Friday, June 30th...
*First Draft*

"Don't forget the two extra sides of fries!" I call out to Ramon as he walks back into the kitchen. I lean back against the counter with a tired sigh, my eyes sweeping over the room.

It's currently 1:34 P.M. The lunch rush has just finished, leaving only a few customers and everyone tired and mildly flustered. Being called on left and right for an hour tends to do that to people.

I use a towel to wipe my hands off, absentmindedly glancing over at the entrance as I purse my lips.

I wonder when they'll be here?

Today is indeed Friday, June 30th. The day our friends, our bff's, are supposed to resurface, so to speak. You could say I'm a little anxious. I mean, I haven't seen them in over ten years. What if they don't like me anymore?

I'm not dumb. It's obviously going to be a little awkward with all things considering. But I'm confident we can push through it and pick up where we left off.

Minus the whole six year-old play of course.

Mom had said they'd be here around lunch time, yet so far they're a no show. You could say my attention has snapped over to the entrance every time I so much as hear a footstep.

I adjust a few bobby-pins that are currently working on slipping free from my hair, curse them, blowing a particular, longer, strand away from my face. I almost choke on air as a woman unexpectedly walks through the closed doors.

I take in her roughly five-foot-seven height, petite build with curves that'd make any woman jealous, her lightly freckled tan face, and large brown doe-like eyes that seem to pop off her face.

It's-

"Nadine!" Mom abruptly yells from my right as she pops out of the kitchen, causing said person to swing her head over in that direction, her wavy auburn hair moving with the sudden jerk. "Caitlyn!" Nadine returns, a large smile igniting across her face that causes her pearly white teeth to shine.

I always wondered why she chose professional cooking when she could obviously be a successful model. I mean, she's in her late thirties and still looks this good!

They embrace halfway between the entrance and the counter, each speaking so fast I literally have no idea what they're saying, eyes sparkling with joy, and yes, possibly tears.

Now I sound sappy.

I hesitantly push myself off from the counter, glancing over at Cathy who's watching the reunion with a half smile on her face as she works to clean a booth off. She nods to me, signaling she'll take my lanes, motioning with her chin for me to go over.

They continue to speak in rushed, quick spurts, looking each other over and complementing on how good they each still look.

Geez.

I lightly shake my head in amusement, walking forward. I peer around Nadine as I spot movement from behind her, and that's when I realize she's not by herself.

Nadine gently pulls a smaller figure forward from behind her, a proud glint in her eye. A ten year-old girl with a giant smile on her face moves to stand in front of Nadine, looking up at Mom with large, light blue eyes that compliment her ridiculously freckled face and cropped bangs right above her eyebrows.

One word for her: adorable.

"Cat, this is Paige." Nadine introduces, using her famous nickname she's apparently used since kindergarten. "Paige, this is my friend I was telling you about, Caitlyn." She looks between the two, setting a hand on Paige's head before running her fingers through her mid-back brown hair.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Paige." Mom gushes, kneeling down to wrap the short girl up in a warm hug. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Knight." Paige says, her face lighting up even more.

Mom laughs, standing back up. "Just call me Caitlyn, darling." She keeps her eyes on Paige. "Or better yet, Cat." She winks. "It's more fun to say." Nadine and Mom chuckle together as if it's some inside joke, which it probably is, looking down at a confused Paige.

Nadine's eyes suddenly move to me as I stop a few feet away.

"No way." She walks forward, blinking a few times as she stares at me. "This beautiful young lady can't be little Nicki?" Her large eyes stop on my face, examining it. I smile. "Well, that's me." I do a mock curtsy, letting a laugh out.

I'm suddenly enveloped in a warm hug as Nadine wraps her arms around me, my head resting against her collarbone. I wrap my own arms around her, just now realizing I missed her more than I originally thought. She pulls away, quickly brushing a few loose tears away before she holds me out at arms length.

"I do say, these years have done wonders to you, Nicki." She looks me over again, and I feel my cheeks heat up. "I'd have to say the same to you too." I reply, feeling another laugh in the back of my throat.

Nadine smiles, though it looks sad almost. "I have to say, all this is hard on the soul." She laughs weakly, fanning her face as she pulls away from me, another tear leaking free. Mom gives her a sympathetic look I can't completely decipher, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Nadine's eyes suddenly light up like she's just remembered something. "Oh," she turns around, and Mom and I look over to where she's staring at. I suddenly spot another figure standing in the darkest corner of the waiting room, and I can't conceal my surprise once he's out in the full light.

Nadine walks the ten or so feet away towards the figure, then she gently grabs him by his arm before pulling him out into the light. I hear her mutter something under her breath to him as they walk towards us, and he retaliates by rolling his eyes.

There, being begrudgingly pulled over to us, and who appears completely indifferent towards the whole ordeal, is Drew, one of the two siblings I used to hang out with 24/7.

I stare in shock at the person I used to consider as one of my best friends, hardly believing the transformation he's undergone since I last saw him almost eleven years ago.

Drew is a year younger then me, and three years younger than Edward, his brother. He was always the nagging younger child that always wanted to hang with the older kids when they sorta, I can't lie, didn't want him around at the moment.

Come on, we all know younger kids mess everything up. We've all been there.

Growing up we used to call him Chubs because he was ridiculously fat for a four foot six year-old. It was a cute fat, pudgy kinda look he had going on. Rolls, double chin, and layers of skin over his feet when they should've been at least half that size.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we teased him...a lot. Be he knew we were only having fun. We were seven and nine, sue us, we didn't know any better. 

But this kid standing before me looks....different.

Drew's dark chocolate brown hair he had when he was younger now appears to be pitch black, and his face and nose are bare of any freckles he used to possess. His skin, that used to be a creamy white, now has a deep tan to it like he spends most of his time out in the sun. His face looks older, of course, and a little more worn and mature, yet I can still make out some of his old self there. His short stature, which was shorter than mine, now looks as if it's shot up in the possible six foot zone. And, what has me really mind boggled, is the fact he now appears to be stick thin.

He's currently wearing a black Zed Zeppelin short sleeve T-shirt that seems to hang off his skinny frame, a abundant of mismatched bracelets around each wrist, dark skinny jeans, a pair of black and white converses, and a The North Face grey wool beanie on his head despite it being summer.

Wow....it's like a complete one-eighty.

Nadine stops so they're standing in front of Mom and I, releasing her hold on Drew's arm before she begins to fiddle with a strap on her purse. "You all remember Drew, right?"

Drew stuffs his hands down in his pockets, keeping his head tilted slightly down as his dark green eyes stay focused on the floor between us.

"Hello," he mutters, not even sparing us a glance as he just continues to stand there with a aloof, and slightly bored posture and facial expression. His voice is deeper, no signs of his adolescent self left there.

My eyes trail down the earbuds he currently has stuck up in his ears, landing down on his Zed Zeppelin T-shirt with the angel on it.

Ah, at least we still have something in common.

Mom moves forward after five seconds of silence, quickly embracing a reluctant Drew up in a hug around his torso seeing as she's shorter than him by a few inches. I notice Drew's face tighten in discomfort. I immediately glance over at Nadine, who has a hint of worry in her eyes.

Paige watches the interaction with interest, looking between her brother and my mom with big eyes.

"So good to see you again, Drew." Mom says as she draws back, and somehow I get the feeling her words have a deeper meaning than they seem. Drew stays silent, keeping his eyes down and away from everyone.

"Well," mom breaks the obvious tension that's growing in the room, clapping her hands together. "I'll show you around Nadine. Drew and Saige can study at the counter while Nicki keeps an eye on them." Mom announces, and Nadine nods in agreement while Drew looks like he could care less. Saige smiles up at me, and I smile back.

"Hey, Saige." I greet, and she moves so she's standing in front of me while the adults make their way towards the kitchen. But not before Nadine pulls Drew away, mumbling a few words to him before she goes.

"I'm Nicki. Cat's daughter." I reach out, and we shake hands. Saige giggles, obviously finding it funny. "Nice to meet you." She says, pulling her hand away.

This ten year-old sure does have some manners.

"Come on, I'll walk you over to the counter." I jerk my head to the right, and she nods in agreement. She walks back to the waiting room, picking up a bright pink, Hello Kitty backpack. She walks back towards me, stopping next to Drew, who's now standing awkwardly next to the wall with his head still down.

"Come on, Drew. Nicki's showing us where to sit." She tugs on his arm that's still tucked into his jean's pockets, causing his arm to jerk oddly. She walks back over to me, a slight skip in her step.

Drew slowly walks back over to the waiting room, picking up a black backpack himself before he practically drags his feet back towards us, his face one of complete stolidness.

I walk them over to the far side of the semi-circle of bar stools, patting one of the red cushion tops before I step back. Saige happily seats herself on one, using her feet to twirl it around.

Drew sits himself down next to her, plopping his bag down on the stool next to him. He keeps his hands tucked in his pockets, his posture in a slight slouch despite the tense appearance his shoulders have.

Strange. I could almost swear that....

I shake my head, moving so I stand behind the counter facing them. "Can I get you guys something to drink?" I question, holding a thick plastic cup up in front of me. Saige breaks out in another trademark smile, her eyes sparkling. "Could I have Pepsi?! Mom doesn't usually allow us to have soda, but she said we could today." She beams, showing off her teeth that have a few missing.

I nod, looking over at Drew with a raised eyebrow. His eyes flint up to me quickly before falling back down on the countertop. "Water." He finally says, the one word sounding forced.

I fix the drinks up, sliding them over to their correct owner before I lean forward on my elbows. Sadie happily places a straw in hers, holding the cup with both hands as she sips on it. Drew doesn't touch his. Instead he takes both hands out of his pockets, moving to dig around in his bag.

Tapping the countertop, I grind my teeth together. Should I try to strike up a conversation? Ask him how it's been? I bite my lip, tapping my right foot against the ground.

But that sounds so lame.

"Soooo....." I trail off, and my eyes fall back on his shirt. "Zed Zeppelin, huh?" I inquire, and he surprisingly looks up at me. Feeling encouraged, I continue on. "I'm quite the fan too."

I could almost slap myself at how stupid that must've sounded. Why is my brain deciding to leave me now of all times?!

I catch sight of Saige sipping contently on her soda as she sketches on a large notepad she's pulled out of her backpack, seeming to be completely uninterested in this one sided conversation.

Drew's eyes fall back down to the counter. "That's real nice, Nicki." He unexpectedly replies with, and I get the feeling he's almost mocking me with the way his voice sounded and the evil glint on his face. Is he teasing me?

Though that thought doesn't make the smile leave my lips. "So you remember me then?!" I question, referring to the fact he just said my name. All the teasing drains from his face at my words, and he quickly avoids my eyes.

"Um....no. I actually don't." He admits, immediately making me wilt. "Sorry." He apologizes, not really sounding like he means it as his shoulders move in a slight shrug.

"Well that just ruins everything." I mutter, internally cursing. Sure it's been ten, okay, maybe eleven, years since we last saw each other. I remember a lot, albeit he is a year young and I have a astounding memory, not to brag or anything, but come one!

He doesn't remember anything about me!? That's hurtful, real hurtful.

Drew once again glances up at me as he pulls a large math book out, and I spot a small light of humor deep inside his green eyes.

I scrunch my nose up at the sight of the math book he places on the countertop, and I vaguely wonder why he's studying at the beginning of summer break.

Eh, whatever.

My attention snaps over to Cathy, who's currently trying to help a woman with a baby and carry a tray of used plates and cups. I grimace as I mentally witness a bad spill happening, standing up straight. "Excuse me." I chuckle dryly. "Looks like work is calling me." I move around the counter, patting Saige on her head as I pass her.

I find myself too busy to 'visit' with Drew and Saige for the next couple of hours, the usual diner rush starting up somewhere around four P.M.

People eat early out here, okay?

I walk towards the counter, exhaustion weighing me down. A amused smile lights up my face as I look over Drew and Saige. Saige is currently playing what looks to be a Nintendo 3DS while absentmindedly sucking a red lollipop, her third refill of soda sitting next to her.

This girl is going to have a sugar-rush like nobodies business in the next couple of hours.

Drew, I've noticed from peaking at them every time I came into view, had been studying the whole time they've been here, his earphones not once leaving his ears as he seems to practically ignore the outside world completely. Now he's slouched over in his seat, his upper body draped over the counter as his beanie covered head rests on his folded arms, slightly buried beneath them.

Moving behind the counter, I'm surprised to see he appears to be asleep. I can just make out the faint sound of music blasting from his earphones this close to him, making me believe he must've turned the volume up since I couldn't hear it earlier.

Geez, this boy is going to be deaf before he's thirty if he keeps this up.

I get the urge to follow his earphone's cord to the main source of the problem, my hands practically twitching. Saige must've put two and two together by how hard I find I'm glaring at his ears while I furiously dry a cup.

"He likes his music loud." Saige abruptly says, looking up from her gaming device. Shucks, I wish I had one of those when I was growing up. Would've saved me from a lot of boredom.

I move my gaze from Drew, to her. "I've noticed." I slowly say, grabbing another wet cup to replace the now dry one. Saige gives her brother a weary side glance. "Mom keeps telling him to keep it down. But he doesn't listen." She shakes her head, resuming her game as she leans back against the wall.

I peer over the countertop at Drew. His hands twitch in his sleep, and he unconsciously burrows his face deeper into his arms. I almost feel like cooing at how cute he looks.

Pull it together there Nicki.

"Well," I gave Saige a pointed look. "Males are all stubborn." I deadpan, cracking a smile. She returns it, yet it doesn't completely reach her eyes. "Yeah, I suppose so." She agrees, absentmindedly biting her lip as her eyes once again land on the sleeping form of her brother. A troubled look appears in her light blue eyes, causing me to do a double-take.

What's going on here?

I look over my right shoulder as the door to the kitchen abruptly opens, Nadine appearing in the doorway. She smiles at Saige, the first thing her eyes land on. "Hey Sagey. Ready to go? We have that appointment we can't miss."

Saige nods, closing her blue DS as she packs her bag back up. Nadine's gaze then falls on Drew, who's still sound asleep and doesn't appear to be waking anytime soon, her brows furrowing together in motherly concern.

I look discreetly between the two as I dry another dish, and Nadine moves around the counter so she stands on their side. She stops once she's next to Drew, placing both hands on his shoulders before gently shaking him.

He almost instantly jerks awake with a quick inhale, his eyes snapping open with a keen alertness.

"It's just me." Nadine quietly assures him, pulling him closer so he's laying his head against her stomach. She runs her right hand over his back, and the wide-eyed, almost fearful, look in his eyes slowly disappears. The tension in his body drains away, and he continues to let her cuddle him a few seconds longer before he pulls away.

He takes in the diner, his gaze lingering on me a few seconds longer. Nadine grabs one of his books he was using as a pillow, stuffing it down in his backpack. Drew quickly packs the other few items, zipping the bag up like none of that just happened.

"It's time to go." Nadine tells him, taking a step back as she gestured for Saige to come on. Drew nods, standing up from his seat before he slings his backpack over his right shoulder, his movements slightly jerky like he's not in complete control of them yet after sleeping for however long that was.

Saige hops down from her seat, pulling both arms through the straps before she walks the few feet over to join her family. Nadine looks at me. "It was good to see you again, Nicki. We'll see you tomorrow." She smiles, giving me a wave before she turns towards the exit.

Saige waves at me also, and I mumble a "goodbye" before they're out of hearing range. Drew doesn't even spare me a glance as they leave the diner, causing a hollow pit in my chest to appear.

I guess a lot can change in eleven years.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A/N

Hey y'all! Please vote and comment to tell me what you think! I appreciate any feedback as long as it's not completely rude!

Next update shall be tomorrow!

Maggy