Chapter 4

Grayson Carter

"Why are we going to this diner again?" I asked as my new acquaintance, Clark and I walked along the sidewalk in the deteriorating neighborhood. This was the kid of one of my father's colleagues and my dad thought it would be a great idea to have a friend before I started school here. So here I was, hands stuffed in my jeans and walking to who knows where with someone I didn't even know. I spared a quick glance at Clark, waiting for him to answer my question.

His lips thinned and he shrugged. "This place has good coffee." I didn't buy it but it wasn't any of my business, so I shrugged. "Okay."

I took a look around at the shadows that lurked around every shabby house and every broken window and I realized that this part of town really was shitty. We rounded a corner and the bright sign on top of the diner immediately caught my attention. My steps faltered as I recognized that this was the same diner as last night and I internally cursed. If I had known I wouldn't have come.

Clark turned his head sideways and raised a skeptical eyebrow at me and I forced myself to fall back into step next to him. We entered the diner and the small bell above the door indicated upon our arrival. Clark smirked at me as a short girl rushed out of the kitchen and directed us to our seats, but the minute her eyes landed on him, her polite smile immediately dropped.

"Clark," she said. Her voice was strained but fuck me, she was hot. Her eyes were blue, more blue than the bluest ocean if that were possible and probably just as deep. I knew those eyes. I thought. She was petite, her figure small and her hair wasn't too dark or too light. It was just the perfect shade of brown for her. This wasn't the girl from last night, was it? It couldn't be. Surely she would've recognized me by now if it was. Satisfied that it wasn't her, my gaze slowly traveled from her face to her legs and my fingertips itched to skim the smooth-

"And Grayson here..." My head immediately snapped to the menu before me and my brows furrowed. I didn't need to get caught staring, now did I?. "I'll just take a water," I mumbled, still a bit dazed and the only thing I could think of was, I don't even like water.

Shaking my head slightly I looked as she walked away. She didn't really have a sway to her hips like most girls did but walked a bit stiff, seemingly unsure of her self. "You know her?" I asked Clark, shifting my gaze back to his. He shrugged, a glazed look fleeting over his eyes.

"Yeah, and old friend of mine. Didn't part on too good terms." He lifted his shoulder in indifference.

"How so?" Curiosity urged me to lean forward in my seat.

"It doesn't matter. Just try to stay clear for your own sake. You wouldn't be able to handle her."

My eyebrows rose a a tiny fraction. Was that a warning or a challenge? I wondered.

Trying to lighten the mood I relaxed and shifted to a more comfortable position, smiling slightly. "Is she the good coffee we came here for?"

His eyes danced with amusement. "Yeah, actually. It was her birthday yesterday and I didn't get the chance to congratulate her on another year," he said and this confused me. "Another year? What does that mean?" Clark shot me a puzzled look before he gave a slight wince. It was barely noticeable but it was there.

"Just another year of aging, you know being 18 and all," a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "It's not something everyone gets to have in this fucked up town."

And that's the last thing he said before our drinks arrived.

The rest of the night we sat at our booth keeping small talk alive among the two of us and before I knew it, Clark cocked his head to the side before he stood, signaling that he wanted to go. I shuffled out of my seat, walking to the front counter of the diner, where I assumed you had to pay. The diner was empty now, except for a blonde girl that sat alone at one of the tables, her fingers tapping fiercely on the screen before her.

The girl Clark wanted to talk to sat behind the counter with a paper clutched inside her small fist. Her face looked pale as she read what was printed on the paper and I momentarily wondered what it possibly could have been, but as our feet scuffed against the tiled surface, she hastily put it in a drawer before she stood. All her previous emotions were wiped from her face and all her features hardened at the sight of Clark and I; or rather Clark. It seemed that she didn't even realize that I stood right beside him.

"Hey, Clare Bear. I just wanted to say happy belated birthday because I didn't catch you yesterday. Just one more year to go," He singed as he rested the underside of his forearms on the counter and smiled at the girl, crossing his feet as he shifted all of his weight onto his arms.

The girl's lips pursed as she looked at him. She would've appeared indifferent if it weren't for the tiny creases that formed between her eyebrows. She was definitely worried about something and I wanted to know what it was. She quickly shifted her gaze to the side before meeting Clark's stare head on. "Thanks, I definitely needed that," she said. Her voice was cold and full of sarcasm as she opened the cash register. "That'll be $10,34." She held out her hand, raised a disinterested brow and before I knew it I handed her a 20. I looked at Clark and shrugged. "It's on me. I'll get you outside, just let me get my change," I said and Clark grinned, slapping my shoulder. "Thanks man." He walked away while both the girl and I watched. You wouldn't be able to handle her. Yeah, I absolutely took it as a challenge.

The girl turned her attention to the cash register once more before handing me my change. Our fingers brushed lightly and I was surprised at how soft her skin was even thought I knew I shouldn't have been. "You guys look like great friends," I tell her. I didn't know why, but she intrigued me. I could already tell she was a fucking mystery and I wanted to solve it. She rolled her eyes as she sighed. "I wouldn't use 'great' and 'friend' in the same sentence as Clark," she said and I flattened my palm against the counter, the money resting comfortably between my hand and the wooden surface. I pushed it towards her. "You can keep the change by the way," I said, hoping she would at least pretend to want to talk to me because I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to know what Clark meant by another year and why he seemed so edgy around her.

A small sigh escaped her lips and she mumbled something incoherently before pushing the money back towards me. "Yeah, thanks but no thanks," she said, "I don't need it." Her eyes drifted to the side once more, and the blonde girl that was sitting alone earlier slid past the brunette and sat on the chair behind the counter, reaching her hand out between us.

"I'm Dawn." I took her hand and gave it a soft but firm shake. She was pretty forward and I was slightly shocked. Girls usually weren't.

"Grayson."

I released Dawn's hand and she smiled. She was pretty but definitely not my type.

"And my ill-mannered best friend here," She elbowed the waitress gently in the side. "Is Clara."

Clara smiled slightly and rolled her eyes. She really was beautiful though.

I slid the money to the edge of the counter, closer to where she stood and locked eyes with her. "Well, I don't want the change, Clara." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took the flimsy papers and the few copper coins, finally putting it in the register. "Thanks." She mumbled but the sarcastic tone wasn't there. She actually sounded sincere. You're welcome, I wanted to say but a tight lipped smile was the only result.

Suddenly, Dawn stood and clasped her hands together barely containing a very obvious grin. She was most positively up to something and she had my attention. My gaze tracked to Clara but her eyes were on Dawn as it slightly widened.

"Now that formalities are out of the way. Clara here turned 18 yesterday-"

"So I've heard." My eyes shifted back to Dawn's and her smile was fully out now, her eyes bright. Where exactly was she going with this?

"And she was wondering if you wanted to go on a date?"

"No!" Clara cleared her throat, trying to act nonchalant, speaking in a low voice. "No. I wasn't." She looked flustered with the rosy color that danced along her cheeks. She was blushing and my dark brows furrowed as I pursed my lips.

This conversation took a confusing turn. "A date?" I asked confounded.

Dawn leaned slightly across the counter, leaning onto her elbows. Her hand moved toward the side of her mouth as if she was about to tell me a secret and she spoke in a low voice. Almost a whisper and my ears strained to hear what she was saying. "I gave her tickets for her birthday and we made a deal that she should make use of those tickets with the company of a boy and well... You are a boy. A fine one at that. It's dated a day less than a month from now."

A teasing smile played at her lips and she fleetingly looked at Clara over her shoulder. Clara looked just unnerved and an idea formed. My lips twitched slightly, forming into a lazy grin. "Sure, I'll take Clara on a date," My eyes locked with her stormy oceans and I shrugged. "Anything for Clark's friend." I turned on my heel and walked out, ready for this night to end.