Chapter 1

Chapter One

         "Hey loser!" I turned to find my best friend May before she siddled next to me.

        "Right back at ya!" I said rolling my eyes.

       "Hey Kyra!" My other best friend Liam called catching up to us.

       "Hey Liam." I smiled at him.

       "So what's up?" May asked.

      "You know the usual."

       "Why don't you just report him to the feds?"

       "You know I can't, he's got my mom's savings for college over my head."

      "Screw him!"

      "How are you sure he hasn't already gambled away the money?" Liam put in.

      "He assured me it's still intact as long I behave. Maybe he's got genuine feelings for my mom if he's willing to respect her dying wish."

May made a a disapproving sound in her throat while Liam looked like he found the idea preposterous. I have no faith in Gary whatsoever but my choices are pretty limited right now.

       "Ah! Right, before I forget Cara's having a pool party later tonight and she's invited us." May announced.

      "Cool, I'll be there." I said.

      "Count me in." Said Liam. 

      "Great! And you lots better not forget my birthday next Saturday." She added.

      "We wouldn't dream about it."

      "I plan on losing my v card on my eighteenth birthday." May announced with such a giddy look on her face like she just won the lottery.

Liam choked out a cough like his saliva went down the wrong pipe, my mouth simply hung loose. "You're not serious right?"

      May flipped her hair over her shoulder, "should've happened when I was seventeen but I'm not letting myself be eighteen while still a virgin, ew I'm not like you Kyra saving yourself for the one." She said that last part with air quotes and I blushed to the roots of my hair immediately going on defensive. " And what's wrong with that?"

      " Yeah what's wrong with that?" Both May and I turned towards Liam surprised at the sharpness of his tone. " You're gonna sleep with some random dude out there when you should be with someone you like and who likes you back. "

      " Chill man it's not that deep. Besides I'm not the first girl to do it. "

      " Doesn't mean you have to be like the other girls though. "

I watched their little exchange in amusement. 

May and Liam have always been like that bickering with each other the slightest of things, going at each other's throats. I had always thought it was because of their friendship but looking at Liam and the way his neck and ears are all red I realised for the first time that Liam had feelings for May and that she may have feelings for him too.

It all makes sense now. “can you two kiss and make up now, I can feel the sexual tension radiating off the both of you?”

“ew, as if!”  May said and went ahead of us. Liam’s face fell instantly and I felt sorry for him. 

Poor Liam.

“you like May don’t you?” he looked startled. 

“what?”

 I simply smiled. “maybe you should tell her how you feel.” I advised. We parted ways with both May and Liam heading to the mini Mart; the only one in town right across the street while I turned the corner to KC’s diner where I work part time.

I love my job waiting tables at KC’s. It required plenty of movement plus I get to meet new people and the tip is also good and I eat my meals right here in the kitchen. Only downside to it is the occasional rude customers: the ones who think you're their servant and ought to do everything they say and the lascivious ones who go around groping the waitresses and making lewd comments about them, those ones i’ve had the pleasure of puting them in their place many times plus KC the owner of the diner had made it quite clear no touching the waitresses.  

KC was kind to me, he knew my mom and after she died he gave me the job to help save for college. He, like myself have a very deep disliking for Gary. KC was a widower who insists on staying single in order to honour his wife's memory. I wish he’d married my mom instead of sleazy Gary but one can’ t always have what one wished for.

“morning KC .” I said chirpily.

“Morning. Someone's in a good mood.” He regarded me with his brows raised. 

I beamed at him. “well i’m turning eighteen in three weeks, you know what that means?”

“no.”

“freedom at last!” I threw my hands up in the air. He chuckled and I smiled .

“well one thing’s for sure i’m gonna miss you kid.”

“i’ll make sure to come visit whenever I can.” I assured him.

“come here.” He pulled me in a hug. “you’’re making me emotional so early in the morning.” I laughed but the sound was muffled by his arms around me. When we pulled away he had tears in his eyes. “your mom would be proud of you.” 

Tears stung my eyes at the mention of my mom. “great, now you’re gonna make me cry.”

“alright, enough sappiness get to work.”