Crash Land.

John O’Callaghan.
2010

Liliana sat there her pen tapping on the wooden counter her eyes fixated on the clock above. It was barely an hour into her eight hour shift and she was ready to go home. The 24 hours dinner was complete dead, considering it was midnight on a Monday night could be the reason for it. It was just her tonight, her and of course one of the cooks. She tapped her pen again looking around the empty chairs. She finally threw her hands up in the air before grabbing her bag from under the counter. She pulled out her textbook along with a notebook. She threw it on the counter as the sounds of Van Halen filled the dinner. With a sigh she immediately flipped through the heavy book flipping through the pages with disinterest.

“One more year”, she reminded herself. “Just one more fucking year”, she repeated before settling down on the marked page. “Chapter five”, she sung out loud before laughing at her own words. “Working here has gotten me completely crazy”, she admitted before putting the pen to the paper.

“You’re crazy!”

She rolled her eyes before turning to the Rodrigo standing there with a wide smile. “Be nice sir, before I deport you.”

“Hey! That’s not a funny joke, if you deport me who else will help you with your Spanish homework.”

“I’m sure I could find another Spanish speaking man that would love to help me.”

“You’re Mexican and you don’t even speak Spanish, you’re a disgrace.”

“My parents are.”

Liliana watched as he turned around with a laugh throwing hands about. Liliana chuckled at the older man before turning to the notebook ahead. And just when she was going to start off the first set of notes the sound of the doors opening brought her attention to something else. She let her green eyes travel to the door and soon she was met with a pair of blood shot green eyes. The disheveled lanky looking boy walked through the doors before he spotted the blond standing behind the counter. He gave her an awkward grin before looking around the restaurant.

“Do I just sit anywhere?”

Liliana chuckled at his words before lifting her hands up sarcastically. “Where ever you please”, she spoke as the tall boy nodded his head.

She watched him look around a lopsided grin on his face. She watched as he walked to the counter flopping into the seat right in front of the annoyed blond. He gave her a rather big grin before tugging the gray beanie from his head. Liliana only rolled her eyes.

“Out of all the seats in here, you decide to sit right here?”

The boy simply shrugged his shoulders stripping his black jacket from his body. “There’s better lighting right here.”

“Better lighting?”

He nodded his head as watched her place her hand on her hip. “Better lighting”, he said with a nod of his head. “Could I get some coffee?”

Liliana nodded her head as she grabbed a mug and slid it in front of him. She turned to grab the pot of coffee before pouring it in the cup carefully. She placed the pot back down on the burners. She leaned back and watched as the mystery boy turned to his mug pouring a bit of creamer. She couldn’t help but to watch his every move as he sipped on the coffee softly. And soon she watched him pull a small notebook from his denim jacket along with a pencil. She was confused but she continued to watch in complete amazement.

And that was how it went for the next two hours. She took back watching his every move, the way he mouthed words together as he wrote them down to the tapping of his foot. He didn’t say another word which surprised her to no end. The only words that slipped his mouth was him politely asking for more coffee and soft yet raspy thank you. Usually guys would come in here and hit on her until she had to either tell them she had a boyfriend or was a lesbian but not this guy. The cocky front that he had once he walked in completely disappeared as soon as he pulled the notebook from his jacket, she was desperate to read exactly what he was writing.

Her head was spinning of all the possibilities. She let her imagination run wild as she thought of the mystery boy in front of her. She was sure of herself when she figured he was a starving poet that had to pay for his terrible drug habit. Liliana made up a life story in her mind as she looked over the boy. She let her green eyes focus over his facial features. The messy blond hair shoved into a gray hoodie. His green eyes slanted softly in concentration but the bags under them was what got her attention. The lack of sleep could be for many things; those many reasons raced her mind. She looked down his slightly pointed nose down to his thin chapped lips. He was a gorgeous boy; there was no doubt in that.
But soon her thoughts were ripped when pair of green eyes was met with hers. He looked over at him as she raised an eyebrow. Soon his thin lips turned into a bright smile, showing off his perfect teeth.

“Could I possibly get the bill?”

Liliana nodded her head before turning around to the machine; her eyes rolled at the sight of Rodrigo leaned against the wall with a smirk plastered on his face.

“Shouldn’t you be in there and not out here?”

“Te gusta ese chico.”

Liliana rolled her eyes before pushing at his chest. “Silencio, Rodrigo”, she said before tearing the receipt.

“Ask for his number, mija.”

She rolled her eyes once again before he was met with the middle finger. She turned back in only to see that his seat was empty and he was nowhere in sight. She groaned inwardly before her eyes focused on the note on the table alongside a 20 dollar bill.

You know it’s rude to stare, have a good night.
John.

She smirked to herself at the note; she couldn’t help but to notice his neat handwriting. She couldn’t wipe the smirk on her face as she grabbed the twenty dollar bill slipping it in her apron. She heard a loud laugh behind her. She sighed before turning around meeting his brown eyes.

“Shut your mouth, Rodrigo!”