"Two eggs fried WITH cheese, two orders of bacon, home fries and an orange. One California omelet with extra jalapenos and sour cream, hash browns, pumpernickel toast and sausage links," I said expertly as I placed the large orders down on the table with ease.

I had been working for Reta now for almost two weeks. I had the prices down, could carry large orders with expert grace, knew some people by name, others by face, and knew a few regulars orders by heart. I was loving it here for the most part.

When I wasn't dead dog tired from work I visited the art museum with my journal and pen in hand, camera in my bag, though not to take pictures of the pieces. I had gotten a library card and used it frequently, as I was currently in the middle of three different series. Reta was one of the strongest, not to mention greatest, women I had ever met, and her husband Ernie was a dear heart. Sam was smart and witty, and like a younger brother to me. All in all it was great. I just didn't know anyone else. And I didn't know if I was finding myself or just getting comfortable in a routine. But regardless I knew myself had to be in Jersey somewhere. It had to be.

"Thanks Jay," Steve said, the guy with the order of an orange with his breakfast said as I smiled.

"A pleasure Steve. Enjoy and holler if you need anything," I said as I walked back to the counter.

It was the beginning of the breakfast rush.

"Hey babe over here," a voice barked from the far corner.

No one called me babe here, no one did. I turned and looked at the guy who had hollered at me so rudely, so loudly. Him and his friend looked like truckers from out of state. Wishing him dead in his seat. . . Plastering on a smile I walked over as I got out my order pad.

"What can I get you to start off with while figuring out your orders?" I asked pleasantly, trying not to, kill him, grit my teeth at how the rude one was eyeing me.

"We'll both take high test coffees, and I'll have an order of you on the side sweet thang," the rude one said greasily.

He made my skin crawl. But I just smiled and jotted down their orders.

"Two coffees coming right up," I said pleasantly as I went to go and get the coffee.

I could feel his eyes on my ass, checking me out. My stomach turned.

I got the coffee pot after checking in on another of my customers and then walked back to his and his friend's booth, mentally making sure my skirt was pulled down as far as possible. I poured their coffee and then rested the pot on the edge of the table as I got out my order pad and flipped to their sheet.

"What can I get you?" I asked kindly.

"I'll take your down country breakfast dish," the other guys said and closed his menu.

I jotted it down and then took his menu from him, sticking it under my arm before turning to the, disgusting, lewd guy.

"And you sir?" I asked cheerfully, forced as it was.

"Two scrambled eggs, no egg yolks, with swiss cheese and red peppers. An order of sausage links but only if they're pork and not some wanna be sausage like chicken. Home fries and a taste of your sweet ass," he chuckled lewdly to himself.

I simply forced a smile and turned with his order jotted down, coffee pot in hand.

"Didn't you hear me little girl? I said I wanted a taste of your sweet ass," he said a bit louder and then slapped me on the ass really hard.

He grabbed it and squeezed. It hurt.

I froze mid step from, anger, shock. I didn't know what to do and it seemed as if time had slowed even though it was only a second or two. I started to turn around as he opened his mouth again.

"Did you hear me little g-" he started to ask again.

"I'm pretty sure she heard you, as did the rest of us. And we don't take kindly to people harassing one of ours around here," a cold voice said from behind me.

I turned to come face to face with Gerard who had just walked in the door with his friends, gripping the man's wrist in his fist, a severe look on his face, one that matched his tone of voice. He was being brave and sticking up for me, which I didn't know why and found highly foolish as when the trucker stood up he towered over Gerard.

"I don't think you can back your mouth up boy, as I assume that's mostly baby fat on your frame. So you might want to think before you act. You're no match for me," the lewd trucker said sternly as he tried staring Gerard down.

I gulped severely and felt myself pale and then turn a furious shade of red. Gerard wasn't letting go, if anything his grip tightened around the guys wrist and he stared him down. Well up as Gerard was shorter and smaller than the trucker. I wanted to close my eyes so as not to see the initial blood shed that was to come. Why did he have to stick up for me?

"But we are," I heard a voice say from behind me.

I opened my tightly closed eyes and turned around. Steve and Jerry, the guy who he had been sitting with, along with the rest of the male patrons had stood up from their seats and were now standing tall and menacing, staring the trucker down. Ernie had even come out from the back to glare threateningly from beside the counter, and Reta was pushing the sleeves up on her arms. They were sticking up for me!

"I suggest you pay for your coffee, leave a nice tip, and leave and don't come back to this side of Jersey ever again. Like I said, we don't take to kindly to people harassing one of ours," Gerard said flatly, his eyes were on fire.

He looked pissed, and slightly frightening regardless of size compared to the trucker.

The trucker's friend threw a twenty down onto the table and took a hold of his friend, peeling him out of Gerard's grasp and walked him out the door. The door slammed close behind him, the bell jarring harshly through the now dead silent diner.

"You alright Jay?" Frankie was the first to ask as he came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

It shocked me back to reality.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks Frankie. Thank you everyone," I said loud enough for everyone to hear, sounding slightly dazed still.

I glanced over at Gerard, he still looked pissed. And he wasn't looking at me, he was staring at something else menacingly. Thank god.

"I'm gonna go take a quick break for a few minutes Reta. Is that okay?" I asked, still dazed from everything.

"Yeah hun, we can handle the rest of breakfast without you. Go settle," she said kindly as she came up and gave me a hug.

"Thanks," I said against her chest.

I nodded thanks to those still standing and even those who had sat back down. Untying my apron I went to the back stairwell, climbed up six or so stairs and then sat down. I sat there staring for a bit just staring into space all shocked like. Then, then I burst out laughing. And I laughed hard. Guess it was how I dealt with shit, always had. As my laughter died so did my ability to handle everything with a smile and grace. Which is why I had come out back, so no one would see me. Sliding out a cigarette I lit it and took a drag, closing my eyes as I did so.
-xXx-
"Knock, knock," a voice not so angry sounding anymore said, breaking my silence.

I opened my eyes to see Gerard partially leaning on the door frame and into the small landing of the stairwell. I smiled at him.

"Come in," I said as I patted a spot on the stairs next to me.

Gerard walked in and sat on the aforementioned spot next to me, just a step down and sat quietly for a second. I got out another cigarette and handed it to him as I had seen him smoking them before.

"Thanks," he said as he took it and lit it with his own lighter.

"Welcome. And thank YOU. For that in there, I really appreciate it," I said as I ashed between my legs.

"It was no biggie. I had seen him grab your ass through the glass of the door and I snapped inside, I don't like seeing a lady treated like that. Especially one of our own," Gerard offered as a reply.

I was shocked.

"I'm not a lady Gerard, far from it. I don't know what I am, but lady I am not," I said with a small smile on my face.

"Yes you are, you have the grace and personality of a lady Jay. I, I. Sorry," Gerard finished lamely.

Hmm, he must have noticed the color staining my cheeks.

"Ah, no problem," I replied lamely.

This was awkward. Yet not. It felt reassuring for some reason to have him sitting next to me. Like we could take on the world. And to think I had only just barely met him, like just barely barely met him. No contact outside of breakfast everyday, even then half the time Reta waited on him and his friends. This all made me realize that I had no friends. That I had stayed to myself the entire time I had been in Jersey. I sat in our shared silence brooding over the fact that I knew no one, and if I was going to find myself I was going to need to have friends to help.

"What do you do after work?" Gerard asked randomly, breaking the silence and seemingly to have read my mind.

"Not much actually, I don't know anyone. I go to the public library a lot, and I'm always at the local art museum. Then other than that I walk around the city with my journal and my camera, I like to document life as it passes around me. But yeah, as you can see I don't do much. Like I said, I don't know anyone," I answered as I took another drag.

"Well you know us," Gerard added, his demeanor picking up a bit, making him sound like his regular self.

Glad the angry side of him had passed.

"Gerard, I know your guys' breakfast orders. Not you," I replied, giving him a look as I exhaled.

"True. So let's remedy that. What are you doing tomorrow after work?" Gerard asked as he ashed on the stair and then turned to look at me, resting his chin playfully on my raised knees.

"Uh, I have no idea?" I answered lamely, I really didn't.

Wow did I sound like a right loser.

"Well why don't you come hang out with all of us, we're not right bunches of wild and crazy adventures, but we know how to have a good time regardless of what we're doing," Gerard supplied happily, eyes lighting up as he asked.

His eyes really did reflect everything.

"Why not. Come by here after we close tomorrow?" I asked in response.

"Sounds like a plan," Gerard said quickly as he jumped up and tossed his spent cigarette butt into the can for it at the bottom of the steps.

I smiled at him as his hair danced in the air for a moment from the quick jerky movements and then as it landed softly around his round pale face.

"On that happy note, I'm off to eat breakfast and then, stuff. I'll see you tomorrow after eight," he said with a smile before popping back in the back door to the kitchen.

I smiled as I flicked my own spent cigarette butt into the tin from my sitting spot on the stairs.

"Got harassed at work. The entire population of Reta's stood up for me. Guess family runs thicker than blood here in Jersey. And guess I'm now family. Frankie's my height which is odd. Reta smells of cornbread muffins, cigarette smoke and soap. I'm going out with actual people tomorrow, let's pray for rain. The sixth step on the stairs creaks like in the movies and the wood is worn smooth from years of use. Jersey is still speaking to me, just now through it's people."

I closed my journal after making a mental note on some pictures I wanted to go with it and slipped it back into my apron and continued to gaze out the window on the door that led to the outside. Sighing I fiddled with my ironed blue and white checkered dress uniform, then smiled.
-xXx-
"Kay. Camera, check. Journal, check. Pen, check. Smokes and lighter, double check. Wallet, ch-yeah-ck. Sunglesses, fer sure. Bag is all good," I said out loud to no one.

It was after work the next day and Reta had let me get off early so I could change and get ready to go out with Gerard and the guys. She seemed all smiles and gushing about how I was growing up so fast. It made me chuckle, she was so matronly one moment while the next she was ready to roll up her sleeves and put something back in it's place. I adored her. She was part of the reason I never wanted to leave.

I had opted for comfortable clothes for the night, not really feeling the need to impress since the guys had only ever seen me in my work uniform. Which was far from stylish but fit with the old fashioned feel of the diner. And I was not about to complain. I had on a pair of loose fitting dark blue jeans that were rolled up about five or so inches from the ground and hung off my hips nicely. I pulled on a tight fitting racing back white tank top, followed by a tight fitting regular black one. Over those two I threw on a very loose and deep cut brown tank top, which was the reason for the two underneath. I slipped on some brown flip flops and grabbed my brown grey pin stripped, form fitted suit jacket for over. Next came my large dark blue scarf that I wrapped around my neck and twisted so it stayed in it's massive coils around my neck and draped over my shoulder. I picked up my shoulder length, thick red hair and twisted it into a bun and secured it with two pens.

I glanced around my apartment one last time and considered myself done. Grabbing my large, grey green and wheat colored, scoop, fabric, pouch bag I slung it over my shoulder and walked out my door, locking it behind me.

As I neared the bottom I paused to rummage my bag for a cigarette and stuck it behind my ear before going to enter the back of the kitchen. I slid the door open and walked into the diner that was empty of customers. Well empty except for the guys who were all sitting around chatting to Reta who looked to have given then a stern talking to.

"I didn't keep you waiting did I?" I asked as I approached them.

"Nope, we've only been here long enough for the scariest one sided conversation known to man kind," Frank squeaked out as he slid out of the booth and came to stand beside me.

Well stand behind me is more like it. Like I could stop Reta from doing anything.

"Alright then. You guys ready?" I asked.

"Yup. Let's blow this popsicle stand. We promise to return her in one piece Reta," Gerard said as he placed a kiss on Reta's cheek.

"We promise," he said as he went and opened the door for all of us.

I took my silver reflective aviator shades down of my head and slipped them onto my face as I smiled and waved goodbye to Reta. I knew it was eight o'clock but it was still light, and hey, I wear my sunglasses at night. Because I'm just cool like that.

Frank, as I found out his real name to be, skittered out the diner right beside me. Avoiding Reta's stern gaze.

"She freaks me out. Don't get me wrong, she's a great lady and all, one hell of a woman, but she still freaks me out from time to time. Like seriously, I thought she was going to eat me as a dessert with her coffee and use my bones to pick me out of her teeth," Frank piped up in a high small voice from beside me.

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

"Hey that's not nice. I'm not laughing at you," Frank pouted.

I calmed down a bit.

"But you have nothing to laugh at me about. If you did I would suggest you do, because I'll laugh at anything at the drop of a hat," I said between laughter bits.

"Yes I do. You dress funny," Frank pouted and crossed his arms.

"True, but so do you," I replied as I brought my cigarette from behind my ear and lit it.

"Uh, fine. You wear your sunglasses at night," Frank said with a proud grin on his face as he pointed at mine.

"Got me there. Laugh away Frankie, laugh away," I said jokingly as I took a drag.

And laugh he did. Till Bob smacked him upside the head to make him stop.

"So what we doing?" I asked as we continued to walk.

"Don't know really. Just hanging out, walking the city, taking to some of our favorite spots. Just not much of anything really. We have a down night so we're taking things as they come," Gerard supplied.

I smiled and looked over at him. I really wanted to photograph him before I lost my light and had to search for artificial.

"Down night?" I asked quizzically as I tore my shade covered eyes off of Gerard's bright ones.

"We're in a BAND!!" Frank said gleefully as he jumped up and down clapping his hands wildly.

"We try to not feed him sugar," Ray said as he put a heavy hand on Frank's shoulder to stop him from moving.

"No it's fine, I kinda like it. It's refreshing," I said as I smiled again.

"See she likes me, told you I wouldn't be the one to scare her off. That Bob will do just fine on his own," Frank said haughtily.

I rolled my eyes.

As did everyone else.

"So what's your band?" I asked as I took a drag, offering a cigarette out to anyone who wanted one.

Frank and Gerard were the only ones who accepted.

"We're called My Chemical Romance. We just put out our first album type thingy, and we play some fairly killer gigs. We're going to be doing Warped Tour soon," Frank said all in one breath and then exhaled the smoke he had been holding in his lungs the entire time.

"Crack is bad," I said amusingly as I shook my head.

"I know right?" Mikey said in the same playful manner.

Gerard simply just smiled and shook his head.

Notes

And so the friends all finally come together at last. . .