I fidgeted in front of the mirror, adjusting my outfit for the hundredth time that morning. It wasn't the fact that it was blue and white checkered, or that it had a frilly apron on it with a silver name tag pinned to my chest. It was that it was a dress. Jayden Taylor Horraspeak didn't wear dresses.

It had been three days since I had taken Reta up on her offer of staying till I figured things out. I had stashed my things, not unpacking so as to make my decision unbiased. I had scouted the city, it wasn't much, but it was nice. Yeah it had it's dirty parts, but every place does, here's was just less life threatening like. I had found a local art museum within walking distance, along with a public library. All at the tips of my fingers. I had come to know the regulars a bit, both the breakfast and lunch ones, and a few of the dinner ones. But not the mysterious group of guys. The people here were nice, they weren't afraid to greet you with a smile, nor make a comment about the weather to strike a conversation.

I wrote in my journal often, documenting the things I had seen. I took photos of my surroundings with my digital, photos that weren't necessarily of something in particular but more like how the light reflected off the corner of my window sill. I used them to paint images for my journal entries, titling them to correspond with certain entries and making notes in my entries to refer to them. And after all of that I had decided to stay. At least for a bit. To replenish my cash. So far Jersey spoke to me, or at least I thought it did, it was a soft barely audible sound, but it spoke to me nonetheless.

So here I was, putting on my uniform to work for Reta for the first time. It was five in the morning and I hated the fact that I was in a dress.

"Blehck," I said to my reflection as I played with the skirt hem a bit more before turning from the mirror image.

Adjusting the blue bandana around my head like a head band I slipped on my white converse and called myself ready. I slipped out my door and shut it behind me, not really bothering to lock it. I slipped down the stairs to the back entrance into the diner.

"Morning Jayden," Ernie said to me as I entered the kitchen from the back.

"Morning," I replied happily.

I had always been a morning person. Must be the coffee. Which I was on my way to get before the day started. That and breakfast.

"Morning Jayden, ready for breakfast?" Reta asked with a smile and a coffee pot already in her hands.

"More than ever. And if it helps you can call me Jay," I replied as she filled my cup and I pulled out a cigarette.

"Sounds like a plan to me," she replied as she turned and handed in a slip to Ernie.

Reta put in my order without asking. Yeah, I already had a regular order just like everyone else. Guess that was part of the charm here. Fitting in, feeling comfortable.

"Two eggs over medium, hash browns, bacon extra crispy and english muffin as toast," Reta said happily as she placed my order in front of me as soon as it was done and steaming hot.

"Thanks," I said as I grabbed for a fork after placing my cigarette to rest in the ashtray.

After breakfast I washed up and got my notepad, ready for instructions before the morning crowd came in at five thirty.

"Okay it's real simple. Walk over with glasses of ice water, ask if they'd like coffee or anything else to drink while they figure out what they want. Bring it back to them and see if they're ready to order. We don't use any special kind of lingo for our food, you can shorthand it however you want. Just remember if you get too creative with your shorthand we might mess it up. Best to keep it straight forward. Like for two eggs over easy I just write, 2 E OE on the slip and then hang it up for Ernie. Got it?" Reta asked.

I nodded in reply. It seemed simple enough.

"As for prices don't worry about it, you can look at the menu till you get it memorized. Register is fairly straight forward. Used one before?" Reta asked.

"Yeah for a bit when I was in high school," I replied.

"Good this one is about that old so we won't have to teach you new tricks. Other than that keep a smile on your face and don't be afraid to get to know them, I have the best customers in the world," Reta beamed as she walked out behind the counter to the front door.

"Show time," she said loudly as she unlocked the door and flipped the sign so the outside read OPEN.
-xXx-
It was seven forty five now, and the stream of customers had been steady since doors first swung open at five thirty. Not too hectic, but busy enough that I had dropped one coffee mug and broke it, screwed up depositing an order on the right table and brought someone sweetened iced tea instead of unsweetened. I wanted to die. But the people just smiled and brushed it off, saying it was alright and waited patiently as I fixed whatever I had screwed up.

I was behind the counter tallying an order when the doorbell chimed the entrance of a new customer.

"Reta!" loud voices said in unison.

I looked up, it was the group of mystery guys from my first day in Jersey. Mr. I'm running late today was on time this time, sitting with his friends as he laughed at something. I looked back down at my notepad, double checking if I had gotten all the prices right. I had already undercharged someone today, who luckily was kind enough to tell me so I could charge them the correct amount. No one did that back home, they just left it and got away with not paying the correct amount. So I didn't want to do that again, regardless of how people reacted. I still felt dumb.

"Jay hun will you get the guys for me?" Reta asked as she walked quickly passed, carrying four heavily laden dishes.

"On it," I said happily.

I walked over and stood in the front of the five of them at the counter. The exact spot they had been sitting at since I first saw them, and then turned. I wracked my brain and then found what I was looking for. Getting everything I returned to the counter where they were.

"Milk for Bob," I said as I placed a tall glass in front of the larger one with blonde soft hair.

"Decaf for Sir Mikey," I said as I poured decaf coffee into a mug I turned over in front of the skinny one in glasses.

"Iced tea for Ray," I said as I placed a tall glass of dark liquid in front of the guy with big hair.

"Large OJ for Frankie," I said as I deposited the orange juice in front of the kid with more tattoos than anyone I'd ever met in person.

Well at least in Jersey so far.

He clapped his hands momentarily.

"And coffee for Mr. I'm running late today but this time around I'm on time," I said as I went to pour coffee for the last guy, the only one whose name I didn't "know".

I was pretty proud of myself. Till I spilled his coffee all over the place.

"Shit," I swore under my breath as it dripped off the counter and onto my small white apron.

I frantically put the pot back and went for a rag to clean up the mess before it spilled onto him or his friends. As I got back to the counter they were laughing as they sopped up the mess with now soggy napkins.

"Thanks," I said sheepishly as I took the soggy napkins and threw them out.

I returned to the counter to finish the clean up with my rag.

"No problem. I go by Gerard by the way, it's much shorter than Mr. I'm running late today, occasionally with the added, but this time around I'm on time. But whichever works for you," he said as he broke into a grin.

His smile was perfect, and for some reason it made me want my camera badly. The way his skin was pale in comparison to his dark hair and golden eyes, and the way his smile took over. I wanted it captured. In black and white he'd be stunning. I snapped back to reality when I realized I had drifted.

"I'm Ja," I started to reply.

"Jayden. I know," he said with a smile as I refilled his coffee, properly this time.

No spilling.

"Huh? How?" I asked as I got out my pad, since my psychic abilities on their orders stopped at their drinks.

"We've seen you sitting there for the past few days, and heard Reta talking to you in the mornings," the one called Mikey explained.

"So genius over their asked Reta your name yesterday. He found calling you random girl with notebook at Reta's a bit vague," the one called Ray said as he gestured at the newly dubbed Gerard.

I smiled.

"Whichever works for you," I replied as I took their orders.
-xXx-
"First day of work has gone well so far, I've never moved so fast in my life. Reta is a goddess of diner waitresses. Note to self: coffee is hot, over easy eggs are not the same as over medium, long nicknames make for interesting conversation starters, Gerard's eyes reflect light like nothing else. Jersey's voice is speaking to me louder."

I looked up from my book as I jotted notes down in it from this morning. I was currently taking a break between the lunch and dinner rushes. I was sitting in the tall skinny back stairway that led to my apartment from the diner. My knees were up, my skirt tucked under to make sure I didn't flash the world, or at least Ernie, Reta or Sam the dishwasher. My journal was atop my knees resting carefully, my chewed pen was in now stuck behind my ear and a cigarette was in my hand.

"Reta needs you Jay," Sam said as he poked his head out the door and looked up at me in the stairway.

"Alright," I said as I stood up and deposited my journal in my apron along with my order pad.

I stuck my chewed loyal journal pen in there as well as I stuck my order taking pen behind my ear. I put out my cigarette in the small ashtray at the bottom of the stairs and straightened my dress before walking in through the kitchen.
-xXx-
"Oh my god we're closed. I don't know how you do it Reta," I exasperated as I threw my upper body across the cool counter.

"It gets easier hun, it was your first day. And a pretty perfect one at that," Reta replied.

I gave her a look.

"Better than my first day on the job ever went. And besides it will get easier as time goes on, you'll get to know regulars orders, so won't have to worry about that. You'll memorize prices. So don't worry, the next few days might be hectic but it will pass," Reta explained from behind the counter with a rag thrown over her shoulder.

"Right," I said as I sighed in weariness.

It might have only been eight o'clock but I was pooped. My feet hurt from being on them all day. I had come to the conclusion that being in converse on your feet like this was a bad idea, but all my shoes were like this. So I decided to go out and buy gel inserts before work tomorrow. And then go to bed. I was beat.

"I'm going to go get changed, buy gel inserts and then go to bed. Need me for anything else?" I asked wearily as I started to untie my apron.

"No you go ahead hun. See you tomorrow morning," she said cheerfully as I walked towards the back entrance.

"All right then, see you tomorrow. And Reta," I said and then paused.

"Yes hun?" she asked as she turned to face me.

"Thanks. For everything," I said with a smile on my face regardless of weariness.

"You're welcome," she replied.

I then made my way upstairs.

Notes

So you likey leakey?