Allison Roberts sat at the corner of the bar near the cash register, sipping on a chocolate malt whilst recounting her junior year adventures.  Just a few months stood between her and standing on top of the school with the rest of her class.  More importantly, she was close to forever leaving that wretched high school.

"Hi Ally." A tall blonde walked over to her, strutting in her red platforms.

The girl took her by surprise, her eyes widened as she saw her.  "Lissa, hey!"

"Long time, no see!"  Lissa tittered, sliding into the seat next to her.  With a flip of her hair, she asked, "How are you?  What have you been up to?"

"I've been spending all my time here," Ally said with a small giggle. She motioned around the burger place proudly, like she were showing off a newborn baby. "I got a part time job and even when I'm not working, I'm still here."

Lissa shut her eyes tightly, evidently not believing what she was hearing. "You're insane. God, as soon as my shift ends over at Talia's Tacos, I run as fast as I can from that place."

"I don't know, I just like the atmosphere here," Ally said, thoughtfully taking another sip from her malt.  She never understood her workaholic habits much herself, but she did know that she never wanted to shy away from them.  All in all, they were strong abilities to have.

Lissa laughed again, her head bopping back as she did so.  "You've always been the strange one, Ally."

"And you the popular one."  Ally gave Lissa a victorious smile, raising her malt in cheers at their acceptance of who they are.  She pushed the fallen strawberry blonde strands out of her face, reuniting them with the rest of her many hairs.  Ally had been noted several times as the "weird geek with a mop of hair", which she also hopes to be her high school superlative.  Freshman year she really struggled with who she is, but in time, she came to embrace her weirdness, and that is what she is proud of.

Lissa took a long look around the burger place, understanding at once Ally's peace here. It was always buzzing with people, neon lights hanging all over the place, and a fifties diner feel. "Well, are you ready for senior year?" she asked.

Ally heaved a sigh, twirling her straw around. "Yes and no. I'm ready to just get it over with, you know? I mean, I'm sure you're ready to head the cheerleading team — congratulations, by the way!"

Lissa nodded and did a slight bow in her seat. "Thank you, thank you! I fully intend on making this team one of the best yet."

"You are a very determined person, Lissa. I have no doubt that you'll make it," Ally said with high appraisal.

Lissa nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. "Thanks, and you know, we should hang out sometime soon. I mean, we have the whole summer ahead of us!"

"That sounds like fun," Ally agreed. It was then that a deadmau5 song blared from Ally's pink covered phone. "And that would mean it's time for my shift!"

Lissa's nose cringed up at the sound of it.  "You still listen to them?"

"Deadmau5 will forever and always be my love, and you know it, too!" Ally giggled, tossing her malt in the garbage and heading behind the counter.

"I'll give them another listen," Lissa promised, waving her hand.  "Bye!"

"See ya!" Ally called out as she tied her apron around her. She pulled her hair back into a loose, low ponytail and poked around into the register.

A tall boy with blondish curls came from the kitchen, next to her. "Was that the best friend you've been talking about ever since you got the job?"

"No, my best friend is a red head and her name is Joy Valt. This was my best friend from kindergarten to freshman year, Lissa Dolkan," Ally explained to the boy.

"Oh, so what happened between you and Lissa?" he further inquired.

"She and I just had different ideas on what we wanted from life, and we both got what we wanted. I am officially the weird kid and she is the popular cheerleader," Ally noted. "It's not a bad thing being the weirdo. People tease me, but not in a bullying kind of way. They've embraced who my outlandish personality, as have I."

He nodded. "You are good company, Miss Optimistic Weirdo."

"Thank you, Commander French Fry," she returned his laugh, a small blush coming to her face. In an attempt to drain the color from her face, she asked," Wait, Mason, are you clocking out?"

Mason shook his head with a look of dismay crossing his normally goofy face.  "Unfortunately, no.  Boss man got me working late today, but I'm just taking my break now."

Ally raised an eyebrow.  "Wait, why?"

"Why am I taking a break?" Mason asked.

Ally rolled her eyes.  "No Captain Obvious, why are you working late?"

He merely shrugged, slumping down into the seat that Lissa previously occupied.  "I think we all need to start picking up some more hours.  Word on the street is that Courtney is going to get fired."

"Fired?" Ally repeated, eyes wide with shock.  Mason nodded and she thought on that.  "Well, alright, it makes sense.  I mean, she's never here.  Maybe once a week?"

"Her record was three times a week, but only for ten hours all together," Mason said, throwing his arms in the air for dramatics.

Ally simply rolled her eyes.  "She should probably get it together.  I mean, it's too late for her here, but she's going to continue to lose jobs if she doesn't put in the effort."

"And what makes you think she will actually get more jobs?" Mason questioned.

"Courtney Meyers not getting a job?  Now, that's something I'd want to see," Ally joked, cracking her heartwarming smile.  "C'mon, you know Courtney!  She has charisma and she can talk her way in, out, and around of anything."

Mason slammed his head on the table.  "That's a good point.  She always leaves some little gift on boss man's desk.  I swear, if she isn't fired, I'm going to quit."

"Mace, why?"  Ally let out a tiny pout at the thought of losing him.  She had only been working there about five months, while Mason has been there for about two years.  He showed her the ropes and they gradually became close friends.  There were even a few movie dates after work.

He gave Ally a look of disbelief.  "She's a pain to work with."

"She's hardly here, how would you know what it's like working with her?" Ally reasoned.

"Exactly, it's like her spirit leaves negativity on me," he groaned.

Ally laughed.  "Oh, please!"

"Alright, but listen," Mason tried to reason.  "When she's not here working with me, I have to pick up her slack and do both of our work.  When it's busy, it's hard to have just one person cooking.  Sadly, I need her, or anybody really."

"That's a good point," Ally agreed.  "Well, hopefully her replacement will fulfill their role."

"Anyone could be better than her," Mason said with a slow laugh.

Ally inhaled a slow breath.  "Yeah, well don't get your hopes up."  It was then that Ally spotted the front door flash open with a tall teenage boy strutting through it.

"How about after we close up tonight we grab a bite to eat?" Mason asked, eying the customer as he approached.

Ally nodded, trying to hide the smile on her face.  "Sounds fun!"

Mason nodded and walked back into the kitchen, probably preparing to cut his break short, knowing that with Courtney gone, he could not afford to take a full length break.  Ally pushed a few fallen strands of her back behind her ear and gave the boy smile.  "Hello, welcome to Burger Café, may I take your order?"

The boy was tall in figure, covered mostly in leather and other black accessories.  He looked like he modestly just left a biker gang, especially with his thick black eyeliner.  He clapped his hand over his mouth, trying to hold himself together.  "Just one question — who actually named a place Burger Café?  I mean, isn't that a little... I don't know, lame?"

"Well, we are a burger house and a café, so we just pushed the two names together and out came a beautiful restaurant." Ally forced this out of her along with a smile. The kid seemed rude and she did not do well with abiding by those types of people.

He nodded. "Yeah, I got that, but be a little more creative time." The guy put his finger to the black o-ring in his right ear. It must have been bothering him, but he did not remove it.

Ally nodded, trying to uphold a positive attitude. "We'll keep that in mind. Are you ready to order yet?"

He shoved his hands in his pant pockets, taking a slow nod. What was this guy's deal? His "too cool" demeanor was really starting to bug Ally, and she knew that if he continued for much longer, she would not take too kindly to the situation. "A number three meal with a chocolate milkshake," he stated, a small smirk growing on his face. "And I'll have your number."

Ally rolled her eyes and rang him up. "That will be eight ninety-two."

He handed her a ten dollar bill and she exchanged the amount of change along with a receipt. "Now, about your number?"

Ally scoffed and pointed to the '192' printed on his receipt. "Right there, buddy."

He nodded out of appreciation for her clever rejection and backed away with determination written all over him. Ally walked to the window that peers into the kitchen. "Mace, we've got another one!"

Mason ran to the window to pick up the order with a discerning look. "That guy giving you trouble?"

"Nothing that I can't handle," Ally remarked quietly. "Just hurry up so he can leave soon." Mason nodded and ran back to make the food, while Ally returned her attention to the cash register. Out of the corner of her eye, she found the punk rocker staring at her.

Boys like this just want attention. Don't give him that satisfaction, Ally reminded herself, going about punching things into the register. However after a long three minutes, she gave up and glared at him. "Bored?"

"Yeah," he said, drawing out the 'ah' sound. He gave Ally a smirk. "Maybe you can entertain me later? I know a dark alley. It's more romantic than it sounds."

Ally gritted her teeth out of frustration with fury burning in her eyes. "I know something else I could do in a dark alley.  I keep a shovel in the trunk of my car."

"Allison Roberts!" a woman yelled behind her. Ally's cheeks flushed as she recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to none other than her boss', Mrs. Miranda Berger. "Have some respect for our customers!" Mrs. Berger ran over to the guy, her hand fluttering to her heart. "I am so, so sorry for her behavior."

The guy brushed it off. "Save it for someone else. I don't care. I egged her on and probably deserve much worse. Glad Allison can stand up for herself!"

"It's Ally," she muttered.

"No darling, a dark alley," he muttered, laughing at his own joke.

She narrowed her eyes at him.  "What's your name?"

"Why?" the guy asked, giving a lofty shrug of his arms.

Ally gave him a meaningful glare that looked so sweet, it gave him diabetes just at the sight.  "So that I can report your name to the police for harassment."

"Oh honey, I haven't harassed you yet," he snickered.  Mrs. Berger watched the scene unfold with a confused look but satisfied grin.  Ally felt Mason walking in from the kitchen and placing the food down on the counter.

"You good still?" Mason whispered.

Ally nodded.  "Always," she whispered back with a look that promised her words were not empty.

She turned to the boy and glared.  "Order 192," she muttered.

The boy walked up to her, showed the receipt with an aloof grin, and snatched his food.  "The alley is behind the 49th Street Café."

"That's a pub," she corrected him.

"I'll be there at eleven sharp," he grinned.

She scoffed and crossed her arms across her chest.  "And I'll be at home sleeping."

He laughed.  "I guess that we'll just wait and see."

Ally rolled her eyes.  "Trust me, my mind is made up.  Now, your name?"

He gave her a wave of his hand and strutted over to the door.  Pushing it open, he turned around.  "Goodbye, Allison Roberts!" he called with a sneaky grin.

Ally let out a scowl, watching him leave.  Mrs. Berger just let out a laugh.  "Looks like your next boyfriend, Ally," she said with a smirk.

"That's so not happening," Ally reassured her boss.

Mrs. Berger nodded.  "Glad you have some brains, but I don't think your heart is as smart."

Ally sighed and watched as he crossed the street.  She didn't know if he would be back, but she knew that he would be waiting at the alley tonight.  That boy is going to be trouble.

*******************************************

Author's Note:

Hello my friends!

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know I have been working hard at this novel and have been dying to let you guys read it!  I hope that you loved the first chapter, and I would absolutely love to hear any feedback you have. ♡

If you aren't following me on Twitter, make sure to do so!  I'll give you some sneak peeks, remind you of updates, and occasionally ask for you guys to help me pick a name, or something.

For example, I'm currently running a poll for a name for the burger place that will open up and create some competition against Burger Café!  Go place your vote now!  My Twitter is aliwoodson.

Anyways, if you like the story, let me know by leaving a comment, voting, or sharing the story on social media!

Lots of love,

Ali xoxo