Diner Girl ~Jess Mariano~

Chapter 1

Third Person POV

Jess Mariano walks into a busy Luke's Diner behind his Uncle. Jess thinking that only his Uncle and maybe his cook worked here, he expected him to rush off to serve customers and ignore him the rest of the day. He did rush off. He did ignore him. However, something caught Jess' attention to make him stay and want himself to be introduced. That something happened to start having an argument with his Uncle Luke.

"Evan?! Why didn't you call him if we were this busy" Luke Danes the business owner asks while rushing to help with whatever he can.

"You only have one phone, Luke, and that's the one I would've called you on" the girl, Evan, says trying to reason with him that it was alright they were busy. Not taking note of the new comer, or so he thinks.

Jess just stands there and watches as this girl and his Uncle go back and forth in the argument. Desperate to see who breaks first.

"Payphone?"

"Both of them are across the street, Luke"

"You could've came and gotten me"

"Great idea Luke, I'll leave your Diner in Cezar's capable hands next time"

"Why didn't you just send Cezar to come and get me"

"Need a cook, Luke. I burn everything I touch. I was pretty sure you'd be more mad at me if I burnt your kitchen down"

"Fine, you win this one"

"Always do"

They bickered back and forth all the while serving customers, clearing tables, and counting money. Passing in front of Jess who still stood in front of the door way looking between the two.

"Evan, this is my nephew Jess. Jess, this is Evan, she's going to be the one training you" Luke says still bustling about with Evan, neither looking at him. Again, so he thinks.

Evangeline has looked at the boy standing in front of the doorway when he's not staring at her for the parts of the conversation she had with Luke. Evan, people watches. She's been doing it forever. No one really notices she's there unless she speaks. It's her normal.

"The famous Jess Mariano, I'd stop for you to do your whole edgy bit that you got goin' on but I'm a little busy right now so I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that one." Evan says her country accent coming out a little since she's a bit stressed at the moment.

"How do you know if I'm going for an edgy thing if you can't even spare me a glance" he asks, genuinely curious.

Luke freezes, that's the most number of words he's spoke in a row since being here. And all Luke had to do was put him in front of a girl.

"Trust me Jess, I've spared you a glance you just don't notice." Evan says with a sigh already exhausted from today and it's only 11:30.

"How am I trying to be edgy" Jess asks still not convinced she's even looked at him. Which somehow, Evan picks up on and turns her back to him just to prove a point.

"Duffel Bag instead of suitcase, playboy hair, one hand in front pants pocket thumb sticking out, book back pocket, and last but certainly not least, you smell like smoke. Am I close?

"What book?" Jess questions, wanting to know if she really paid attention to that much detail or if she just caught a quick glimpse and luck was on her side.

"Princess Bride" Evan answers immediately, turning around and going in the other direction to go to the opposite side of the dining room.

"Shouldn't you be in school right now? It's the middle of the day and yet your here, what are you 17?" Jess says trying to figure out anything he can from the girl.

"I graduated a year early. Took all the right classes, made all the right grades, I work here full time. Most of the time it's as busy as it is now." Evan says clearing plates from a table and moving behind the counter for something.

"Want some help?" Jess asks, genuinely wanting to give the girl a break.

"Not from you, not until your trained at least" she says reaching for a rag behind her.

"Ok then, who trains me" he says as he eyes her.

"I do", Evan states, finally looking the brown eyed boy in the eyes with her light blue ones.

"What time's your lunch break?" he asks, not being able to take his eyes off hers. As if they're pulling him in.

"12:30" she states, as if people asked her that question on a regular basis.

"I'll hopefully see you for lunch. It was a pleasure meeting you, Evan" he says.

"I'm sure it was" she says watching him as he begins to walk up and into the shared apartment between the three of them.

Luke just stares back and forth between where Evan is standing and the curtain Jess went through, "How did you do that", he asks.

"Do what?" she retorts, as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Which, to her, nothing did. To her, she just had a conversation with a guy, like most people do.

"You just had a full blown conversation with my nephew", Luke stares, dumb founded.

"That I did", Evan says, "if you'd prefer me not to talk to him then I can try my best although I'm thinking that'll be pretty hard considering I'm training him and I live with him. You know normal things between co-workers"

Hearing the door open and close the pair looks at each other before Luke's eyes widen in realization, "Oh my god, I forgot to tell him"

"You forgot to tell him I'm living up there too, didn't you?" Evan questions, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Yea" was all he said in response.

"Uh hey Luke, I'm not really sure what you were expecting when I came here but I'm pretty sure that those girl clothes aren't gonna fit me" he says while pointing a thumb to the stairs,

Before Luke can open his mouth, his female employee speaks, "Well of course they aren't going to fit you, considering they're mine. Also, please don't attempt to try them on. Your a lot bigger than I am and I don't need you stretching them out." she says with a sly smile and a head tilt.

"You're the other bed" he retorts, sounding more like a statement the a question.

"That I am" she smiles

"You Luke's daughter..." he trails off, his smiles drops slightly and he looks a little disappointed. All she can do is laugh and try to speak between giggles.

"God no...I just live here...you...you think that I'm related...related to that...oh I can't breathe" she manages to get out. Hurting her side in the process of her giggling.

"See. That's what you get for making fun of me. You get a cramp in your side" Luke chimes in with a smile on his face, knowing that the girl didn't mean what she said.

"Oh my god totally worth it. Totally worth it." she giggles again.

"Good to know" Jess murmurs to himself and no one in particular. The other two both heard him but chose to ignore. Too engrossed at 'arguing' with each other to respond.

The day went on as it normally would any other day. Jess notices something that is most likely not healthy for the girl that seems easy to talk to. He didn't like it one bit.