• I bit the inside of my cheek as I stared down at the menu. Meat, everything has meat in it. I reached out over the table to grab my glass of water and tried to pour some down my throat. Too bad a cough was coming up right at the same time and I spit water out all over my lap, coughing hysterically.

    My father's jaw clenched as he stare at me, quickely glancing around to make sure no one saw me spewing a mouthful of water all over myself. Only a little boy from the table over saw and boy was he staring. "Keep your back straight." My father grumbled under his breath, not looking me in the eye, not even caring that I might be choking.

    He casually picked up his napkin and reajusted it in his lap. "Stop making a scene." He then grabbed his menu, covering his face with it. "And get your hair out of eyes."

    I could barely breath by the time I collected myself and calmed down. I gasped for air and started to reach for my water but thought better of it. Instead I cover my lap with two napkins and cleaned up the spots on the table and booth that had gotten wet.

    The waitress scurried up to us, apologies and excuses pouring out of her mouth. "I'm so sorry it took so long, I am such an airhead!"

    "Don't worry, I'm used to them." My father said with a roll of his eyes and a frustrated sigh. His trademark.

    The waitress didn't know if that was meant to be funny or not so she just laughed nervousily. "Alrighty then, what are you guys craving this evening?"

    My father ordered whatever and then the two of them turned to me. "What would you like, dear?" The waitress smiled, dimples appearing on her chubby cheeks.

    Still choked up over my lastest episode, trying to speak caused a few more coughs that I had surpressed escaped. "Im sorry. Uhm... I'll have a cheese ravioli?"

    She nodded approvingly. "Great dish, one of my favorites." I smiled back at her and for once it wasn't fake.

    When she left my father redid his whole "eye-roll-and-frustrated-sigh" thing. "She's really retarded, of course I'd get stuck with the retard."

    "I liked her." I whsipered, checking under the napkins laying on my lap to see all the water I had spilled earlier.

    "Jeez, Rosemarie, that woman was an idoit!" He snapped then muttered something under his breath.

    I didn't answer, I never answered to Rosemarie anymore.

    "Fine, Dee, have it your way." He raised an eyebrow at me.

    I bit my lip and scooted out of the booth, throwing down my napkins on the seat. I didn't care how my pants looked like at the moment. "Stop. Just stop it." I growled through clenched teeth.

    I backed away from him, attracting attention from other costumers. I suddenly felt something against my back. I turned to see our waitress standing there, our food slipping from her hands. I tried to move out of the way but it was too late, my shirt was covered in salad and tomato sauce.

    "Oh jeez! I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz!" She gushed, tears springing out of her eyes.

    "No, no, no. It's ok, I'm fine." The only thing that was bothering me was my father's snickering that echoed off the silent restaraunt's walls. The only other sound was of the cooks rattling around pots and pans in the kitchen, all the other costumers had dared to make a peep.

    "Well, let me just get you a shirt from the back." She sniffled and wrapped her arm around my shoulder, her apron getting covered in food from my shirt. She didn't seem to mind and led me toward the kitchen.

    We walked past all the cooks who looked at us curiously. She led me past all of the others to where boxes were stacked against the walls. She opened one and took out a large shirt that read 'Al's Pizza'. "This is all we have." She said apologetically before handing it to me.

    She pointed me towards the employee bathrooms and I quickly changed into the shirt that could easily reach my thighs. This was like a shirt I'd wear to bed.

    She apologized about amillion times before letting me leave through the back so I wouldn't have to face me father again.

    I started walk until I noticed I had no idea where I was going. I threw my head back sighed heavily, grinding my teeth together.

    "Watch out!" I turned to see a boy riding a bike serving out of my way. He stopped right before could hit a garage on the other side of the alley. When I got a better look at him I noticed he was a busboy for Al's and seemed to be a few years older than me.

    "What were you doing? Standing in the middle of the alley, waiting to get killed?" He walked his bike up to me.

    He smiled and stuck out his hand to me. "I'm Chris." Boring name. "Nice shirt." He raised an eyebrow at my gigantic shirt that was advertising the restaraunt he worked at.

    "Thanks." I smiled back and took his hand in mine and shook it. His hand was very warm. "I'm Dee."