Always Yours

I could feel him staring. I wanted to look up, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I was still annoyed with him.

“Aubrey?”.

“Yeah?”.

“Are you going to eat your breakfast or continue to move it around on your plate?”.

“Sorry”. I blinked.

I felt on edge. I was afraid in case he came over. My mom had no shame and would drag me from the diner if she thought I so much as held a conversation with him.

Boys like Franko were no good for her little girl.

“Are you okay?”.

“Yeah, fine”. I continued to eat my breakfast and try my hardest not to look for him.

“I’m glad we got to spend some time together. We need to do it more often”.

“Yeah, we do”. I smiled.

We used to spend so much time together as a family but as I got older that all disappeared. They worked round the clock with not much time for anything else. I hated how distant we had really become.

She was my mom; we were meant to be closer than what we are right? I was meant to be able to tell her anything and yet I felt I couldn’t. It wasn’t easy opening up to her.

I didn’t finish my breakfast; I had lost my appetite. Pushing my plate to the side I picked up my mug of coffee. It didn’t help that I could hear Franko talking with Tommy and Brian.

His stupid laugh.

His dirty mouth.

Something about a blonde girl he was with last night.

I clenched my hand around the mug as I grit my teeth. I don’t know why I was surprised. This was Franko, this was how he was. I had to stop letting everything that concerned him get under my skin.

We weren’t together.

“Ready to go sweetie?”. My mom asked as she placed some tip money on the table.

“I’ll meet you by the car. I have to pee”.

“Okay”.

I don’t know why the thought of him with another girl bothered me. This is what he does. Picks a different girl every day. Why did I think I was any different? I guess I had a slither of hope that maybe just maybe I was seeing the real Franko.

The caring, sweet guy that was hidden beneath the leather.

I was wrong. Opening the stall door my heart jumped in my chest. Franko was blocking the exit. What was it with guys coming into the girl’s bathroom?

“You shouldn’t be in here”. I spoke.

“You working today?”. He asked.

Drying off my hands I nodded. “Can you please move my mom’s waiting”.

“Can we talk?”.

We had nothing to talk about and it was probably best we didn’t. We couldn’t be involved whether that be in friendship or a relationship. I was crazy to even think that we could. That little what if in my head gone, my walls back up where they belong.

I straightened my shoulders my decision final.

Franko Mendez was nothing more than a what if in the back of my mind. I just had to be sure I kept him there.

“No now please move”.

“You really still pissed over last night?”.

“Please move so I can leave”.

“Babe-…”.

“We’re not friends Franko, we will never be friends now please move out the way so I can leave”.

I hated the look in his eyes. The hurt that flashed before me, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“You really are a fucking bitch”.

“Yeah”. I grit my teeth. “Well maybe now you’ll leave me the fuck alone”.

He left before I did and as soon as he was gone the tears welled in my eyes. I didn’t want it to be this way. I liked him, I liked being around him. He let me see the real Franko.

But we could never be because my parents would never allow it.

I hated him and yet I seemed to be falling pretty hard for him.

..

I spent the rest of the morning in my room. Tidying away my clothes and making room for my new ones. My mom kept checking in with me because she had convinced herself that something was wrong.

Yet she didn’t push for me to tell her. Not that I could tell her why I was feeling so shitty anyway. Closing the doors to my closet I sat on my bed staring out the window.

I would have to leave for work soon and I was not looking forward to it. No doubt he would turn up tonight and bring the whole cavalry with him. We all know how much I dislike his friends.

Sighing I ran a hand through my hair. I had to keep my focus on my own car. It was the only thing keeping me from quitting and looking for something else.

“Aubrey?”. My mom knocked before coming in. “Made you some hot coco”.

I would have preferred coffee, but I took it anyway.

“Thank you”.

“What time do you finish tonight?”.

“Eight why?”.

“Dad will pick you up on his way home from work, but it might be a little later than eight. Is that okay?”.

“Yeah, fine. I’m going to shower and get changed”.

“You would tell me if something was bothering you, wouldn’t you?”.

“I’m fine mom just a little tired now can I go shower?”.

“You’re not in any trouble, are you?”.

“Mom”. I sighed.

“Okay, okay”. She held up her hands. “You go shower and I’ll fix you some lunch”.

I took longer than expected in the shower and didn’t have much time to spare before I had to leave. I was drying out my hair when my bedroom door swung open.

Alice threw herself onto my bed. “Your mom let me in”.

“Are you okay?”.

“I’ve been better”. She sighed. “Are you going somewhere?”.

“I have a shift at the diner. Do I look okay?”. I opted for my black dress pants and a navy blouse. I was still waiting to be issued with a uniform. Although I wasn’t sure how I felt about wearing short shorts.

“You’re still working there?”.

“I’ve only done one shift, but I like it. What’s been going on with you?”.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

“Tommy and I broke up”.

“I know”.

“You do?”. She sat up. “Has he been talking about me? Did Franko tell you he has?”.

I made a face. “I saw him with another girl, so I put two and two together. You deserve better anyway”.

“I don’t want anyone else”. She groaned. “I can’t stop thinking about him”.

I rolled my eyes. They would never work because Tommy didn’t want anything serious, and she knew this. But who was I to rain on her parade. She was going to see him regardless of what I said.

“I have to go soon”.

“Are you seeing Franko tonight?”.

“Shh”. I frowned rushing to close my door. “And no, I won’t be seeing Franko again”.

“Why?”.

“Because we’re not friends Alice and it’s best I stay away from him”. I grabbed my jacket putting it on. “Now I really have to go”.

“Did you guys have a fight or something?”.

“Yeah something”.

“I can give you a lift to save your mom dropping you off?”. She offered.

“Hoping to see Tommy at the diner?”.

She grinned giving me a wink. “I’m addicted I can’t help it”.

“Aubrey”. My mom called from the bottom of the stairs. “You’re going to be late”.

“Come on”. I said to Alice.

My mom packed the lunch she made to take with me. I told her I would get something there, but she insisted I take it. Shoving it in my backpack I followed Alice outside to her car.

“So, what happened with you and Franko?”.

“Nothing”.

“So, why aren’t you seeing him tonight then?”.

“Because we’re not together”.

“But I thought-…”.

“I think we had a fight”.

“You think?”.

“He’s an asshole and it’s best I stay away from him”.

“You like him”.

“What?”.

“You like him”. She grinned.

“I do not”. I huffed.

“You do”.

I did but I wasn’t ready to share that with anyone else. I liked him but could do nothing about it.

As she pulled into the carpark of the diner, she cut the engine.

“I’ll be back later for a burger. If he drops by, can you ask him to wait for me?”.

I was in two minds on whether to tell her about seeing Tommy earlier, but I couldn’t keep it from her anymore. I was looking out for her, trying to save her from getting her but he obviously made her happy.

“I saw him earlier he wants to talk”.

“He does?”. She grinned.

“Yeah, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner”.

“Why didn’t you?”.

“Because you’re my best friend and I hate seeing you get hurt”.

“Makes sense but I like him, Aubrey. I can’t stop thinking about him”.

She needed a knock to the head because Tommy wasn’t the guy that was going to give her the happy ending. He was a bit like Franko when it came to girls maybe even worse, but I would be here when it all crumbled or when she finally came to her senses and dumped his ass for good.

I had fifteen minutes to spare before my shift started so I poured myself some coffee and sat at the breakfast counter. It wasnt busy yet but I expected it to pick up.

“Hey honey”. Jen grinned as she stepped behind the counter. “Your uniform is through the back remember and take it before you leave tonight”.

“I will”. I smiled. “How’s it been today?”.

“You’ve just missed the lunch time rush. It’ll probably pick up again in the next hour. You nervous?”.

I shook my head. I wasn’t nervous about the place being busy. Busy meant the shift would go in faster. I was slightly on edge in case Franko appeared and knowing my luck he probably would.

“Finish your coffee and then I’ll show you what section you’ll be taken care of. Sound good?”.

“Yeah”.

“So, how are you and Franko getting on?”. She asked.

“We’re not because we’re not a thing”. I frowned.

“Did you have a fight?”.

“We’re not a thing”. I was starting to get annoyed with people assuming we were together. We were nothing and we will never be anything. Franko was no good for me.

My feelings didn’t matter. I had to get him out of my head and out of my life.

“Can you show me my section please?”.

“Tables 6 through 12 and I didn’t mean to upset you. Franko seems to have taken a liken to you that’s all”.

“No, I’m sorry”. I sighed. “It’s just”. I don’t know why but I felt I could open up to Jen, I felt I could trust her. “I like him, and I think I’m falling for him but my parents”. I paused. “You know what never mind”.

I went to my section to clean some tables.

I had to keep reminding myself that no matter what I could never be with someone like Franko Mendez.