, she was able to escape the lies he twisted into her confused head, and left him. Now he was back.
He rose from his seat and stood right in front of Myra. “Actually I don’t think I want to eat here anymore, but it sure was nice seeing your face again. I enjoyed seeing the pain you attempted to cover with that fake smile of yours.” He handed her a wadded up fifty dollar bill, and walked out the door. Some girls were relieved at his exit while others were dissatisfied he wasn’t there longer.
Later that night, when Myra was closing up the diner, her parents and Sean walked up to the door. Myra was cleaning the counter when she looked up and saw them. She jumped in shock, and then realized it was just her parents. She walked over to the locked door to let them in. She knew it was against policy, but she did not want her parents to get angry at her for not letting them in.
“I see you are having fun working late,” her mother said, giving her a big hug. Myra just rolled her eyes and gave her father a hug too.
“You know she hates working late, dear,” he stated sternly. Everything he said was always very straightforward and strict. His face never seemed to match what he was saying though. He was always smiling and rarely had a blank or angry expression. Nonetheless, he was a good father to Myra and her sisters.
Sean just stood there and watched the scene. He was leaning on one of the columns supporting the diner’s weak frame. Myra looked over at him. “Why are you all here?” she asked them, keeping her eyes locked on Sean.
“We came to let you know that Sean has asked for your hand in marriage, and we said yes!” Myra’s mother proclaimed excitedly. Myra’s expression quickly changed from her smile to a shocked expression, still focused on Sean. He smirked. With his head down, his dark brown hair covered his face. She didn’t want this man to be her husband.
Trying to reject her parents nicely, she said, “Sorry, but I do not want to marry him, even if you have given your blessings. I want to choose for myself, and he is not my choice.” Her parents looked at her wide-eyed, as though surprised she would ever refuse them. While, yes, she was a good child and listened to what her parents told her, she knew this would be impossible for her.
“You do not trust our judgment?” they asked her. She hated the look on her parents face, but she still could not marry Sean.
“I do. I just don’t trust him,” she yelled, pointing to Sean. He lifted his head up, staring straight at her.
“You don’t trust me? Why not?” he asked innocently. He knew very well why.
“Of course I don’t. You were terrible to me everyday. Threatening my life,” she yelled. Her parents looked at each other, and slipped out of the diner, saying that they wanted them to have some alone time to argue this out. As though this sort of thing could simply be argued out.
“Well, I think you should really trust me. After all, we are going to be married soon.” One corner of his mouth lifted into his usual sly smirk when saying that. Myra could only look at him in terror, knowing she couldn’t get out of it, not if Sean was involved. He crept closer to Myra, his face not changing from his previous evil look. Myra looked around, hoping to find something to save her. When she turned her head back around, Sean grabbed her shoulders and forced a kiss upon her.
As Myra tried to struggle from his grip, she heard a loud bang from outside the diner. She used it to her advantage, pushing Sean away. Myra shuffled around, looking for something to hit him with. She saw one of the pans she was washing earlier and grabbed it. She hit him in the head with it while he was searching around the diner to see what the noise was. He fell to the ground unconscious. She pushed him outside the diner, finished locking up, and left. Not once did she turn back or question what the loud bang was.
The next morning she got ready for work, just as usual. She was excited to see Reed and read another sweet note from him. She walked to the diner, taking her normal route. Turning right on Walnut and left on Johnson. When Myra finally reached the diner, she went in through the back door. Being the first one there, she did the dishes she forgot to finish the night before, and grabbed the garbage to take it out. When she went out the front door, she was afraid that Sean would still be there waiting for her. Myra looked around nervously, hoping he was gone. To her content, she saw him nowhere.
Myra walked around the diner to the side with the dumpster. She tripped over something and fell to her knees. She looked behind her, only to see her only love, Reed, lying on the ground dead. Myra was frozen in shock. Not knowing what to do, she went over to him. His face was still just as handsome as ever. He was wearing the same suit he wore on the very first day he came in. Myra’s tears rolled down her cheeks and fell upon his. She looked over at his shoes, and noticed one was missing. Still teary eyed, she walked around the area, looking for his old missing shoe.
Once found, she picked it up. It was the same shoe her pencil had hit that day. She could only cry harder from the thought. Myra collapsed. The shoe tipped over, and a large wad of paper fell out. It said: I saw you kissing him. So, I figured you would be happier without me. I was fired from my job, my parents died, and everyone I seemed to love left me. No one
wanted me except for you. Well, that is what I thought. Goodbye. I really loved you, Myra. Myra looked at the paper for a moment, and then turned to look at Reed.
“Why would I ever like him? I thought you knew I loved you! Why would you leave me?!” she yelled at Reed, knowing full and well he could never answer her. Her knees could no longer hold her up. She fell to the ground, lying next to her love until one of the other waitresses came to the diner.
After that, the days went by slowly. Everyday killed her just a little more inside. Even after it closed, she still went to the diner and sat in the same booth he did. His old shoe was her only cherished memento of him. She would hold on to it, as she cried. It was impossible for her to move forward. She could only dwell in the memories they made together back then, knowing that they could not make any new ones. Finally, she has been driven to only truly existing in the broken down diner with the last things she has of him.
She blamed Sean for all of it. Her life went by with her blaming him for Reed’s death. It wasn’t until much later that she ran into him again. He had gotten a nice corporate job and his own house. When Sean saw her, he asked her on a date. She accepted. They
Reed Page 2
