Chapter Text
As the warm sun radiated small droplets of sweat on the back of Jared’s neck, he gathered the scum covered plates table by table. It was almost cruel to work in such an intense heat, but Jared didn’t complain at all – he would work in any condition just to provide himself with some extra cash. He balanced the bin of dirty dishes on his hip, not minding any of the tartar sauce that dripped onto his light-washed denim jeans. Jared’s shirt was worn, reading: Morgan’s – it was the name of the cozy, family diner that he worked at. The pearly white color of the shirt soon had stained a faint yellow from sweat, and there were holes from when the moths had got at his shirt while he laid it out to dry.
Jared smiled at the five teenage girls who were seated in his section of the diner, the ditsy blonde would blush as he reached over her to refill their glasses of water. He glanced out the front of the restaurant watching the sky turn to a lavender color, stars would soon be speckled across the sky and Jared would be able to rest his feet after a long day of work. There was nothing more tiresome than working a full day in early July – the sun scorched and business boomed, he hardly had a minute to sit down. Noticing a costumer wave him over, Jared treaded his way towards the busy table,
Jim was a regular, but he had quite the mouth on him – demanding service with an exceptional lack of manners. Jared should feel jilted, but instead he bit his cheeks down to hold back the smirk of amusement that threatened to creep upon his youthful face. Jim ordered onion rings and a lobster tailed – Jared nodded politely and ripped the ticket off the small notepad and pinned it on the wheel. Chad, the current cook, wiped his hands on his apron and reached up to hold the ticket still in the light breeze as he read it. In the short time Jared had been working at Morgan’s, he had quickly become best friends with Chad. He was spunky in all the right ways, and any anxiety that Jared had felt when he thought of making new friends, had disappeared seconds after meeting Chad.
“Why don’t you take a fifteen minute break? I’m sure Gen can handle things for a while.” Chad offered, his ocean blue eyes flickering over to Genevieve, the waitress who usually worked the same shifts as Jared.
Jared shook his head. “I’m fine. I get off work in an hour and a half anyways.” He lightly patted Gen’s shoulder. Genevieve had developed an attraction to Jared, seeing as he was the only guy in town other than Chad who would have a conversation with her without wanting something in return. But Jared had already lightly let her down, explaining he wasn’t looking for a relationship. They still remained friends – Gen really was a great girl.
As Chad quickly cooked up Jim’s order, Jared leaned against the counter, fanning himself with a magazine that Gen had set down on one of the barstools. He closed his eyes and took in the cool air that lightly swept away the bangs that had stuck to his face. But the sound of a bell interrupted his peace as Chad had finished the order. Jared grabbed the plate and made his way over to the corner table – back to work.
Everyone who worked at the diner, including Jeff Morgan himself, made Jared feel welcomed – Jeff was almost like a father to Jared, and his wife Hilarie was a joy to be around. They were expecting and Jared couldn’t be any happier for the newly-wed couple. Steve and Danneel were the other two workers – who usually took the morning shift. Steve was a mellow guy just a few years older than Jared, and it had honestly taken him a while to get used to his extraordinarily Zen personality. Whereas Danneel was much like an older sister to Jared, and was best friends with Genevieve.
After another long hour and a half of work, Jared flipped the sign on in the window from ‘open’ to ‘closed’. He walked back to the kitchen and reached behind himself to untie his apron. “Do you need a ride home?” Chad asked.
“It’s such a beautiful evening, I’d much rather walk.” Jared almost always answered with the same reply, but still – Chad asked every day.
“Suit yourself. I’ll see you tomorrow, Jay.”
After cleaning off the tables and wiping down the counters, Jared and Genevieve left the diner and parted ways. Jared zipped up his charcoal grey hoodie, and stuffed his hands in his pockets, dragging his feet as he walked down the gravely path. He lived quite far from town, about a forty-five minute walk, but he loved nature. And he loved the peace and quiet. Sometimes though, it was quite eerie and provided Jared with an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. He took deep breaths in and out through his mouth, calming himself down. Jared softly repeated his mantra over and over. “It’s okay. I’m safe.”
Jared had bought himself a small cottage on the end of town, but he loved the little home – no matter how run down and cheap it may be. It was the only thing that he could afford with the small amount of savings he had brought with him when he moved into town. And although many of the floorboards may be broken, and the paint on the walls may be chipped, Jared adored his cozy cottage.
The door squeaked as Jared walked inside, throwing his shoulder bag aside as he treaded into the small bathroom. At 6’5”, Jared could barely fit into the room, the shower was puny and he was much taller than the showerhead, having to crouch while he washed his hair. The toilet usually didn’t flush until the seventh try, and the water from the sink was sometimes tinged an odd color.
As Jared brushed his teeth, he heard the landline ring – how he got reception out here was outstanding. He didn’t know who would be calling at this time, and quite frankly, he was scared to find out. Jared made his way out from the bathroom, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. “Hello?” He answered the phone, twirling the coiled cord around his index finger.
“Just making sure you got home safe.” Chad. Jared left out a shaky sigh of relief, inhaling through his nose before he even thought about speaking up.
“Yeah, just fine. You didn’t have to call.”
“I wanted to.” Jared could practically see the smile that Chad had on his thin lips. Chad really was a great friend, even if the call had initially scared the shit out of Jared.
“Thanks, Chad. I’m going to hang up now. It was a long day and I really just want to rest.”
Chad grunted in agreement and Jared soon heard the dial tone. He went back to the sink and spat out the foamy paste, before filling the plastic cup with water and rinsing the minty taste out of his mouth. Jared was glad to finally put his legs up and get off the floor, even if his mattress was a bit too hard, the springs sticking out the side since Jared had found it second-hand. He didn’t know why the salesman at the thrift shop would sell such a piece of crap, but for $14 it was a steal.
It took him a while to get back to sleep, even after a month and a half in a new town, Jared was still antsy. He would fidget with his hands, and rock back and forth until he found himself calming down. Jared hated feeling this way, he absolutely hated it – but it was real, and it was something that couldn’t go away in the blink of an eye.
Sometimes he would hum himself to sleep, the soft sound of one of his favorite songs comforting him into a safe and warm shell. As every night, he had made sure the doors and windows were locked before going to bed, he needed to feel safe – he needed to be safe.