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They all dressed down from what they usually wore at Pearl’s. The girls traded their heels in for Mykie’s sneakers and Jezebeth’s combat boots. Mykie grabbed a T-shirt, jacket, and jeans on her quick stop to their apartment, but Jezebeth never half-assed her outfits. She went from dressy to appearing like she was meant to be on the back of a motorcycle easily. Her green and black hair was pinned up in a messy bun on top of her head and she wore black from head to toe. She had a short-sleeved band shirt on which was cut and tied so it showed off her stomach. Her jeans looked like they were painted on her legs, accenting the curve of her hips in a way that Mykie couldn’t pull off. A dark plaid shirt was tied around her waist by the sleeves, and her Cantil leather jacket hanging around the back of her chair. Nothing about her was shy, including her involvement with the Cantil.
The boys, on the other hand, dressed as normally as they usually did. Dexter wasn’t wearing his Cantil jacket, instead sticking to a casual outfit for the morning. A simple long-sleeved shirt and jeans passed for him, typically. Noah, on the other hand, was like Jezebeth. He had his sunglasses sitting perfectly atop his head, rarely leaving home without the shielding accessory. He was dressed in name brand clothing, some of the titles Mykie couldn’t recognize much less pronounce, but was dressed for the weather as well in a bomber jacket, a plain white t-shirt, and black jeans. From neck up, he appeared average and unimpressive, his blonde hair tousled and styled messily. However, from the neck down, his entire look spoke of money and sophistication. Just like another boy Mykie knew.
Whenever Dexter took Mykie out to de-stress and talk, they always came to their favorite ma-and-pa restaurant, the Corner Diner. The diner was popular on both sides of the town, but it was a special place to Dexter and Mykie, especially after late nights at Pearl's or after doing an assignment for the Cantil. It was one of the only places the Cantil didn’t touch, as it was owned by a friend of the previous Snake King. It was a place to get away from the worries of the world, not add to them.
"She asked if she could come. I didn't see a problem with it," Dexter said, never glancing up from the menu in his hands. It was a clear message that he didn't want to discuss it further than that, but Mykie didn't let it go. Jezebeth was distracted by a loud conversation with Noah, so she took her opportunity.
"Why won't you just ask her out already? I don't see a reason why she wouldn't agree to a date?"
Dexter pressed his lips together and his face tightened. "Mykie."
He didn't have to say more than that. Mykie knew exactly what he was saying from his tone. This wasn't the place nor the time to discuss this, but by using his warning tone with her, he confirmed what they both already knew.
Dexter and Jezebeth had been playing this game for a while, longer than Mykie had been friends with either of them, it felt like. Jezebeth would continuously talk about howgreatDexter was, but she never went for it with him. Instead, she'd go out with a different guy, have sex with him, then later break up with him only to start the vicious cycle all over again a few months later. She'd admitted years ago that she knew from the beginning of the relationships that they wouldn't last, but she couldn't stop herself from jumping into them and ultimately wasting her and her partners’ time.
However, in the last year, she'd done less of the dating and more talking about Dexter than she ever did before.
Dexter, on the other hand, had always made it obvious that he cared about Jezebeth. However, instead of saying it, he showed that he cared through his actions. He wouldn't hesitate to help her when she needed it. He supported her passions when her father wanted to push her towards medical school instead of dancing. He'd told Mykie about the nights she'd called him crying, showing a crack in the otherwise flawless exterior she had when she finally had enough with how her sister treated her. How she contemplated one night what would have been better: ending herself or her sister. Dexter was her rock in a hard time, even now that she crawled out of the hole she was in when she had that mindset.
Mykie knew they were drawn to each other, and it was inevitable for them to end up together, but she just wished it wouldn't take so long for Jezebeth to realize how lucky she was to have Dexter waiting for her.
Currently, Jezebeth was taking her time pestering Noah about the things he liked and didn't like to eat. She was also trying to convince him to order pancakes so she could have everything else that came with it. Noah and Jezebeth had never met before beyond a quick greeting, but Noah was holding up decently with the aggressive girl.
Mykie had left Renly and Corbus’ home quickly and was able to meet with Dexter at eleven, which allowed them to order anything from either menu.
"How do you like your eggs?" Jezebeth asked, leaning her arm on the table. "Scrambled or over-easy?"
Noah rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't like eggs, so what do you like?"
Jezebeth clapped, a grin easily lifting on her face as she earned herself a new plate.
Mykie noticed someone standing at the table diagonal from her in one of the T-shirts that passed as a uniform at the diner. She nudged Dexter gently with her arm, pointing him out to him discreetly.
"Do you recognize him?" she asked. They hadn't been to the Corner in a little while, but they knew all the employees and especially the waiters.
Dexter looked up from his menu and looked in the direction she pointed in. From her angle, she could only see his face from the side and he was too far away for her to see anything unique about it. The boy had silver hair that looked styled to be fluffy on top and cut tight in the back and sides. He was wearing the classic dark green shirt for the restaurant and black slacks. A half-apron belt was tied around his waist like the rest of the waiters flittering around that held the napkins, straws, and his notepad when it wasn't in use.
Dexter shook his head. "He's new."
The boy turned around, closing his notepad just in time to make eye contact with Mykie. What magnificent eyes he had, too. They were two different colors. His right eye was an amber brown while the left almost looked like started to drain its color and was more of a hazel. They were beautiful in the fluorescent lights of the diner, and Mykie couldn't imagine how they'd appear in real sunlight.
Mykie quickly looked away, afraid she'd been caught staring at him. She felt slightly guilty when he immediately came over to her table.
"All right, sorry for the wait. Eleven and five seem to be the busiest times here," he said, clicking his pen and had it poised at the ready. His voice was light, and she recognized that the tone of his voice was not unlike the typical "customer service" voice, which was always upbeat and happy whenever in the proximity of a customer.
Jezebeth, who had finished her conversation with Noah before Dexter and Mykie were studying the boy, had picked up on the situation and leaned forward on the table. "Oh, it's no problem! We come here a lot, so I'm sure you already know Mykie and Dexter," she explained, setting a hand on Dexter's shoulder and gesturing to Mykie with her chin.
The beautiful eyes zoned in on Mykie, and she resisted gasping at seeing his eyes much closer than before. They were simply breathtaking.
"I don't think we’ve met," he said. "I haven't been working here that long. A little over two weeks."
"We haven't been here in over a month," Mykie explained, her voice coming out strangled and soft.
"That explains it, then," he said with a nod. "I'm Caspar. What can I get you all?"
They all supplied their orders, starting with Jezebeth and Noah, who both ordered breakfast foods. Noah had to ask Jezebeth questions such as if she wanted sausage or toast, then what sort of bread for the toast and whether she wanted jam or butter. Jezebeth ordered a stuffed omelet for herself, seemingly feeling in the mood for something with more of a spice.
Dexter ordered what he always did whenever they stopped for brunch, a simple burger with pickles and fries on the side. Mykie, on the other hand, wasn't sure what she wanted to eat. She wasn't a picky eater, but she didn't know what she was hungry for at that time. Whenever she came, she usually played it safe and ordered chicken or a Philly cheese steak, but she didn't feel like playing it safe.
