Balancing Act (open!)

[Ҩ Jonathan Empris]

Jon was a great student. He got straight A's at school, and spent every free moment he had studying and reviewing all the notes he'd already studied. He always finished his homework on time, and always scheduled his life around his schoolwork.

Then he got a job. And it was a wonderful job, a job he thoroughly enjoyed, but it was really wreaking havoc to his previously school-dedicated schedule. So Jon brought his books with him to work, studying between orders and diligently on his break. He was really good at cooking faster than any other cook on the planet, so this also gave him plenty of time to catch up.

It was slow, that awkward time between lunch and dinner, and he was behind the counter with his Biology notes strewn on the table. His text book was open to neuron analysis and had a big block of text next to a large diagram of something scientific-looking. His short dark curls were in a hairnet for sanitary reasons, and his off-white apron had a fresh smear of spaghetti sauce on it. The young man's pencil flew across the notebook, a look of intense concentration on his face. But the little bell above the door sounded, and he looked up. It showed how dedicated he was that the pencil still moved to finish the sentence.

"Hey," Jon greeted, that friendly smile of his lighting up his face.

[olive]

"Um, like, who are you?" The mysterious bell-tinkler was none other than 'World Famous' reporter Olive the Great, and she was looking mighty unhappy. While she wore a wide smile upon entering, she was now frowning, arms crossed across her chest. She was hoping to find that total hottie Eiji Almasy, but it looked like she found some curly-haired dork instead! He was so not who she wanted to talk to! But maybe he knew where Eiji was?

Suddenly, a thought struck her.

Ohmygosh! I was like, kind of mean! What happens if he won't tell me where they're hiding Eiji?!

Besides, he's kind of a cute dork!

"Oh, I'm like, totally sorry! I'm just so like, stressed! I'm having the worst day of my life!" She massaged her temples and breathed an exhausted sigh, though the most stressful thing she did that day was buy herself a big block of fudge.

It was a well-deserved reward for being such an inspiration to her colleagues, okay?!

[Ҩ Jonathan Empris]

"Me? Oh, uh..." Jon's welcoming smile faltered, taken aback by Olive's forward approach. Young girls weren't usually this... this... uh...

"Hey, don't apologize," He waved off her mood swing with a bit of effort, trying not to look too thrown. Truthfully, he still felt like she'd thrown him out a window, but Jon was always overly sensitive and not a very inspired conversationalist. He liked this job because it usually involved very little customer communication if he was in the back, and on days like this when things were slow and he was the only one around, chatter was limited because he was responsible for serving and cooking.

But Jon was a good guy, and a nice guy to boot, and the little drama queen on the opposite end of the counter from him was clearly looking for some attention. How much could it hurt if he gave her a little? It wasn't like he had much else to do aside from writing his essay. Besides, he needed a break. His wrist was cramping up.

"I'm sure it couldn't be that bad," Jon offered in a soothing tone, preparing himself for her loud contradiction. She'd likely accuse him of not knowing what she was going through, scold him for not understanding or appreciating how girls had to suffer... he had a little sister. And whenever Annie Lorne visited her brother, he was often the victim of her non-stop chattering as well.

[olive]

"But, like, it totally was!" Olive countered, eyes wide and head nodding insistently. She kept doing this for a full minute as she thought up why exactly her day was so awful. Maybe he'd just think she was stunned that he would have the audacity to ask why her day was so bad!

"It's like, I'm trying to get a story, right? But like, how can I interview people when like everyone keeps blowing me off!" She stomped her foot hard in 'frustration,' making a 'hmph' noise as she continued formulating her excuse. "I was just like talking to some like...people...and one of them told me to go away! And, and one of them was like, 'Ew, go away, little girl! I don't want a date!' And then he turned and walked away and he told his friends that I'm uggglyyyy!"

Her story was so convincing that she fooled herself! Overcome with distress over some random person supposedly calling her ugly, she threw herself into the chair next to Jon and began sniffling.

"I-I mean like, I didn't even want a date, I just was gonna say 'Pardon me sir, but have you seen anything like suspicious in these parts lately?' b-but he...and then he said...he was so mean!"

She could really use a milkshake. She looked around for any sign of her handsome milkshake provider, but, alas, he was nowhere to be found.

"Do you know Eiji Almasy?" She asked her curly-haired companion pitifully, recalling the yummy chocolate milkshake Eiji had given her. She wondered if the same milkshake from someone else could be as tasty.

Probably not.

[Ҩ Jonathan Empris]

"You're a reporter?" Jon summarized, having even more difficulty relating to the girl. "That happens to the best reporters. No one wants to talk to you because they know you have the power to tear them apart with your pen and paper." He tried flipping the situation so she wouldn't be upset about people blowing her off. Maybe she'd feel empowered. Jon was nothing if not strategic. And he bought everything Olive sold him - he could see no reason for the girl to lie to him. Of course he could tell she exaggerated a little, but what teenager didn't?

He listened to her other complaints, and frowned when she asked him about Eiji. "Eiji Almasy called you ugly?" Seriously confused, he looked back at the kitchen to where his phone was. He wouldn't call Eiji himself, but he might call up Kenneth or Kellan or Elliot to see if maybe they knew anything about Eiji crushing this poor girl. Besides, he didn't have Eiji's number, which was a better excuse than not being brave enough. The Almasy boy could be pretty intimidating, even if Jon mostly saw the boy hammered.

He couldn't see Eiji mistreating this eager girl. Even though she was young, Eiji had a soft spot for blonds. Olive was the epitome of cute, with her determined personality and innocent appearance. Unless she insulted Eiji's fashion sense, he could not see the boy hurting her.

[olive]

"Tear them apart?" Olive queried, frowning. Tearing people apart would be so messy and mean, and using just a pen and paper would take forever! Besides, weren't dentists most likely to become serial killers? "Like, ew! Why would anyone want to do that?!" She made a face and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

What a horrible thing to think! Who was going around saying that about reporters?! Why, she'd like to have a word with them!

"I'll show them one day! Destroy stereotypes! Reporters. are. nice!" She informed forcefully, lightly banging her fist on the table for emphasis.

"I mean like, look at me, I'm nice..." She babbled, getting so carried up in her quest to defend the reputations of reporters everywhere that she totally forgot she was looking for Eiji. That is, forgot until the curly-haired cutie said his name. "What? No, no, no! Like, the last time I was here he was working and like he gave me a milkshake..."

[Ҩ Jonathan Empris]

She was an enigma. Then again, all girls were, but they usually got more complicated as they aged. Olive looked like she was twelve, maybe thirteen. He wished whatever young boy that fell in love with her the best of luck, because if she was this crazy right now... who knows where she'd be a few years from now.

"No, I mean tear them apart like... you have the power to make or break a reputation," he tried clarifying, but wasn't sure how good a job he was doing. "Like, you can say 'This restaurant is amazing!' and people will come to see just how amazing it is. Or you can say 'This restaurant is awful' and people will avoid it like the plague. Your words have power."

Her outburst that reporters were nice had Jon, despite his flustered state, struggling to hide a smile. He just nodded good-naturedly, not quite sure how to argue that without being insensitive. So he didn't, and just let her believe that her mission was possible. He nodded a little more animatedly to agree that yes, she looked nice.

Then when she mentioned Eiji working here, he frowned. The two had only worked a couple shifts together, and the older boy still intimidated Jon. Jon wanted to ask Charlotte why she hired him, the boy with an infinite supply of money, but he kept his mouth shut. Eiji was friends with Tristan who was the son of the diner owner, and that was enough to keep him quiet. And it wasn't like Jon wasn't getting enough hours; he came to work practically every day after school, and weekends were his long shifts. He liked it at the diner, and he didn't want to start any drama.

"Do you uh... did you want a milkshake now?" He turned slightly to the ice cream dispenser, wondering if he had to check or adjust the temperature. It was still pretty chilly out, and no one had ordered any iced beverages.

[olive]

She graced him with a satisfied smile; she liked what he said about reporters having the power to make or break a reputation. What a kind and clever boy he was, speaking so well of she and her colleagues! He wasn't as sinfully pretty-looking as Eiji was, nor as famous, but she decided she liked him all the same.

"Like, it is amazing!" Olive informed excitedly; she was always eager to share her knowledge with, or rather, thrust her knowledge upon others. "Eiji Almasy told me so! He like, said that this was like the best diner in all of New York City!" She beamed, ever pleased with herself for discovering the Diner all on her own.

"I'm even gonna like, write a story about it someday, when like something really cool happens here that'll make it like, end up on the front page!" She kicked her feet back and forth under the table, her enthusiasm increasing so rapidly as she played out the story in her head that she didn't notice she'd accidentally kicked Jon in the shin. "It can't like, go on the front page now because like, it won't be long enough or cool enough and it'd just end up in the restaurant section or something! Yuck! And don't tell Eiji I'm gonna write the story cause it's a secretandIwannasurprisehim, cross your heart!"

She drew an invisible 'x' over her heart with her finger, giving him a look that said she expected him to do the same. Crossing your heart was the only way to make sure someone was telling the truth, other than pinkey-promising. She didn't like pinkey-promising, because that was almost like holding hands, and you only ever held hands with someone when you liked them, and she didn't want everyone going around thinking that! Her life was complicated enough without a swarm of adoring fans trying to woo her!

"Yes, thank you!" She chirped, interpreting Jon's question as an offer. "Like, everyone's so nice here, no wonder it's the best diner in New York City!"

[Ҩ Jonathan Empris]

"Did he?" Jon suddenly liked Eiji a lot more for his kind words about Charlotte's diner. Of course he was influencing Olive, but who wouldn't? The girl was naive and gullible, and despite her boisterous nature you could tell she was a complete sweetheart. Taking advantage of her would be an easy feat, and he admired Eiji for doing so in such a gentle fashion.

"What would 'something really cool' have to be to get in the paper?" Jon mused aloud, wondering if they'd need a celebrity. Maybe he could ask Kenneth to ask Raelena if she and some rockstar buddies could come eat something here after a night in Manhattan. He was sure that would be something to write about, even if it was past Olive's bed time. He wouldn't mind retelling the story... Charlotte was such a good woman, she deserved great success as a diner owner in New York.

But then he was kicked out of his happy thoughts by Olive's foot, and groaned as quietly as he could. He leaned over and lifted his leg to rub the offending bruise, and kept nodding as Olive went on about restaurant sections and Eiji's and secrets. Then she was looking at him expectantly, and he tried to recall what she said. Something about promises...??

Jon just nodded, "I won't tell," unsure how to return her 'cross your heart' symbol. It was clearly something this new generation was into, because Jon had never witnessed the gesture before. Or maybe it was just an Olive thing. Either way, he didn't know what to do with it. She was bouncing all over the place, and he was actually relieved when she placed her order for the milkshake. It gave him something other than nodding and smiling to do.

He set to work, getting out the milk and tapped the labels on the ice cream tubs. "Chocolate?" He guessed, not pinning Olive as a vanilla or strawberry kind of girl. The ice cream was always kept in super-cold conditions, and was often too hard to serve. Usually the other servers would have to take an ice cream order early so they could set it out to moisten a bit. Jon was lucky enough to not need to wait. Well, except for Olive to tell him her desired flavour.