The diner was nearly empty when the bell above the door sprang into life for only the seventh time that night. It has been a long, hot shift and closing time was only ten minutes away. The usual faces had long since downed roots beers and burgers and were no doubt at home falling asleep in front of some late night repeat on the T.V. Only the town weirdo remained – an owlish man who had nothing else to do with his life than to play the out of tune piano left over from the days when the diner was the town’s only night spot.

The weight of the quiet evening stopped the waitress from moving with any degree of interest or urgency towards the couple who had just entered. They had taken their seats in a booth under a tired looking paper lantern at the far end of the room. Rummaging in her worn apron, she wearily pulled out an order pad and pencil and took up her normal stance in front of the new arrivals.

“A bit late for dinner aren’t y’all?” She said, not looking up as she turned over a fresh sheet of paper and manoeuvred the carbon paper into place underneath.

“Oh no no, it’s just desserts for us honey!” came the reply from the overly made up blonde sitting opposite her equally made up beau.

The waitress’s eyes darted up from her pad to check the face from which the voice came. Despite twenty years passing, she knew that voice anywhere. It still rang in her ears when she thought about where exactly her life had gone wrong – why she was still stuck in this small town with no way out.

“It’s Katie isn’t it? Don’t you remember me? Kelsey. Kelsey-May Fitzpatrick… née Moore of course” Her words drawled long and light across the table. Sitting back she gave a girly giggle and a one shoulder shrug to suggest a coy nature.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I …” The waitress shot a closer look at the man sitting on the other side of the table and blushed.

“Yes you do, we were besties in high school. How could you forget? Seventh grade.”

“Well it was a long time ago… and I see a lot of faces around here, you know.”

“Ah come on, we had such fun together. Remember how you used to tell me how much you fancied old Hank here?” She cupped a hand across her partners face. “HA! What a hoot! Well guess who ended up at the same college together? SCREAM!” Holding up her left hand, she wiggled an overly adorned ring finger under the waitress’s nose.

The waitress recoiled, darting towards the safety of the dessert cabinet. She pulled out a huge piece of pie and without even thinking about what she was doing, calmly released the ball of hatred burning in her stomach onto the cream frosting, picked up two forks and made her way back to the table.