Invisible

Shouldn't Summer be Fun?

"Shouldn't summer be fun, or did I make that up?"  Anna asks me.

"I'm pretty sure you just made that up," I said as I refilled the guy sitting at the counters coffee.

"That's what I was thinking, because slaving away for minimum wage isn't as fun as I thought it would be," she sighed.

Once school ended, me and my mom moved in with Phil.  My mom quit her job, and I took her place as a waitress at Pete's.  I needed to start saving for college, and now that Phil gave me his old car, gas money as well.  Not that I'm complaining, I really love the car.  

Anna has been working here since she was a sophomore in high school.  She is now going into her sophomore year of college.  

Despite our differences, me and Anna got along surprisingly well.  We disagreed on practically everything, including music (she loves heavy metal, I can't stand it), and movies (her obsession with horror movies worried me, I'm more of a romantic comedy girl myself).  Our personalities were polar opposites as well. She was loud, pessimistic, and brutally honest with everyone- even complete strangers.  She was never scared to tell a customer how disgusting their eating habit were, or how horrible their shirt looked on them.  

But, she was my friend, my best friend.  
Pete's diner looked like it came straight from a movie.  Complete with black and white checkered floors, red booths, a long counter with tattered stools, and a jukebox.  

"Oh, how lovely, I have a customer.  I'll be back," Anna slung her shiny brown hair over her shoulder.  Instead of using the door that lifts up to get on the other side of the counter like normal people would do, Anna lifted herself up onto the top of the counter and slid down.

I heard Jeff, thechef, yell from the kitchen: "I can't wait till someone catches you doing that.  I am going to laugh when Pete himself fires your ass."

Anna turned, "Speaking of asses, kiss mine, Jeff."

I chuckled, they were constantly bickering.  I checked the diner once more, our only customers was the old man at the counter, and whoever Anna was serving now

"Excuse me, miss," the man at the counter asked.

"What can I do for you?"  I asked him.

"I'm ready for my check," he said.

"Alright," I ripped his check from my little booklet.  "Total is 6.50."

"Thank you," he reached for his wallet.  

Anna ducked under the counter.  "Jeff, I need a double cheeseburger, hold the mustard and lettuce," she called.

"Oh, do you now?"  He asked.

Anna groaned.  "Just make the burger."

I collected my customers money and tip, walking to the cash register to put in the money.  

"Order up!"  Jeff called.  

"That was quick," I yelled.

I heard him sigh deeply, "I have a gift."

Anna snickered.  "The gift of being a pain in the ass."

Jeff walked out from the kitchen area, the door propped open my an old menu.  "I can hear you, he said shaking his spatula.  He held the plate of food in the other.

Anna took the plate, sticking her tongue out.  

Once she was out of hearing distance, I walked to Jeff. "When are you going to ask her out?"

He wiped his hands on his apron.  "Actually, today."

I nudged him.  "Good for you, she really likes you, ya know."

"And I really like her," he smiled.  "Do you really think she'll yes?  I mean, I am older than her."

I scoffed, "By a year."

Jeff sighed, looking at Anna as she made small talk with her customer.   "I'm going to do it."

"Be sure to invite me to your wedding," I said as I walked away.

"Will do, Kase."

As I turned to take my place at the counter, I heard the familiar chime of the bell on the door.  I looked up to greet our next customer, and my heart completely stopped.  

I literally stood frozen, my heart began beating again at a dangerously fast pace.  We stood looking at each other, I would have spoken but I couldn't.  My breath hitched in my throat as I felt a wave of tears coming.  

He was standing there, right there on the other side of the counter.

Anna slipped under the counter, giving me a crazed look.  Her gaze flickered from me to him, and back.  As if she was trying to make a connection for why I was reacting the way I was.

"Kasey," she came up right beside me, her voice low.

I broke eye contact with him.

"What's wrong?"  She asked.

"It's him," I said.

"It's who, Kase?  Talk to me, what's wrong?"  Anna  put her hand protectively on my shoulder.

My chest shuddered.  "That's my dad."

* *  *  *  *  *

"Oh my God," Anna's eyes widened.

"I don't know what to do," a tear escaped.  I felt the familiar feeling of panic hit me.

"I'll tell him to leave," Anna nodded.  

"I don't know if he recognizes me," I placed a hand on my stomach.  

"He's looking at you, I think he does."

Jeff suddenly appeared on my right.  "What's wrong?  Do I need to call the cops or kick someone out?"

Anna pulled Jeff to her and whispered: "That's Kasey's dad."

"Are you sure?"  Jeff asked me.

I nodded.  "He looks exactly like this picture of him my mom had."

Suddenly, the man, my father, cleared his throat.  "Is everything okay?"

Anna shot him a look that could kill.  

He took a step away from the counter.

"I can't do this," I took a shaky breath.  "I can't.  I have to go, right now.  I need to get out of here."

Anna nodded.  "Okay, sweet heart.  Everything is going to be fine, I promise."

I made a mad dash to the counter, lifted up the door and tried to run past him- my dad.  

"Kasey?" He caught my arm.  "It's really you," I saw a tear in his eye.

"Let me go," I begged.

"Kasey.  Can we talk?  Please?"  He asked.

I shook my head. "No, no, we can't," I tried to pull away from him.

Behind me, I heard the door jingle.

"What's going on?"  A guy asked.

His voice was so familiar.

My dad let my arm go, as if suddenly realizing what was going on.  

I turned to run, and smacked straight into the guy who had spoken.

I glanced up, and for the second time my heart completely stopped.  No- it shattered.  

Lucas.

"Kasey, are you okay?"  Lucas asked.

His hair had grown a bit since the last time I saw him.  But his eyes, they brought back a billion memories I didn't need.  

Without waiting any longer, I shoved past Lucas and into the parking lot.  I dug my keys out from the pocket of my apron, and went to unlock my car.  

Please, do not follow me.  Please, God, do not let either one of them follow me.  

"Kasey!"  I heard Lucas call.

"We need to talk, Kase!"  He yelled.

I flung the car door open.  I turned to face him, "I can't do this right now, Lucas."  I saw my dad pacing inside the diner through the window.

"Kase-"

"I really can't do this, Lucas," his name felt like poison as I said it.

"Who was that guy?"  Lucas asked.

I put one foot in my car.  "My dad."

Before Lucas could respond, I was already in the car, flooring it to get as far away as possible from the to guys that had contributed to the down fall of my life.