If It Isn't Her

J

Jovian

Guest
Original poster
The restaurant was packed with the social elites. It was a five star establishment, which was partly the only reason her father chose the place for the celebration. They were seated quickly, because they had made a reservation several days prior, by a young host. He smiled at Sam, who smiled politely but without conviction. She was still hesitant about relationships after the year prior when she had her heart broken.

"Samantha." Only her parents called her by her full name, so Sam immediately looked over towards her mother. "Sit down, please." Sam looked down at the seat in front of her before sitting quickly. She looked around to see that a couple of her parents' friends were waiting for her to sit before they did as well. It was only polite; this was her celebration after all.

"What are you going to school for?" asked her father's friend as they situated before the waitress came by.

"Photography," she answered simply. She didn't want them to be here. She thought it would only be her and her parents. That was the way it was supposed to be, wasn't it? Sam would be damned if she said more than she had to around these people. But she also couldn't be impolite, it would not please her mother. And her mother had a sharp tongue.
 
"Here is your order, a lobster platter correct?" a woman with short blonde hair, fashioned in a boyish cut said with a smile, laying down the plate that sat a freshly cooked lobster with garnish and dressing in front of a fancy middle-aged woman, who nodded in agreement. She smiled at the customer - one of her charming ones that customers always liked "If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to call my attention." she winked at the woman, who was surprised at this action and her cheeks coloured almost instantly - her husband from across the table was oblivious about the whole scenario. She leaned away, giving another polite smile before leaving their table.

As she walked, she passed by one of her fellow waiters - Travis who followed her while holding an empty tray in his hands "Man, Alex." he said in disbelief and astonishment as he followed the blonde haired woman, who allegedly named Alex. "I always wondered why you're working here, you're better off at a Host Club or something! I saw what you did back there."

"What are you talking about? I just like to offer good customer service." Alex said casually as they reached the window connecting to the kitchen, receving another order from the chef with a small note of which table the order belongs to. It was a busy day at the restaurant, busier than it ever was. It was June, graduating season for most teenagers and it was a 'must' for them and their families to come and celebrate at the best restaurant in the city, which happened to be this restaurant. Alex didn't mind though, she like working here. She'd been working here for years.

"What kind of customer service is that?"

"If you're thinking of something perverted. Go die in hell, moron."

Travis was one of her closest friends during High School, but he never graduated and dropped out of school. Because of Alex's referral, he found himself working along with her at the restaurant and he was quite a capable waiter - which boosted the manager's views of Alex. He was also the only one who knows Alex's attraction for women, that's why he teased her about it frequently.
 
Converstation finally fell away from Sam and she was able to look around the restaurant. She watched the waiting staff for a while, their graceful movements as they nimbly walked around and between the tables.

"Samantha, have you decided on an order?" her father asked. She nodded, and he turned back to their company. Sam was left to her vices once more. She turned again to see a waitress heading their way.
 
On the way to the table to which where the order belonged, Alex put on another smile as she reached the group of customers - two of which were familiar faces. They were a middle-aged couple who were regular customers, they ate here everyother weekend and they seemed to never have run out of expensive clothes to wear. They came alone, or with some friends - who were usually social elites like them. They knew Alex well, for she had served them as their waitress almost everytime.

"Hello again, sir and ma'am." Alex greeted Sam's parents' friends, who were the alleged middle aged couple and settled down a trayof appetizers in the middle of the long table "Here is your appetizers, chips with cheesy spinach dip - two orders, correct?". She leaned away, taking her pad and pen from the pockets of her apron, preparing herself to take down orders "Would you like to order you main course now, or would you rather think about it after eating your appetizers?"
 
Sam's father smiled at the waitress calmly. "I believe we are ready to order. Am I right?" he asked his friends. They nodded and Sam nodded as well. They ordered confidently, each one already aware of what they wanted. Soon it came around to Sam, who quickly pointed at something on the menu. Seeing that it was crab legs, she shivered and shifted her finger.

"Shrimp fettucini," she said to cover for herself, "please." She preferred shrimp anyday over crab for some reason. Though she could see from her father's gaze that he had wanted her to order differently. He didn't raise a cheap daughter, she thought he was mentally telling her. And the pasta was only a medium priced dish. The others ordered excellent steak cuts or the lobster, all high end meals.
 
Alex jotted down the orders the way they were told to her, she knew well of Sam's parent's friends' orders and it was the first things she placed on her list "Is it with the usual sauce?" she spoke through the pad as she wrote down the orders busily, her question directed to the usual elderly couple who was with Sam's family. Steak, ribs, steak. she thought in her head, it was mostly what the customers ordered - usually. And this place served them in different cooking methods and sauces, it made taking orders easier.

"Shrimp Fettucine. Please."

She looked to the girl who spoke, who was seated a person away from where she stood. Her order was so off from the steak-and-rib pattern, who the heck orders the Shrimp Fettucine? It's almost available in any restaurant. Heck, she bet even Olive Garden has it. She sighed, regaining her composure as she went back to her customer-friendly-facade "I'm sorry miss." she said with an apologetic smile, the thing with working as a waitress wasn't only the fact that it burns calories, it was an ideal acting workshop "But we have no more Shrimp Fettucine for today...would you like to order something else?"
 
Sam wasn't really disappointed, though after she said it the meal had sounded good. Sam sighed as though she were annoyed, and looked back at the menu.

"I suppose I'll just have... the top sirloin?" It wasn't one of the best steak cuts, more of a medium rated steak. "Cooked to a medium. And no sauce. Make sure it is well seasoned."
 
She's sighing over a cheap meal? Alex wondered in her head, keeping a happy smile in her face on the outside. She wouldn't dare to show she was annoyed over this particular woman. Not only that she ordered the weirdest meals in the menu, but she seems to be unsure what she's ordering. It was like she just pointed at random things on the menu half-heartedly - a passive sort of choice. It was like if she did not speak, she'd let her parents order for her instead.

"I'll just have... the top sirloin? Cooked to a medium. And no sauce. Make sure it is well seasoned."

"Alright." Alex said in a plain tone, jotting the last order down on her list. Not only was the woman like what she thought she was - she was rather demanding too. Typical rich girl. Alex didn't think of it much as a big deal, she'd seen worse - or maybe the worst. She nodded at the group, doing a recap of everything they ordered for confirmation, before finally leaving their table.
 
Sam listened to her present company drone on about business conversation and the normal social conversations. She was getting bored, so she excused herself to the restroom. At least it would get her away from dull conversation for a little while. Sam enterred the bathroom and stood in front of the sink staring at herself in the mirror. She wasn't all that impressed with what she saw there, so she sighed and began washing her hands before she had to go back to the table where she was supposed to be having a congradulatory dinner for graduating from the most prestigious private school in the area, and with honors to boot!
 
"You look rather annoyed, blondie." greeted Travis as he watched her take platters from the chef, putting it into a huge round tray in which it seemed to fit perfectly. He was leaning against the wall beside the kitchen window, holding a glass of water. He seemed to be taking his break, since he was rather relaxed at the hecticness of the restaurant's environment.

"Oh yes, because I saw your face." Alex smiled sweetly at his frowning face, she was relentlessly rude - but it was something you can never tell that she was if she talked to customers. She was a whole different person when in her shift, and an extremely different person out of work. She lifted the heavy tray, using her right hand with arm and shoulder supported her hold as she walked back to the table she took the orders from. The orders came in quite a fast pace, if the restaurant wasn't as hectic as today - the orders would've taken longer. But it seemed like the chef and his team sensed how busy the restaurant was today, and probably grew an extra pair of arms.

"Here are your orders." she smiled at them as she handed the platter to the corresponding person who has ordered it, she remembered it well - so she was certain she made no mistakes. At the corner of her eye, she watched the annoying girl retreat back to her seat after going somewhere unknown. There was a plain look on her face, like she was bothered about something - not like she cared, but got into her curiosity. She shook the thought off, she sees no reason to invest her thoughts to strangers - it's not like she's going to see her again here, after her cheap tastes for food.
 
Paying no mind to the waitress handing out food, Sam sat down and looked at her own food before looking around the table.

"Thank you, dear," her mother told the waitress. Her father smiled with agreement. Sam said nothing. She just prepared to eat her steak, which was surprising well seasoned and tasted excellent. She turned to say something to the waitress about the steak, because it was cooked to perfection by her standards, but she was already walking away.
 
Minutes passed of taking orders, and handing out meals to other customers passed like seconds. That was how hectic today was, and it wasn't long till that same table from earlier called her attention again for desserts. "Ah, but of course." she muttered in a low voice, slowly smiling as she neared them, with her pen and pad in hand "Hello again, what kinds of desserts would you all like?"

I bet she'll order the plain ice cream bowl. That's the cheapest in the menu. she assumed idly, and a few moments later the family friends of the girl's family began speaking about how they would like the double chocolate cake and a the strawberry cheesecake - which was different from the huge boat of banana split they usually ordered. She even heard them telling the girl's parents what a good waitress she was, and how she served them often. In a normal environment, she'd be smirking about this remark - especially since she lightly flirted with the woman randomly in their previous visits, mostly winks and such - but nothing that tried to make it look like she was interested - because she wasn't.

It was something she did absent mindedly, but she has no plans to break off such a strong couples. After what happened to her parents, she won't be able to forgive herself. Plus, a flirt coming from lesbians come off more subtle, since it didn't come off too obvious - like how men do it.
 
Sam didn't really feel like dessert, so she prepared to decline. Her parents ranted and raved to everyone about what a good waitress the girl was, so Sam took a good look at her. She seemed pleasant enough, Sam supposed. She didn't really look very feminine though, which she had figured would bother her parents but that didn't seem to be the case.

"I'll have a slice of strawberry cheesecake," she decided, not wanting to make her father upset. She wasn't really in the mood for anything sweet, but it was necessary to make certain sacrifices. At least a cheesecake was usually small.
 
Alex was taken aback, but she didn't show this. She was surprised how her assumptions failed her - they were usually right. But the first time they wronged her greatly. She looked at the girl for a moment, before reverting her gaze back towards the pad that she held on her hand and wrote the words '2x' beside the words 'Strawberry Cheesecake', counting the order as for two - regarding the one the middle-aged woman also ordered. After double-checking if what they ordered was correct, she once again left their table to gather their orders.

This routine was like an autonomous program inside of her - it was what she did everytime. She takes orders, walks back, smiles, walks away, goes back, gives bill, tells them to come back again. This was a very repetitive sequence, but a job is a job. Plus, some of the customers had a pretty face to come along with the fancy dresses, and she made them as base models for her drawings.

She returned shortly back to the table, with a plate full sweets decorated with the chef's love and care. She carried a deep admiration for elderly chef who worked his heart out in the kitchens, probably because cooking was edible art - but it was art all the same, and all artists have special connection that brings them together, no matter what kind of art they do. In other words, they understand each other. "Desserts are here." she told, with a light-hearted tone as she settled the plates down in front of them, after a few 'thank you's from the adults she gave them another smile as courtesy before leaving them alone once again.
 
Soon they finished eating dessert and the waitress brought out the bill for her father to pay. Sam paid no attention; she had no need to. Her father would take care of everything just as he always did. She did get one more glance at the waitress. Despite her boyish looks, she was kind of pretty, Sam thought to herself before she was led out of the restaurant.

Only a summer of 2 months for relaxation, and then school would start up. Sam was excited to get right into it.
 
After a hectic day at the restaurant, the manager himself kicked Alex out of the restaurant despite her protests that she could still do some overtime. But the manager told her to go home rest, since she hadn't have taken a break even once during her shift. She fixed her worn leather jacket, and her crumpled white V-neck shirt as she walked along the sidewalk; the skies above her reached dusk and lamposts stood in rows lighting up the roads she walked on and the roads people drove on. It maybe the night, but it didn't stop the city from being busy especially now that people were newly graduated from high school - they would be certainly in nightclub partying in intoxication.

Instead of taking the usual route going home, she turned to a sharp left to a street before her apartment. She was welcomed by a quiet row of small condo buildings, it was a big business in this city since not everyone preferred to have houses except for the wealthy people who owned the huge buildings in the business industry of the this part of America. Along the way, she passed by a few people who looked at her skeptically but she got this kind of look a lot, so she didn't really mind. She was girl who looked like a convincing boy, especially with the haircut. But what made her feminine was her facial structure, which slightly defied the image she tried to build. The make-up she only ever wore was eyeliner, which was only present to make her eyes broader, just a line running around her slightly chinky eyes - nothing more nothing less.

Her tracks stopped in front a gate of a familiar household, which hasn't changed a bit since the years after she had last been here. She asked herself why she was here again, and she remembered there was something she had to get - and she'll do it quickly, in the hopes of not seeing her again. She pushed the gate open - which it certainly was - and paced towards the door, which was left ajar. "Reckless bitch." she sighed, entering the household and saw the lights open in the living room. Her eyes fell down to the couch, where a 35-year old Vietnamese woman laid naked on the furniture, with a red blanket covering her nude figure, sound asleep.

She went upstairs, making her way to the room at the left where the memories of the past chapter of her life greeted her as it had objects of her memories scattered around the room. Sighing, she knelt down and ducked to look under the bed - pulling a dusty blue binder from under the bed frame. She looked at it for a moment before standing up, remembering how she needs to get out of this house as soon as possible. On her way down, she heard a tired moan audible from the living room, she had woken up.

"Who is there?" the Vietnamese woman inquired, rising her head to look around the house and Alex stopped to look at her, and she saw her looking back her, catching the sight of Alex's blonde hair "Alexis? Is that you Lexi?"

"Don't call me Lexi." she snapped coldly, turning away from her and started gathering her bags and tucked the blue binder under her right arm as she opened the main door of the house to exit "You have no daughter anymore, and I never had a mother. Let's keep it that way." was the last words she said before leaving her speechless mother alone in her house.

"Hopefully this would be the last time I'll ever see you again, mother."
 
Sam was glad to be home. She immediately went to her room and collapsed in bed. That dinner was hard on her, harder than she thought it would be when her father said that more would be joining them. She rolled onto her side and looked around her room trying to decide what the last thing she'd do for the evening would be. Her gaze went to the computer, but she shook her head. Then she looked at the camera worth over two grand sitting next to it. Night pictures could sometimes be beautiful, if done right.

Nodding, Sam got up and put the camera's strap around her neck so that she wouldn't risk dropping the camera. She messed with some settings and then walked outside to the front of the house to look around before snapping photos. She would be doing this most of the night if her mother let her.
 
Arriving home to her small but functional apartment, finding herself falling on the soft white bed as soon as she reached the end of the hallway that connected the kitchen to her room. It was indeed a tiring day for her, and she never felt so exhausted her whole life. Her memories began recollecting the events that happened prior her current state. It started at the college, with a talk with the principal then to her work and that girl who was cheap for a rich girl, but still demanding - and probably snobby. This recap ended when her cellphone rang wildly in her pocket, she fished it out of it's hold and looked at the screen but the line was secured. Even so, she pressed the green button and answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

Alexis? Ah, I knew it. I have the right number, right?" an excited englishman spoke through the phone, with a voice loud enough that Alex had to put him in loud speaker.

She was unsure, but the voice sounded so familiar "....Dad?" she asked, trying to confirm his identity.

"Dad? Yes, yes. I am your dad. I can't believe I forgot for a moment...blimey." the Englishman chuckled awkwardly, his breath made static noises through the phone. Alex can only guess that he'd be running a hand across his yellow blonde hair constantly as he said those words - a habit that Alex noticed he often did when she lived back in England "How's my girl? Is your mother treating you well?"

"Yeah...she's fine." she lied smoothly, but it made her heart beat rapidly. She often contacted her Dad through e-mail, and lying was easier through text, it was harder when she was actually talking to me "How about you...?"

"Life is fine, yes. Some nice american folk called the Irvingtons wanted a decent and good lawyer for their company, so of course they come to..." he cleared his throat proudly, and Alex rolled her eyes at this. How she missed her father, she hadn't seen him personally for years "Yours truly." he said in a bragging manner, her father was a known lawyer in Britain because he really good. No wonder these Irvingtons people decided to get a British lawyer for their american company - whatever company it would be.

"I'm happy for you."

"I know you are, and as soon we get these papers set they'll send me over there and we can hopefully---" he paused, sighing. There was sadness present in his voice, he was probably as nostalgic as she was "---see each other again."

"...Yeahh..."

Is there anything you need beside college money? I hope that bi --- I mean that mother of yours has been feeding you well..."

"It's okay Dad. By the way, I'm going back to college soon. And I'm fine."

"If you say so...goodnight and good luck Darling."

"Goodnight Dad." these were the last few words she spoke before she and her father ended the call, even though it was just a call --- it gave her a pleasant feeling. It was comforting words that she hadn't heard from anyone for years, all these years she was cold and indpendent. Her Dad always found a way to break through her ice barrier. She closed her eyes, drifting off to much deserved sleep.
 
Sam spent several hours outside taking pictures of constellations and the moon's shadow as it affected the world around the neighborhood. She was just starting to get tired as it neared midnight so she returned back home. Her parents were already in bed, she thought, so she made sure that all the doors were locked and had to go past the living room to go up to her room

"Samantha," her father stated as she passed. "I would like to talk to you."

Sam winced; she was so close to just going upstairs and downloading her new pictures.

"All right," she said, walking into the living room and sitting across from her father.

Her father was stiff, so Sam knew that most likely she was in trouble. Either that or she wasn't going to like what he was going to say.

"About your major..."

"Its not changing, don't even try to convince me."

"No, no. I just wanted to know if you really thought you wanted to go to this school for photography. There are schools all over with better photography programs. You could choose any one that you wanted. Why this one?"

"Because its where you and Mother went to school. I want to meet the man of my dreams there too, just like Mom did."

"Yes, well, you can do that at any school-"

Sam sighed and stood.

"I have already made up my mind. I'm also already enrolled. I'm going to this school."

That said, Sam left the room and went upstairs to load her pictures on to her laptop.
 
Alex had to admit, she wasn't used to waking up this early anymore.

She rose from her bed in a frenzy even thought overslept for a mere two minutes. Time was a big deal for her, and wasting even 120 seconds made her extremely anxious. After the daily hygiene needs of a typical and clean human, she dressed herself for sucess. It was her first day back at college, it would extremely bad for first impressions to dress badly. She fashioned a black shirt with a round collar, tucked underneath a yellow and red men's cardigan of the smallest size to fit her thin body perfectly and black skinny jeans with her black pair of Vans. She admired her reflecfion in the mirror, she was very much a convincing guy if you don't stare at her enough. The small chest she had helped a lot too.

Deciding against wearing her contacts today, she wore her black framed glasses and tucked back half of her blonde, spiky-layered boy hair under a grey beanie, leaving the front half of her hair exposed and styled. Grabbing her bag, binder, and iPod she dashed out of her apartment in a flash and boarded the express transit bus that would take her quickly to the University in less than two hours. Even though she talked with the principal yesterday, he made her promise that she'll meet with him before classes to confirm her return to school completely.