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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 2:59:42 GMT -5
It was a normal, cloudy, overcast day in Forks, Washington. Despite the drizzle of rain, many locals were still out and about doing their usual daily things. All the residents of this area were used to the rain and had adapted to working in it.
Mike Newton found himself driving down the main street of Forks, headed toward a local diner; he had gotten out of school about an hour ago and was starving. He didn't intend on meeting anyone here, but knew it was inevitable that he'd see at least one of his school friends there. The town wasn't big, and Mike knew most of the Forks High students. He knew a lot of the adults too since his dad owned the local outdoor store, Newton's Outfitters.
Mike pulled his hefty Suburban into the parking lot, quickly picking out a parking spot. Once parked he jumped out of his car, splashing into a puddle. The spots of water made dark blue spots on his jeans. He shoved his keys in his pocket and turned toward the door of the diner.
Walking in the door, a warm rush of air blew through his pale blond hair. A kind smile adorned his face as he glanced around the eating area. Mike found it unusual that it was actually pretty empty. It was a Friday afternoon, just after school, and Mike expected the place to have a few more people in it. He hadn't paid attention to the empty parking lot outside.
Roving his blue eyes across the tables he spotted one, lone girl sitting by herself. As he focused his eyes a little more he recognized the girl, it was Elaine Rhodes. She moved here a little while back, but Mike hadn't really taken the time to get to know her. He figured now, since she was apparently alone, eating by herself, that he'd take the opportunity to make a new friend.
As he reached her table he took the seat across from her, not asking if it was alright that he sit with her. He held out a hand expectantly. "Elaine, right?" he asked. "I'm Mike Newton," he told her, his warm smile grew to reveal his white teeth. His hand remained extended, waiting for her to shake it.
[tag: Elaine. Anyone else is welcome too.]
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Post by Elaine Rhodes on Dec 12, 2008 3:21:16 GMT -5
Elaine looked up at him with her hair in her face. "oh Hello yes I am Elaine." She was not sure why he was talking to her the fact was no one ever talk to her really unless she was working here. Elaine put a fry in her mouth thinking about what to say.
"oh Sorry." She held her hand out so he could shake it. She then looked back down since she had a book open. She then thought she should be nice and closed her book before moving over a little. "So you want to sit here. I mean all the other spots look full and I don't need the whole thing."
She knew it would be nice if she tried to become friends with him. that way he would have at least one other one besides Angela there to talk to.
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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 3:27:37 GMT -5
"Nice to meet you," he said, releasing her hand. He laughed at her mention of the place being pretty full. "Oh yes, packed," he said sarcastically, "No I just figured since we're both here alone that we could sit together." He shrugged his shoulders.
Mike glanced around the place and then returned his eyes on her. "So, how's your day going?" he asked her. Mike didn't hesitate, and was pretty open. Probably one of the reasons he made friends so quickly.
He put both of his hands on the table. He looked around the diner, trying to find a waiter or waitress to serve him, since the reason he came here was for some food.
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Post by Elaine Rhodes on Dec 12, 2008 3:35:09 GMT -5
Elaine looked at him as she stood up. "It has been going fine. How about yours." She then pulled her hair out of her eyes and took out a pad of paper. She knew she was not on the clock but she had not see any signs of the waitress or waiter for a while. She knew it was because most of the other staff really did not like her because she always wore black and it scared her.
"So Mike Newton. I was wondering what would you like to drink and eat. I will be getting to for you today." She was acting like a waitress for the hour. She knew he was hungry and was going to need something to eat. If he wanted it soon she would have to. "Just go with me. I mean others really don't like me so they won't come near me. They know I work here so I can get my own food."
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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 3:40:19 GMT -5
Mike tilted his head to the side, his pale eyebrows raising in confusion. Ah, so that's why she was here alone. He snapped his head up and shrugged his shoulders. "If you're not on the clock I don't want to bother you," he said, "Go ahead and sit." He glanced at her chair meaningfully.
She seemed persistent though, so he went ahead and ordered. "If I could just get a Coke to drink," he told her, "And just a cheeseburger and fries that'd be great." He smiled up at her. His smile fell when she mentioned the others not liking her.
"I don't see why they don't like you. I mean you seem like a nice girl," he muttered. "Oh, and my day is going pretty good."
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Post by Elaine Rhodes on Dec 12, 2008 3:51:18 GMT -5
Elaine went back to the kitchen and put his order in. She knew that the cooks like her so it would be about 5 minutes and then it would be done. She grabbed his coke though and walked back out to him. "Here is your coke and the food should be out in about 5 minutes. "
She ran a hand through her hair and looked at him. She did not get why he was saying she was night. Elaine had been in this town for just as long as Bella and he had yet to talk to her till now. "well I think it has to be this whole I wear black things. Plus I am a better waitress then them because I make sure the ones I do it for are well taken care of and they don't." She looked at her book. She was not used to people sitting with her. This meant she was not really sure what to do.
"okay question why did you sit down here. I know that we have never talked. That not saying much on your side since I have been here for at least a year now." Elaine did not mean to sound rude she was just confused.
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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 3:57:59 GMT -5
"Thanks," he muttered to her as she set his drink on the table. He took a quick sip from it and looked up at her from his seat.
He shrugged his shoulders as she mentioned her wearing black. "Well I don't mind the whole wearing all black," he told her, "But maybe you should try some colors. And you probably won't look so pale if you do wear something other than black." He took another drink of his Coke. "I can see you're a better waitress. You're helping me on your down time."
He flinched back in shock, but he remained sitting. "Well, I can move if I bother you," he said, "But I guess I sat down here to get to know you. And it's not only me that could have striked up a conversation, you could have too. But it's better late than never." He smiled slightly at her.
He did kind of feel bad. He had spent all his time going after Bella that he hadn't really paid much attention to the other new girl.
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Post by Elaine Rhodes on Dec 12, 2008 4:05:36 GMT -5
Elaine looked up at him before standing up and getting his food for him. "here you go. Like I said I am only doing this on my down time because of the fact that you sat with me. The others don't like me."
She smiled thinking about what he had just said. He was one only people that told him that she might not look so pale if she wore something other then black. She giggled a little at that thought. "well I would wear something other then black if well I owned something other then that. So It kind of hard to do that."
She then leaned back in her seat. "I don't talk to people who don't want to talk to me. It just a habit. Grew up in a school where everyone hated me. My mom thought it would be best so I moved up here and well have a job." Elaine looked at him as she lied to him about why she moved up here. She did not trust him enough to tell him the truth yet.
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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 4:12:23 GMT -5
"Thanks," he told her again as she gave him his food. It looked delicious and he quickly shoved a few fries in his mouth.
"Why don't you go buy some new clothes?" he asked her before taking a bite of his burger. The food here was delicious, of course Mike would have eaten it anyway. Food was food in his eyes, as it was with most boys his age. They were all a bunch of human garbage disposals.
He sat his burger down, folding his arms across his chest and looked at Elaine's face. "Who ever said I didn't want to talk to you?" he asked. The statement wasn't true, Mike didn't necessarily not want to talk to her. He just hadn't noticed her. Oh that sounds better... he thought sarcastically to himself.
"Why did your mom want you to move up here?" he asked after he had taken another bite of his food. "I mean, Forks really isn't that great. Wherever you came from has to be a lot better. Where did you move from?"
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Post by Elaine Rhodes on Dec 12, 2008 4:46:35 GMT -5
Elaine looked at him as she was looking at him. "Well I don't have time to go shopping. You see I have been busy working. There is the main reason why."
Elaine sat there eating her food. She was happy to be finally getting people to talk to her but it felt sort of weird with them talking. "Well the fact that it took you at least a year to talk to me. Don't say you did not notice me because I sure would have notice a girl in all black walking around the school not talking to anyone." Elaine was trying to think about what to tell this boy. Did she say the truth and be like well my mom kicked me out so i had to move here.
"well okay Truth my mom kicked me out. I lived in Texas." She looked at him and then went to eat a piece of chicken that was on her plate.
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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 4:59:57 GMT -5
"You're telling me you are a complete work-a-holic that doesn't get a single day off to go shopping?" he asked incredulously, one his of eyebrows arching. He smiled a half smile at the girl. "Or is it that you don't want to go shopping alone?" he teased. "Now if it's the second reason, I'll happily go with you and not complain a bit at the fact. I mean I don't enjoy shopping, but if you don't want to go alone.... And if it's the first reason, you being a work-a-holic, I'll tell your boss to give you a day off."
He continued to eat his food as she talked. He shrugged his shoulders, pausing in between bites to answer her. "I seriously didn't notice you," he told her, "I mean, maybe it was all the black clothing that makes you blend in. Wear bright clothes. And maybe, your not talking to anyone is what made people avoid you." He didn't let her assumptions get to him, and he wasn't bothered by them in the least.
His eyes widened in shock as he chewed a bite. Swallowing he asked her yet another question, "Why would your mom kick you out?" She didn't seem like one that got into trouble. She was quiet, barely talked, seemed as though she had problems just simply talking to him now. Maybe she was a drug abuser...maybe that's why she dressed in all black... he made assumptions in his head. "You don't seem like the type that does anything wrong," he semi-lied to her. He didn't want to be rude and voice his assumptions allowed.
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Post by Elaine Rhodes on Dec 12, 2008 5:17:28 GMT -5
"Well one the shopping thing. It mainly the first one. I work on the weekends and have school during the week. So when can I go shopping." She looked at him. "Oh and don't tell my boss I need the money."
Elaine then thought about the second part that he had said. She was not sure what to say. "Well I am used to the black thing and the quietness. One of those you get use to things." Elaine knew that she was used to be quiet since the whole Jason thing. She was trying to think about the whole mom thing and say it the right way.
"Some things happen back home and it caused me to get really quiet. My mother could not take it care of me anymore so she kicked me out. She thought it would be best if I was not there. She did not want a daughter that only went to school. Then come home and did homework." Elaine sat there and started to eat more. She was not wanting to talk that anymore. "She basically disowned me."
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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 5:29:56 GMT -5
"I don't think missing one day of work is going to cause you to loose too much money," he told her. "And you could always go after school on the days you don't have to work," he suggested.
"You should try to open up a bit more," he told her, "A lot of people would talk to you if you weren't so reclusive." He took another drink of his Coke. He was sure that if she hadn't been so reclusive and dark, like a black widow, he would have talked to her. But with the way she was now she kind of blended into the background.
"What happened?" Mike blurted. He was curious now. "I don't think your mom disowned you," he said, "You said she thought you'd be better off away from Texas, that's not disowning you." He shrugged his shoulders and took his last bite of food before looking up at her and waiting for her answer.
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Post by Elaine Rhodes on Dec 12, 2008 5:43:06 GMT -5
She smiled and looked at him. "well I might go shopping for a while later. I mean grab something that is not black." She laughed and then closed her eyes. She had not told anyone this much.
"I had a friend that I was really close to at school. I mean really really close to that died. Not sure what to do once that happen I went into a depression." She took a sip of her drink and looked down not wanting to say anything. "When I told you that my mom had thought it would be better if I move here. She well she kicked me out. I was heading to what some call a crazy house. Dad was nice enough to take me in. He pulled some stings and go me a job here. He thought it would help me out. You can tell that it did not help really. I talk to people when at work and the occasionally person at store or school when asked but other then that I'm still the same." Elaine told him honestly. She was shocked that she had said all that to a boy she has never talk to before today.
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Post by Mike Newton on Dec 12, 2008 16:41:24 GMT -5
"Not black, that's a start," he commented. "Maybe you could go one step better than black, all gray," he joked. He took a drink of his Coke, finishing it off. He waited as she explained why she had been kicked out.
Her story reminded him of Bella's. He remembered how Bella had acted, and imagined this girl acting the same way. He felt pity toward her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He looked into her eyes, she didn't look like she had the same glazed, out of this world look Bella used to, so he was sure she must be improving somewhat. Sure, she still kept to herself and wore nothing but black, but from his point of view it looked like she was getting better. Maybe making some new friends would help her.
"I don't think you're still the same," he commented, "I mean sure you're probably still hurting, but you don't look that bad. I had a friend that went into a deep depression, and she looked way worse than you did. And as she improved she started to get better, started to look the way you do now. At least you're talking to people, and aren't acting like a zombie." He felt a little guilty that he was telling her Bella's story. But Bella's story was no secret in the small town of Forks, especially with Mrs. Stanley and Jessica, the queens of gossip.
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