Everything's Different Now

"Morning Erica" Linda smiled as I enter the back room

"Morning" I smile back putting my bag and jacket into my small locker "Where's my apron?" I ask digging further into my locker and failing to locate it.

"Take a look out front." She sighed staring down at her morning newspaper

Tying my hair up into a loose bun I push the door open with my elbow, searching around the counter I finally find my apron neatly folded by the till, I don't know why it's here I always put it into my locker.

As I wrap it around my waist I gasp as I'm lifted off the floor.

"Morning!" the voice laughs before putting me back down, looking back I see Kenny.

"You‘re not sick anymore!" I squeal wrapping my arms around him

"Well I work up this morning feeling a hell of a lot better." he sighed giving me a hug back. "So how have you and Linda coped without me." Pulling away from him I pick up my apron which fell on the floor

"Well the place is still standing." I shrug tying the knot tightly behind me. "Does Linda know you're here?"

"Why else do you think she‘s back there reading a newspaper." he said just as the door opens indicating the first customer of the day.

***

"Erica!" Linda calls as she pokes her head inside the back room whilst I'm having my lunch. I look up waiting for her to continue "Can you take an order to a customer for me? Please."

"I‘m on my break. Can‘t Kenny do it?"

"Ke- John is busy at the moment." she sighs. Rolling my eyes I get to my feet and follow her to the counter where she slides me a tray with the customers order "Table 5" she smiles.

Carrying the tray over to the table it isn't until I actually place the mug down that I see who the customer is.

Joe Jonas. I'm going to kill Linda.

Me and Joe both stare at each other for a short time before I get the courage to say anything.

"I hope you‘re here to apologize." I say lightly tapping my fingers on the plastic tray in my hands.

"For what?" Joe asks slightly shocked by my change in attitude towards him. Did he really think I was going to be ok with the way he acted?

"For the way you treated me the other day."

"Excuse me?"

"Forget it... Enjoy your drink." I sigh stepping away from the table

"The only person who needs to apologize is you." he mutters loud enough for me to hear just as I turn to leave.

"What did you just say?" I demand, much louder then I planned.

"I said the only person who needs to apologize is you." Joe repeated slowly and loudly getting the attention of a few people sitting nearby.

"Me? For what? Being polite?"

"You kno-"

"Erica?" A cheery voice says from behind me, looking back I see Mrs Jonas smiling at me. My jaw hangs open a little as I try and think of something to say. "It‘s so good to see you again, you look so grown up." she continues, gently pulling me into a hug.

"It‘s- It‘s good to see you too." I finally speak hugging her back still holding onto the tray.

"I‘ll be right back, just need to get a cup of coffee." she said before turning away and making her way towards the short queue of costumers ordering their drinks.

As grateful as I am to Mrs Jonas' friendly attitude towards me I have to wonder why. I mean if a girl had slept with my son and pretty much broke his heart by leaving I'd be pretty cold towards her... Unless he never told her.

"She doesn‘t know, does she?" I quietly ask turning back to look at Joe, who's slowly sipping his drink

"Nope." he sighs licking his top lip

"What did you tell her? After I-"

"That I dropped you off at the bus station the morning you left." he answered before I could even finish my sentence. "She just thought I missed you."

"Did you? Miss me I mean." I ask, Joe just stares at me before dropping his gaze back to his drink. "Why didn‘t you tell her the truth?"

"Because I didn‘t want to. What is with all the questions?" he snaps

"I was just asking. What is y-"

"Right, well lets get back to why I‘m here." Denise's voice echoed as she returned with her drink and taking a seat opposite Joe.

"Do we have to do this?" Joe asks her once we've stopped glaring at each other.

"We‘re not having this discussion again Joe." she pauses to take a quick sip, Joe rolls his eyes and looks down at the table. "Now Erica, as you may or may not know Joe‘s older brother Kevin is getting married this weekend."

I nod in understanding but still stare at her wondering what this has to do with me. "And we think-"

"You think." Joe muttered making it clear to me that whatever she's going to say he doesn't agree with.

"We think-" she repeated emphasising the word ‘we' "That you should be there."

I look back in shock, my eyes quickly scan over to Joe who's clenching his jaw his hands wrapping around his mug; and then back at Denise who‘s waiting for an answer. "That‘s really kind of you, but I barely know Kevin or his fiancé. And it‘s been a long time since-"

"Nonsense! You‘re still a friend of this family and like I‘ve already told Joe this will be a great opportunity for you both to reconnect."

Just as I open my mouth to speak Joe is quick to interrupt

"She said she doesn‘t want to go."

"Joe will you let her speak for herself... So Erica. What do you say?"

"Er- Well" I pause contemplating what the best thing to do is, if I'm honest going to the wedding of Joe's brother doesn't really seem like the smartest plan, but before I decline the invitation I look straight at Joe and he's looking at me as if to say ‘don't you dare say yes.' A smile spreads across my face and I look back at Denise "You know what...Sounds great. I‘d love to go."

-------

"Bye mum, drive safe." I smile hugging her goodbye once we're outside the coffee shop, I can't believe I let her do this. Inviting Erica to the wedding I mean. I made the mistake of telling her where Erica worked and that I'd meet her here so that she could do it just because I refused to do it myself. In my defence however I didn't think Erica would actually say yes.

I watched my mother as she continued walking down the street, once she was far enough away I went back into the coffee shop and walking straight to Erica who is cleaning a table in the far corner.

"What was that?" I demanded

"What was what?" she asks continuing to wipe down the surface

"Accepting the invitation! You can‘t say you don‘t want to go then suddenly change your mind."

"Well I did." she shrugged walking away, following her she walks behind the counter then stops me from going any further. I watch her as she quickly makes an order and passes it over to a customer. She notices that I'm still standing here and rolls her eyes before saying something to a guy pulling a mug from the shelf. He looks over at me before nodding to her, Erica finally walks back to me.

"Are you going to explain yourself now?" I ask as she stops in front of me

"You wanna know why I changed my mind?" she said crossing her arms

"Er yea!"

"Fine... I don‘t want to go, and I knew that you didn‘t want me to go. But now I know just how much you don‘t want me to go it makes me what to be there." she explained leaving me dumbfounded.

"I have absolutely no idea what you just said."

"I‘m going." she said slowly as she patting my arm

"There you go again. Being your stubborn little self."

"If you don't like it then why are you here?"

"Because my mum made me."

"Well I don‘t see her anywhere, so please go ahead... tell me why you‘re still here?" she asked again sensing my growing anger and wanting to annoy me even more.

"I‘m gone!" I shout

"Good! Go!"