Happy Birthday to Me
Late Nite Diner
MARISSA
I explained to Gerard, Mikey, Frank, Ray, and Bob the reason I had a duffel bag was because my parents kicked me out. I told them I had no clue where I was and I told them I was just looking for a little help.
I was about to tell them that this all happened on my birthday, but Gerard stood up and interrupted me.
"No, no, no, no. . .no. We are not going to listen to some fake sob story!" he said quickly.
"What?" I questioned quietly.
"You're just some crazed fan trying to get in with the band." he accused.
"Excuse me? I am not!" I said loudly.
Gerard chuckled, "Only a crazed fan would deny being one."
"No, I think anyone would deny being a crazed fan if they weren't one." I answered.
"She's got you there." Frank said as he laughed.
Gerard was silent for a moment before he shook his head and turned away to pick up a stationary phone. He punched in three numbers and then he covered the receiver with his hand before he mumbled something into the phone.
"What are you doing?" Mikey questioned as he stood up.
Gerard hung up the phone and turned back to face everyone, "I don't believe her. I still think she's a crazed fan."
"So you called security to get rid of her?" Mikey questioned.
"You called security?!" I questioned loudly.
At that moment I felt two pairs of hands pick me up by my arms and lifted me up off the ground.
"Hey! Put me down!" I shouted.
"We're sorry a fan slipped through our security, Mr. Way." said a rough voice from behind me.
Slipped through?
No, really.
Slipped through?!
There wasn't any security when I came in.
Damn.
They are making it seem like I really am a crazed fan.
Which I'm not.
The two huge security guys carried me out of the theater and once we were out to the street they threw me down onto the sidewalk.
Okay, oww.
That hurt.
"Don't even try to sneak back in." one of the men stated firmly before they retreated back into the theater.
Grrrr.
That was so not cool.
So much for me trying to find someone in the theater to help me.
I decided to take a look around the city.
It can't be that big, right?
I started to pass by a few offices and found them all to be closed for the day.
Okay, what time is it?
It can't be that late, right?
I looked up to the sky and noticed something I should have realized sooner.
No sun.
It's later than I thought it was.
I must have spent more time in that theater than I thought I did.
I kept walking until I came across a hole in the wall liquor store thinking the shopkeeper could tell me what time it is.
I walked up to the counter and the man behind the counter quickly realized I didn't have any purchases to be made in my hands.
"Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is, please?" I asked.
"Buy something or get out." he answered.
"But I just wanted to know what time-"
"Buy something or get out." he interrupted rudely.
"Fine, fine. I'm leaving." I said before I turned around and walked out of the establishment.
I sighed.
Where the hell did mom and dad drop me?
Everyone-you-meet-is-rude city?
Great.
It's just like them to find the worst kind of place ever before they abandoned me.
I turned the corner and spied a late-night Ihop restaurant and at the same moment my stomach growled.
I realized I hadn't had anything to eat all day, and before I knew what I was doing I found myself walking toward the restaurant's entrance.
I knew I had 5 dollars in my pocket which was enough for a coffee but not much else.
I could order a coffee, get a few refills, find out where I am, and figure out what I am going to do next.
It may not be much.
But for now it's just going to have to work.
I entered the restaurant to see it was basically empty except for two officers sitting in a corner booth having a nice dinner.
The sign at the door said:
Please seat yourself.
I found a booth on the other side of the restaurant, away from the officers, pretending not to see them. I set down the duffel bag onto the bench and slid it up against the wall before I sat down next to it.
I didn't dare pick up the menu and look at it because I knew it was just going to make me hungrier.
A moment later an older looking waitress walked over to me, took an order pad from her apron, and a pen from behind her ear, "What'll it be, hun?" she asked right before she blew a bubble with her blue bubble gum and popped it.
"Coffee please."
"Do ya want cream and sugar?" she asked.
"Does it cost extra?" I asked back.
"Not a penny." she replied.
I smiled a bit, "Then yes, I will have cream and sugar."
"Alrighty then. Just gotta make a fresh pot for ya." she said as she returned the pen to behind her ear and walked off.
I turned and stared at the duffel bag my parents left me and after a moment or so I decided to look through it and find out exactly what they left me.
I checked the outer pockets first and managed to find $25 squished down inside a side pocket. Either one of my parents felt guilty and left the money for me or one of them left the money in there last time they used it.
Well at least now I have more than 5 dollars to try to survive off of.
I unzipped the big pocket of the duffel bag and found way more than I expected including: an overnight toiletries bag, a small tent, a thin blanket, a small blow-up pillow, two changes of clothes, and a white envelope.
Well they could have left me less.
I'm glad they left me anything at all.
Because I could have gotten diddly squat.
The waitress came back to the table and set down a cup of coffee in front of me as well as a small stack of pancakes.
Wait. . .
Pancakes?
I didn't order those.
"Oh, I didn't order these." I said as I motioned to the pancakes.
"It's alright, darlin', you look like you could use 'em." the waitress replied.
"That's very nice of you, but I can't afford all this food." I said quietly.
"Well don't you worry cuz it's all on the house." she said brightly as she nodded.
"Wow, thank you so much."
"Don't you worry about it sugar." she said before she walked off.
As I ate, I also managed to find a tourist map stuffed in the booth bench.
Oh!
Now I can find out where the hell my parents dumped me.
After a few moments of scanning over the map I realized I was about 200 miles from home in a city called San Diego.
I noticed the busboys setting chairs on top of the tables which meant it was closing time and time for me to get going.
That meant I had to pack up and leave only to go outside and have nowhere to go. But I knew I couldn't stay here.
I packed up my things and left one dollar on the table because I felt somewhat guilty about having a meal on the house. I left the restaurant and began to wander the streets once more.
I explained to Gerard, Mikey, Frank, Ray, and Bob the reason I had a duffel bag was because my parents kicked me out. I told them I had no clue where I was and I told them I was just looking for a little help.
I was about to tell them that this all happened on my birthday, but Gerard stood up and interrupted me.
"No, no, no, no. . .no. We are not going to listen to some fake sob story!" he said quickly.
"What?" I questioned quietly.
"You're just some crazed fan trying to get in with the band." he accused.
"Excuse me? I am not!" I said loudly.
Gerard chuckled, "Only a crazed fan would deny being one."
"No, I think anyone would deny being a crazed fan if they weren't one." I answered.
"She's got you there." Frank said as he laughed.
Gerard was silent for a moment before he shook his head and turned away to pick up a stationary phone. He punched in three numbers and then he covered the receiver with his hand before he mumbled something into the phone.
"What are you doing?" Mikey questioned as he stood up.
Gerard hung up the phone and turned back to face everyone, "I don't believe her. I still think she's a crazed fan."
"So you called security to get rid of her?" Mikey questioned.
"You called security?!" I questioned loudly.
At that moment I felt two pairs of hands pick me up by my arms and lifted me up off the ground.
"Hey! Put me down!" I shouted.
"We're sorry a fan slipped through our security, Mr. Way." said a rough voice from behind me.
Slipped through?
No, really.
Slipped through?!
There wasn't any security when I came in.
Damn.
They are making it seem like I really am a crazed fan.
Which I'm not.
The two huge security guys carried me out of the theater and once we were out to the street they threw me down onto the sidewalk.
Okay, oww.
That hurt.
"Don't even try to sneak back in." one of the men stated firmly before they retreated back into the theater.
Grrrr.
That was so not cool.
So much for me trying to find someone in the theater to help me.
I decided to take a look around the city.
It can't be that big, right?
I started to pass by a few offices and found them all to be closed for the day.
Okay, what time is it?
It can't be that late, right?
I looked up to the sky and noticed something I should have realized sooner.
No sun.
It's later than I thought it was.
I must have spent more time in that theater than I thought I did.
I kept walking until I came across a hole in the wall liquor store thinking the shopkeeper could tell me what time it is.
I walked up to the counter and the man behind the counter quickly realized I didn't have any purchases to be made in my hands.
"Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is, please?" I asked.
"Buy something or get out." he answered.
"But I just wanted to know what time-"
"Buy something or get out." he interrupted rudely.
"Fine, fine. I'm leaving." I said before I turned around and walked out of the establishment.
I sighed.
Where the hell did mom and dad drop me?
Everyone-you-meet-is-rude city?
Great.
It's just like them to find the worst kind of place ever before they abandoned me.
I turned the corner and spied a late-night Ihop restaurant and at the same moment my stomach growled.
I realized I hadn't had anything to eat all day, and before I knew what I was doing I found myself walking toward the restaurant's entrance.
I knew I had 5 dollars in my pocket which was enough for a coffee but not much else.
I could order a coffee, get a few refills, find out where I am, and figure out what I am going to do next.
It may not be much.
But for now it's just going to have to work.
I entered the restaurant to see it was basically empty except for two officers sitting in a corner booth having a nice dinner.
The sign at the door said:
Please seat yourself.
I found a booth on the other side of the restaurant, away from the officers, pretending not to see them. I set down the duffel bag onto the bench and slid it up against the wall before I sat down next to it.
I didn't dare pick up the menu and look at it because I knew it was just going to make me hungrier.
A moment later an older looking waitress walked over to me, took an order pad from her apron, and a pen from behind her ear, "What'll it be, hun?" she asked right before she blew a bubble with her blue bubble gum and popped it.
"Coffee please."
"Do ya want cream and sugar?" she asked.
"Does it cost extra?" I asked back.
"Not a penny." she replied.
I smiled a bit, "Then yes, I will have cream and sugar."
"Alrighty then. Just gotta make a fresh pot for ya." she said as she returned the pen to behind her ear and walked off.
I turned and stared at the duffel bag my parents left me and after a moment or so I decided to look through it and find out exactly what they left me.
I checked the outer pockets first and managed to find $25 squished down inside a side pocket. Either one of my parents felt guilty and left the money for me or one of them left the money in there last time they used it.
Well at least now I have more than 5 dollars to try to survive off of.
I unzipped the big pocket of the duffel bag and found way more than I expected including: an overnight toiletries bag, a small tent, a thin blanket, a small blow-up pillow, two changes of clothes, and a white envelope.
Well they could have left me less.
I'm glad they left me anything at all.
Because I could have gotten diddly squat.
The waitress came back to the table and set down a cup of coffee in front of me as well as a small stack of pancakes.
Wait. . .
Pancakes?
I didn't order those.
"Oh, I didn't order these." I said as I motioned to the pancakes.
"It's alright, darlin', you look like you could use 'em." the waitress replied.
"That's very nice of you, but I can't afford all this food." I said quietly.
"Well don't you worry cuz it's all on the house." she said brightly as she nodded.
"Wow, thank you so much."
"Don't you worry about it sugar." she said before she walked off.
As I ate, I also managed to find a tourist map stuffed in the booth bench.
Oh!
Now I can find out where the hell my parents dumped me.
After a few moments of scanning over the map I realized I was about 200 miles from home in a city called San Diego.
I noticed the busboys setting chairs on top of the tables which meant it was closing time and time for me to get going.
That meant I had to pack up and leave only to go outside and have nowhere to go. But I knew I couldn't stay here.
I packed up my things and left one dollar on the table because I felt somewhat guilty about having a meal on the house. I left the restaurant and began to wander the streets once more.