You walk up to the building that’s about three stories tall. It looks bigger then you remember it being, but that was fourteen years ago. So much time has passed since then, that the entire town looks different. You where only nine then, and the last person you were with was you mother. Taking a moment to think, you remembered the sweet smile that would dance on her face whenever she saw you do anything cute. You shake your head to remove the thoughts before the tears start to fall down your face again. Thinking of her always brings back the memory of her death, but she’s in piece now and is always watching from wherever she is. Or so you like to think when you look up at the sky and watch the clouds lazy float across the blue expanse.
Moving forward, you open the door and walk in. The inside has changed too. It’s no longer the dull grey chrome color it uses to be. With the steal stools with red cushions at the counter, and the booths with wood frames and red cushions too. It’s taken on a more modern feel, and this time they’ve added plants. The only thing that’s the same are the booths, but they look a little worn, as if they’ve ever seen better days. Though you think they’ve always looked that way but you’re not entirely sure.
“Well I’ll be, I’ve not seen this face for years,” said a very familiar voice. “What’s it been, ten, fifteen years since I’ve seen you,” the voice asks.
Turing to face it, you find exactly who you thought it was and add it to the list of things that are still the same. You say it’s been fourteen, and you can’t help but smile at that dumb founded reaction of his. Arnold, in fact, still looks the same as he did back then and that really make you question how old this man is.
“Bet you’re surprised to see me still in this place. Its changed so many times through the years,” he sighs, “ and it seems you have too. You’re no longer that little sprout that ran around my diner.” You see him smile, but at the same time you see the sadness he tries to hide.
You take a stool, which have gone from red cushions to black and from stationary to revolving. You can’t help but take a second to swivel a bit, earning a slight chuck from the man behind the counter. “I take it you’ll take your usual then, might as well since you’ve sat down,” he says with a raised eyebrow.
You don’t even have time to answer, as he’s already writing it down and going to the back to prep the order. You smile in remember what you always got from here: a classic cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake. Back then the place was always busy and you’d have to wait ten minutes to get a seat, but these days it looks like the place is on its last legs despite how new it looks. You finally take a minute to look around, truly, and notice that you’re the only person that’s in here. “Yeah, this place isn’t as popular as it use to be back when you were just a kid,” comes another surprising voice from out of nowhere causing you to jump a bit.
You don’t believe your eyes so you blink them a bit, but to no avail. The woman before is none other then the girl you went to school with since preschool up until sixth grade. “I know I look a little different but it’s still me, the same old Lucy ‘Goosy’ from times of old,” she says with a slight smile.
You tell her you know her, but that you can’t believe she’s changed so much from the last time you saw her. Her fiery messy red hair has actually calmed down and hangs just past her shoulders in a ponytail, she still doesn’t have any freckles, and she’s grown a few feet taller.
"So, I have another patron do I?"
Arnold voice come from nowhere startaling both you and Lucy, Lucy more then you. Sighing, he pulls out his note pad and writes something in it and disappears into the back once more. Various clanging sounds can be heard as the both you and Lucy listen to whatever is going on behind the wall that is the kitchen. However, you don't have long to listen as Arnold reappears with food in hand.
"Now lets see, I've got one order of a classic cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake, and a tuna sandwich on toasted wheat bread with a side of steamed veggies and a soda." Arnold placed the food down in front of you and Lucy after asking if he'd gotten it right and received nods from both of you. "Well, then, if you need me i'll be right here," he said.
As you and Lucy ate your food, you talked about the years and the things you've done throughout them. You've learned that Lucy has had bad luck at holding down a job, it would seem her employers had other intentions when they hired her but would fire her if she didn't comply with them. Right now, though, she tells you that she's got a job working at retail store selling used clothes, and so far no incidences have occurred.
You tell her of your little adventures around the country. You tell Lucy the details of loosing your mother on the last trip do to a doctor's mix up in the files. How this is your final trip anywhere, and that you'll be returning to the last place you visited so as to be close to your mother.
"Wow, you've had quite the life haven't you," she said before finishing her sandwich. "Still, if this is your last trip, how much of the town have you seen? A lot has changed you know?"
You tell her that you've been back for two days now, and that you can't believe all the things that are different. From the remodeling of the school, to the new buildings that just keep popping up everywhere. You tell Lucy that today is your last day and the only place you hadn't seen yet was where you sit telling her your story. Shock is probably the funnest thing you've ever seen to hit her face. Lucy never handled shocking news well, and it seems she still can't. Her face twitches, while her mouth gapes into a giant "O" out of nowhere.
"So you saved the best place for last did you?" Once more Arnold managed to surprise the both of you again. "I'm glad that you did, otherwise I'd have expected you to eat her for the duration of your trip," he says with that goofy smile of his.
The three of you laugh, but the laughter doesn't last long and it comes time for you to head out as the trip has come to an end. You pay your bill and walk out the door. Silence falls as you and Lucy stand next to each other, not really wanting to say good by again. Still, you know it must be done and you exchange pleasantries of goodbyes with the girl that was, and maybe still is, your best friend.
________________________________________________________________________________
You awake with a start from a loud noise. Whipping the sweat from your forehead, you recall the dream you just had was more of a memory then a dream. In fact, that event took place a month ago. You look at your alarm clock and see that there is ten minutes before you actually need to be up. Sighing, you get up out of bed and head over to the window to open the curtains. The sight outside your window always makes you frown. Heaven, it seems, is not the fluffy white clouded place you thought it was, but instead a busily metropolis. "How could you have gotten it so wrong?", is the same question you ask yourself every time you get up out of bed.
Moving forward, you open the door and walk in. The inside has changed too. It’s no longer the dull grey chrome color it uses to be. With the steal stools with red cushions at the counter, and the booths with wood frames and red cushions too. It’s taken on a more modern feel, and this time they’ve added plants. The only thing that’s the same are the booths, but they look a little worn, as if they’ve ever seen better days. Though you think they’ve always looked that way but you’re not entirely sure.
“Well I’ll be, I’ve not seen this face for years,” said a very familiar voice. “What’s it been, ten, fifteen years since I’ve seen you,” the voice asks.
Turing to face it, you find exactly who you thought it was and add it to the list of things that are still the same. You say it’s been fourteen, and you can’t help but smile at that dumb founded reaction of his. Arnold, in fact, still looks the same as he did back then and that really make you question how old this man is.
“Bet you’re surprised to see me still in this place. Its changed so many times through the years,” he sighs, “ and it seems you have too. You’re no longer that little sprout that ran around my diner.” You see him smile, but at the same time you see the sadness he tries to hide.
You take a stool, which have gone from red cushions to black and from stationary to revolving. You can’t help but take a second to swivel a bit, earning a slight chuck from the man behind the counter. “I take it you’ll take your usual then, might as well since you’ve sat down,” he says with a raised eyebrow.
You don’t even have time to answer, as he’s already writing it down and going to the back to prep the order. You smile in remember what you always got from here: a classic cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake. Back then the place was always busy and you’d have to wait ten minutes to get a seat, but these days it looks like the place is on its last legs despite how new it looks. You finally take a minute to look around, truly, and notice that you’re the only person that’s in here. “Yeah, this place isn’t as popular as it use to be back when you were just a kid,” comes another surprising voice from out of nowhere causing you to jump a bit.
You don’t believe your eyes so you blink them a bit, but to no avail. The woman before is none other then the girl you went to school with since preschool up until sixth grade. “I know I look a little different but it’s still me, the same old Lucy ‘Goosy’ from times of old,” she says with a slight smile.
You tell her you know her, but that you can’t believe she’s changed so much from the last time you saw her. Her fiery messy red hair has actually calmed down and hangs just past her shoulders in a ponytail, she still doesn’t have any freckles, and she’s grown a few feet taller.
"So, I have another patron do I?"
Arnold voice come from nowhere startaling both you and Lucy, Lucy more then you. Sighing, he pulls out his note pad and writes something in it and disappears into the back once more. Various clanging sounds can be heard as the both you and Lucy listen to whatever is going on behind the wall that is the kitchen. However, you don't have long to listen as Arnold reappears with food in hand.
"Now lets see, I've got one order of a classic cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake, and a tuna sandwich on toasted wheat bread with a side of steamed veggies and a soda." Arnold placed the food down in front of you and Lucy after asking if he'd gotten it right and received nods from both of you. "Well, then, if you need me i'll be right here," he said.
As you and Lucy ate your food, you talked about the years and the things you've done throughout them. You've learned that Lucy has had bad luck at holding down a job, it would seem her employers had other intentions when they hired her but would fire her if she didn't comply with them. Right now, though, she tells you that she's got a job working at retail store selling used clothes, and so far no incidences have occurred.
You tell her of your little adventures around the country. You tell Lucy the details of loosing your mother on the last trip do to a doctor's mix up in the files. How this is your final trip anywhere, and that you'll be returning to the last place you visited so as to be close to your mother.
"Wow, you've had quite the life haven't you," she said before finishing her sandwich. "Still, if this is your last trip, how much of the town have you seen? A lot has changed you know?"
You tell her that you've been back for two days now, and that you can't believe all the things that are different. From the remodeling of the school, to the new buildings that just keep popping up everywhere. You tell Lucy that today is your last day and the only place you hadn't seen yet was where you sit telling her your story. Shock is probably the funnest thing you've ever seen to hit her face. Lucy never handled shocking news well, and it seems she still can't. Her face twitches, while her mouth gapes into a giant "O" out of nowhere.
"So you saved the best place for last did you?" Once more Arnold managed to surprise the both of you again. "I'm glad that you did, otherwise I'd have expected you to eat her for the duration of your trip," he says with that goofy smile of his.
The three of you laugh, but the laughter doesn't last long and it comes time for you to head out as the trip has come to an end. You pay your bill and walk out the door. Silence falls as you and Lucy stand next to each other, not really wanting to say good by again. Still, you know it must be done and you exchange pleasantries of goodbyes with the girl that was, and maybe still is, your best friend.
________________________________________________________________________________
You awake with a start from a loud noise. Whipping the sweat from your forehead, you recall the dream you just had was more of a memory then a dream. In fact, that event took place a month ago. You look at your alarm clock and see that there is ten minutes before you actually need to be up. Sighing, you get up out of bed and head over to the window to open the curtains. The sight outside your window always makes you frown. Heaven, it seems, is not the fluffy white clouded place you thought it was, but instead a busily metropolis. "How could you have gotten it so wrong?", is the same question you ask yourself every time you get up out of bed.