Status: Taking a break to get things together again
It's a Good Year for a ***
Chapter 4
Ana’s been asleep in my arms for about thirty minutes, she looks so pretty with her hair all messed up.
“Gates can you help me with her?” I ask turning my head back to see him.
“Yeah man, what do you need me to do?”
“Pull her legs down, so she can lay all the way across the seat.”
“Like this?” he asks while pulling her legs gently towards the door.
“Yeah. Thanks” I say as he sits back down in his seat.
“What are you doing with this girl Zacky?” Matt asks, turning in his seat to look at me.
“I’m making her more comfortable.”
“Ok, smartass. I meant what are you planning to do with her?” now completely turned around to face me.
“I want to keep her. Is that ok with you?” I ask sarcastically
“Look V, I just don’t want this to turn out bad, like…with Amy.” He hesitates at the name.
I inhale deeply, glaring at him.
“Amy was too independent; she had too much free will. I couldn’t break her. Ana‘s different….”
“How do you know that? How do you know she won’t be like Amy?”
“I just do. I’m the one who’s been watching her for the past week. I know her.”
“Ok. But I’m warning you, if this gets out of hand I won’t hesitate to kill her.” He says in a stern voice.
“Hey. Me and Christ are really hungry. Can we stop some place to eat?” Gates asks, leaning over the seat next to me.
“We just crossed the state line, so yeah we can stop and eat. Where do you want to go? What’s open at this time of night?” Matt says turning back towards the front, giving me the we’re not finished yet look.
“We saw a sign for a Denny’s a mile back, said take exit 205. We could eat there.” Gates suggests, looking to each of us.
“Alright Denny’s it is.” Jimmy says pointing at the 205 exit ramp.
The parking lot was about half way full, mostly people passing through to visit their families during these hot summer months. Jimmy parked the car in the back row, as far from road we could get. Ana was still sound asleep as everyone started piling out of the car. Bending over her I softly shake her awake and help her sit up.
“Hey, time to wake up. We’re at Denny’s.” I say while she rubs the sleep from her eyes.
“I’m cold.” she whispers, wrapping her arms around her body and hugging the stuffed animal close.
“Gates will you get my other hoodie out of my bag.” I ask glancing back at him.
I help Ana out of the car while he digs through the trunk to get her a jacket. I examine her attire and notice that she also isn’t wearing any shoes, only black socks with pink strips in them. He tosses me the hoodie and I help her pull it over her head, then pick her up piggy-back style as we all walk the parking lot to the front doors. Once inside we’re offered a table in the back room and told our waitress would be there in a minute. Johnny, Jimmy, and Matt climb into one side of the booth and I push Ana into the open side. Me and Bryan squeezing in beside her, making sure to sit on the outside so she can’t get away from us. We all skim the menu and discuss what were having until the waitress arrives, except Ana who is silent.
“What can I get for you all this evening?” she asks, pulling out a pen and note pad.
“Four grand slams all with coke, and whatever those two want.” Matt said, smiling at the women.
I look over at Ana who is staring out the window absent mindedly.
“I’ll have an order of pancakes, eggs, and hash browns. And she will have an order of chocolate chip pancakes.” I tell the lady
“What to drink?”
“We’ll both have milk.”
“Ok. That’ll be out to you shortly. Are you guys just passing through?” she asks, collecting our menus.
“Yeah.” Matt answers quickly “We actually live on the other side of the state, but we were out visiting some old friends in Arkansas.”
“Well isn’t that nice, I hear the weather up there is great this time of year.”
“Yeah. We had a lot of fun.”
“Ok. Well just call me over if you need anything.” And at that she turned and left us.
We sat in the back, away from the other tables where no one could hear our conversation, through no one was talking. The food came quickly and it smelled so good. My mind was still recovering from what we had just done, and as our ritual goes, we ate breakfast. After the waitress left we all dug in. I hadn’t realized till just then how hungry I really was. I shoveled hash browns into my mouth when I felt someone tap my leg with their foot. I looked up and made eye contact with Matt, who gestured to Ana. I turned and examined her just sitting and staring out of the window. I could see silent tears rolling down her cheek. I swallowed my food and nodded to matt, who continued eating his own food.
“Ana eat your food.” I say gently, as I brush my fingers through her hair.
She shook her head no and shied away from me. I could feel the anger rising in my throat. I place my hand on her thigh and squeezed it a little.
“Ana, wipe those fucking tears off your face and eat your food. I’m not going to tell you again. If you don’t listen to me I will take you into the parking lot until you decide that you’re going to behave.” I hiss in her ear.
She wipes her face with her hand and picks up the fork, eating small pieces of her pancakes. I knew that she hadn’t eaten since lunch time and it was almost one in the morning.
“We’re gonna go smoke.” Jimmy says as everyone gets up to leave except Matt. Ana pushes the last bits of her pancake around on the plate. I place my hand on her thigh again and she lets out a tiny whimper. I clench my jaw tight and have to remind myself that she was new and she would learn. Just give it time Vengeance; just give it a little more time.
“Let’s go find a hotel.” I say as I get out of the booth and offer her my hand. She takes it gingerly and stands behind me with her head down.
“I’ll meet you guys out there. I’m gonna go piss and pay for this shit.” Matt says, while remaining seated in the booth. I walk out of the restaurant with Ana in tow to find the guys sitting in the van with the laptop open.
“Hotel?” Someone asks.
“Yes Please” I say as I hug Ana close to me. She is shivering, whether from fear or from being cold I don’t know and don’t care right now. We all sit in silence for a few minutes until Matt comes out and hops in the driver’s seat.
“There’s a motel a mile down the road.”
“Gates can you help me with her?” I ask turning my head back to see him.
“Yeah man, what do you need me to do?”
“Pull her legs down, so she can lay all the way across the seat.”
“Like this?” he asks while pulling her legs gently towards the door.
“Yeah. Thanks” I say as he sits back down in his seat.
“What are you doing with this girl Zacky?” Matt asks, turning in his seat to look at me.
“I’m making her more comfortable.”
“Ok, smartass. I meant what are you planning to do with her?” now completely turned around to face me.
“I want to keep her. Is that ok with you?” I ask sarcastically
“Look V, I just don’t want this to turn out bad, like…with Amy.” He hesitates at the name.
I inhale deeply, glaring at him.
“Amy was too independent; she had too much free will. I couldn’t break her. Ana‘s different….”
“How do you know that? How do you know she won’t be like Amy?”
“I just do. I’m the one who’s been watching her for the past week. I know her.”
“Ok. But I’m warning you, if this gets out of hand I won’t hesitate to kill her.” He says in a stern voice.
“Hey. Me and Christ are really hungry. Can we stop some place to eat?” Gates asks, leaning over the seat next to me.
“We just crossed the state line, so yeah we can stop and eat. Where do you want to go? What’s open at this time of night?” Matt says turning back towards the front, giving me the we’re not finished yet look.
“We saw a sign for a Denny’s a mile back, said take exit 205. We could eat there.” Gates suggests, looking to each of us.
“Alright Denny’s it is.” Jimmy says pointing at the 205 exit ramp.
The parking lot was about half way full, mostly people passing through to visit their families during these hot summer months. Jimmy parked the car in the back row, as far from road we could get. Ana was still sound asleep as everyone started piling out of the car. Bending over her I softly shake her awake and help her sit up.
“Hey, time to wake up. We’re at Denny’s.” I say while she rubs the sleep from her eyes.
“I’m cold.” she whispers, wrapping her arms around her body and hugging the stuffed animal close.
“Gates will you get my other hoodie out of my bag.” I ask glancing back at him.
I help Ana out of the car while he digs through the trunk to get her a jacket. I examine her attire and notice that she also isn’t wearing any shoes, only black socks with pink strips in them. He tosses me the hoodie and I help her pull it over her head, then pick her up piggy-back style as we all walk the parking lot to the front doors. Once inside we’re offered a table in the back room and told our waitress would be there in a minute. Johnny, Jimmy, and Matt climb into one side of the booth and I push Ana into the open side. Me and Bryan squeezing in beside her, making sure to sit on the outside so she can’t get away from us. We all skim the menu and discuss what were having until the waitress arrives, except Ana who is silent.
“What can I get for you all this evening?” she asks, pulling out a pen and note pad.
“Four grand slams all with coke, and whatever those two want.” Matt said, smiling at the women.
I look over at Ana who is staring out the window absent mindedly.
“I’ll have an order of pancakes, eggs, and hash browns. And she will have an order of chocolate chip pancakes.” I tell the lady
“What to drink?”
“We’ll both have milk.”
“Ok. That’ll be out to you shortly. Are you guys just passing through?” she asks, collecting our menus.
“Yeah.” Matt answers quickly “We actually live on the other side of the state, but we were out visiting some old friends in Arkansas.”
“Well isn’t that nice, I hear the weather up there is great this time of year.”
“Yeah. We had a lot of fun.”
“Ok. Well just call me over if you need anything.” And at that she turned and left us.
We sat in the back, away from the other tables where no one could hear our conversation, through no one was talking. The food came quickly and it smelled so good. My mind was still recovering from what we had just done, and as our ritual goes, we ate breakfast. After the waitress left we all dug in. I hadn’t realized till just then how hungry I really was. I shoveled hash browns into my mouth when I felt someone tap my leg with their foot. I looked up and made eye contact with Matt, who gestured to Ana. I turned and examined her just sitting and staring out of the window. I could see silent tears rolling down her cheek. I swallowed my food and nodded to matt, who continued eating his own food.
“Ana eat your food.” I say gently, as I brush my fingers through her hair.
She shook her head no and shied away from me. I could feel the anger rising in my throat. I place my hand on her thigh and squeezed it a little.
“Ana, wipe those fucking tears off your face and eat your food. I’m not going to tell you again. If you don’t listen to me I will take you into the parking lot until you decide that you’re going to behave.” I hiss in her ear.
She wipes her face with her hand and picks up the fork, eating small pieces of her pancakes. I knew that she hadn’t eaten since lunch time and it was almost one in the morning.
“We’re gonna go smoke.” Jimmy says as everyone gets up to leave except Matt. Ana pushes the last bits of her pancake around on the plate. I place my hand on her thigh again and she lets out a tiny whimper. I clench my jaw tight and have to remind myself that she was new and she would learn. Just give it time Vengeance; just give it a little more time.
“Let’s go find a hotel.” I say as I get out of the booth and offer her my hand. She takes it gingerly and stands behind me with her head down.
“I’ll meet you guys out there. I’m gonna go piss and pay for this shit.” Matt says, while remaining seated in the booth. I walk out of the restaurant with Ana in tow to find the guys sitting in the van with the laptop open.
“Hotel?” Someone asks.
“Yes Please” I say as I hug Ana close to me. She is shivering, whether from fear or from being cold I don’t know and don’t care right now. We all sit in silence for a few minutes until Matt comes out and hops in the driver’s seat.
“There’s a motel a mile down the road.”
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Word Count 1225