[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

Lincoln pedalled his bike along the road like a mad man as he headed from the high school towards the town. He'd been studying in the school library during the afternoon, prepping for last exam - which was at the end of the week - and he'd somehow managed to fall asleep. Now, he was going to be late for work. He stood up from the seat as he pushed his feet against the pedals, forcing them to go faster as rode through different roads, trying to take any short cut he could to get him to the pizza place on time. He hopped onto the pavement, dodging a couple of pedestrians with a quick sorry over his shoulder as he skidded to a stop outside the restaurant.

Link shimmied off his rucksack and pulled his lock and chain out, securing the bike to the post before rushing for the door, nearly tripping over his own two feet as he pushed it open. He glanced at his watch and exhaled in relief. 4:05pm. Only five minutes late. . not too bad. He glanced up with a grin as the manager said he was late. "Ah what's five minutes between friends?" He headed through to the back and dumped his belongings in the staff room, exchanging his jacket for his apron before walking back out, ready to set the tables for the evening rush.

[THERESA JEZ REDFERN]

Theia was a little early to shift. Class had finished early as one of her professors hadn't turned up, so she'd actually had time to grab lunch for a change, and then switched into her uniform before walking to her shift at the pizza place. It was kind of nice she didn't have to rush for once and it meant she was about five minutes ahead of time. It didn't matter, most of the other workers were there already and she grabbed her apron, tying it around her middle in it's usual place. She let out a sigh and brushed the loose red hair from her forehead. She hadn't bothered to try to hide the bruises that peppered her cheek - luckily, the swelling around her eye had mostly gone, and the bruises had mottled to a moldly green and yellow instead of black.

Her friends had tried to weedle what had happened out of her but she'd kept quiet, refusing to tell them. They'd have gone and killed the kid, and she didn't want to hassle or the drama. What was done was done, she wasn't broken, and she wanted to move on. Luc had been concerned when he'd seen her face but she'd brushed it off, making herself look busy in a way she was good at doing - Theia didn't like to talk, and had figured out how to appear hassled so that people left her alone, not that she was work shy.

The final crew member bustled in a few minutes after clock in time, and she raised an eyebrow as she caught his words on his way in. "Ah what's five minutes between friends?" She snorted and shot him a look, "We're friends?" The corners of her lips turned up in a slight smirk as she headed over to flip the door sign to 'open' now they were all set to welcome customers.

[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

"We're friends?" He glanced at Theia as he passed by on the way to the staff room and flashed her a grin. ”Yeah didn’t you get the memo?” Link ignored the scowl their manager shot as he disappeared to dump his crap quickly before returning to start the shift. While Theia opened up, he set the remaining tables then got to work on refilling all of the condiments on them. It was his first shift back since before his mum had died and it surprised him how much he’d actually missed the place – the routine. It kept his mind busy, something he needed at the moment. He got a better look at his co-workers face as he moved to a table nearby and lifted a brow. ”What happened to your face then? This a you should see the other guy situation?” He teased.

[THERESA JEZ REDFERN]

She caught his glance on the way past and rolled her eyes at his grin. The kid was far too cocky for his own good sometimes - but he worked hard, so she let it slide; most of the time. ”Yeah didn’t you get the memo?” She turned her gaze to their manager and gave them a slight raise of a brow - she wasn't Shiloh, and didn't turn things in the same way Shi did, but she still had her own ways of manipulation with people. She worked hard here, always had done, was rarely sick or late and picked up extra shifts. She'd earned respect, even if she didn't earn them as 'friends' with her often surly nature to her co-workers. But that didn't transcend to the customers and so the manager occasionally heeded her when she told them to give it a little slack... or the opposite, when someone was shite or taking the piss.

Without customers to wait on, she drifted over to the bar for a moment and wiped down the already clean and tidy bar top. ”What happened to your face then? This a you should see the other guy situation?” Theia glanced up at Link's voice, and her expression twisted slightly. She kept forgetting. She wasn't a girl who cared much for her appearance and as it no longer hurt unless you poked it, she'd already put it to the back of her mind. It was probably why her manager had given her an odd look too. Oh yeah. She didn't care to cover it with make-up, and she wondered if she'd get told to do something about it. Theia paused a moment, considering a lie, but they always sounded pathetic. In the end she shrugged. "Someone met me when I was having a bad day. Evidently so were they."

[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

Link leant against the front of the bar as he got a better look at Theia’s bruise, which seemed to be in the process of healing. "Someone met me when I was having a bad day. Evidently so were they." He couldn’t help but grin a little, he only knew Theia from working at the restaurant but he knew well enough to leave her alone when she was having a bad day. ”So what’s the damage on the other girl? Broken nose?” He figured she wouldn’t be the type of girl who let someone hit her and not fight back. Even though she was small, she looked like she could handle herself if she had to. A bit like himself really, he may not have been as tall as his elder brothers but he was still slim with a lanky frame, making him look like he wouldn’t be able to fight his way out of a paper bag – the clumsiness didn’t help, but thanks to years of boxing with his dad, he was actually a pretty decent fighter. He just didn’t like to.

[THERESA JEZ REDFERN]

She rolled her eyes as Link made a point of taking a better look at her face, and then she frowned. She wasn't overly keen to talk about it, it had been stupid, a pointless waste of energy, and had only made her day 100 times worse, especially now she had to walk around with it. She caught his grin though and hoped he might not push it, might just let it lie at that - of course not though. He was young, just a kid, and it was gossip to talk about whilst the day was quiet. ”So what’s the damage on the other girl? Broken nose?”

Theia sighed and looked up at Link, her eyebrows still pulled together in a frown. "It wasn't a girl," not that a girl couldn't do this kind of damage, she knew women were just as vicious as men - more so in fact when it came to it. "It was some crack pot boy on campus. Think he was on drugs or something, kept muttering away to himself like he was chatting to the voices in his head." She shook her head. "This is why I don't do drugs," She pointed a finger at him in warning, "don't do drugs." She had tried most of them over the years, but rarely like the way they made her feel - and she'd given up on them pretty quickly, sticking to alcohol as he choice of high.

[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

"It wasn't a girl," His forehead creased into a frown at the sound of that. He wasn’t the biggest fan of fighting, unless it was in a ring under proper conditions – but even then he didn’t particularly enjoy it. He especially didn’t believe in a man raising a hand to a woman. ”Wait what?” He shook his head with a frown, hoping he’d heard her wrong. "It was some crack pot boy on campus. Think he was on drugs or something, kept muttering away to himself like he was chatting to the voices in his head." He narrowed his eyes slightly and folded his arms across his chest. Damn druggies didn’t even know what day of the week it was and were always looking to start something. He wouldn’t be surprised if the guy’s jaw had been swinging around. The last part of her description made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he thought of his brother. Jace was known to mutter to himself on the daily and was often talking about things that weren’t there. Surely he wasn’t on drugs though. .but then again he wouldn’t know, he barely spoke to him these days. "This is why I don't do drugs, don't do drugs” His lips curved into a slight smirk as he crossed his heart with his finger. ”Okay, I’ll stick to getting drunk in a field.”

[THERESA JEZ REDFERN]

She sighed as she saw him frown; people never liked it when they found out that a guy had the audacity to hit a woman. It was hilarious how frequently it happened - or at least it seemed to for her. She had no double standards about it being wrong, she was well aware that men were the stronger sex, as she had had proven to her time and time again. Men loved to exude their power over women, to make themselves feel better. There was a reason she pulled back from familiar touch, a reason she didn't look for one night stands anymore, a reason she lashed out if someone tried to grab her wrists. ”Wait what?” Theia rolled her eyes. "Guys hit girls all the time, Link. Sorry to bust your innocent little bubble." And worse, but he was sixteen and he didn't need to know that. At least this had just been a bit of a smack back and forth, she could handle that.

Of course, she didn't know if he'd been on drugs but nobody randomly went around acting like that for the fun of it. ”Okay, I’ll stick to getting drunk in a field.” Theia snorted at that, the cloud above her head abating just the slightest, though the rain still fell. "That's a good kid. Only the cheap stuff I hope?" and she reached out to pat him on his head with a quick smirk. "Now, shouldn't you be doing something productive?" She glanced around at the open floor pointedly despite the fact that she hadn't started on the opening just yet.

[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

"Guys hit girls all the time, Link. Sorry to bust your innocent little bubble." He narrowed his eyes slightly as his forehead wrinkled as he frowned. "I know, i'm not that naive. . you just never expect it to happen to someone you know." He said with a small shrug. "That's a good kid. Only the cheap stuff I hope?" His frown disappeared at that and his lips turned into a grin. "Yup. .gotta love that lambrini." He joked. "Now, shouldn't you be doing something productive?" He snorted and looked around the empty restaurant. "We aren't even open yet. . besides i've already done all the prep work. There was only so much he could do before there were actual paying customers on the premises. All the tables were clean and had menu's on them, all of the condiments were full to the brim and the napkins/straws were fully stocked.

[THERESA JEZ REDFERN]

She took in his look and almost smirked, instead she have a slight raise of an eyebrow. The kid had some attitude, that was for sure...but you needed it in a world like this. Like was not all rainbows and sunshine as they tried to make out in primary school. Life was quite often shit and hard work. "I know, i'm not that naive. . you just never expect it to happen to someone you know." She couldn't help the slight snort she gave in response. Perhaps he was more naive than he realised. "A lot happens to people you know, they just don't go around publicising it. You'd be surprised." She had no doubt he would be shocked with the stories she could tell him about her group of friends alone, let alone everyone they knew that has been on violent relationships or mugged at knife point, or drugged or raped. The world was really not all rainbows and sunshine.

A smile from Link as she changed the topic. "Yup. .gotta love that lambrini." Theia wrinkled her nose and have a delicate shudder. "God what are schools teaching these days if not what to drink and what not to," but the slight upward tilt of her lips promised a joke. She watched his pointed look around the quiet restaurant, there was that attitude again. It amused her. "We aren't even open yet. . besides i've already done all the prep work. Theia glanced around too and gave a small shrug, "There's always something to be done, you just have to go looking." as she grabbed a glass to pour herself a cold water. She didn't mind being idle for a bit, especially if she was tired or it has been a long day but she generally preferred to be busy. It kept her mind busy to avoid wandering and it made the time go quicker.

[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

His eyebrows knitted together in a slight frown when she snorted at him. "A lot happens to people you know, they just don't go around publicising it. You'd be surprised." He shrugged his shoulders, well aware of the struggles the people around him tried to hide. "I know, but you still don't expect it to happen to people you know. Everyone's fighting their own battles behind closed doors." Hell half his family, himself included were all battling their own inner demons but to the rest of the world - he at least, appeared to be a normal teenage boy who hadn't just lost his mother because he'd avoided telling them.

"God what are schools teaching these days if not what to drink and what not to," He gave her a smirk whilst shrugging his shoulders. "Hey it's a right of passage." Every teenager had to go through the phase of drinking shitty alcohol they'd asked a stranger to buy from a dodgy corner shop. "There's always something to be done, you just have to go looking." He grabbed a napkin from the side and threw it at her with a grin. "Fine, i'll go and see if the cooks have finished their prep." He said, thinking of something to do on the fly.

[THERESA JEZ REDFERN]

She glanced at him as he shrugged, her face a careful mask. This kind of topic was a little too close to home, and whilst she was pretty quick to wave shit off most of the time, she was also generally careful to avoid topics that nudged at the dark parts of her mind. "I know, but you still don't expect it to happen to people you know. Everyone's fighting their own battles behind closed doors." Theia shrugged at that, picking up a glass and a cloth and wiping at an imaginary finger print. "Mmm, well it happens." She opened her mouth to say more then decided that was enough and promptly shut it. It wasn't as if Shi and her merry band were Queen Bee's bitches because they had had good lives. It wasn't the same as the films; Shi might be privileged with money but the rest of them were not, and she didn't know a single one of them that had had an easy life. Perhaps she shouldn't be trying to shit on Link's naive outlook on life. Then again, positivity wasn't her strong point so he just picked the wrong friend.

"Hey it's a right of passage." She rolled her eyes at his smirk but she let out a small laugh at it. "Yeah, drink something to excess until even the smell of it makes you feel sick." She smirked and shook her head, thinking of all the alcohol's now on her 'absolutely no fucking way' list, that still somehow made appearances at every party Shiloh hosted. The cow. She rolled her eyes and deftly caught the napkin before it could add further damage to her face. "Oi," She said, pointing a warning finger at him. "Behave yourself, young one." As if there weren't only a few years between them. "Fine, i'll go and see if the cooks have finished their prep." She shrugged and propped a hip against the bar with a nod. "Well done, excellent idea." She taunted, watching him go, shaking her head slightly. The kid was a handful, for sure.

[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

"Yeah, drink something to excess until even the smell of it makes you feel sick." He grinned and pretended to count on his fingers. ”Well. .i’m almost there with cheap cider. .only about another hundred drinks to try then.” He joked. "Oi, Behave yourself, young one.” He gave a snort in response and broke out into a grin. ”Aren’t you only like 1 or 2 years older than me?” He retorted, already knowing the answer. He disappeared momentarily into the kitchen to see if the staff had done their prep and sauntered out a few minutes later. ”They’re done. . guess we can relax until the customers start piling in?” He said, copying Theia and leaning against the bar with a grin, fully aware the answer would probably be no but he could dream.

[THERESA JEZ REDFERN]

She raised a brow as she watched Link begin to count on his fingers. If he still needed his fingers to count then he hadn't drunk enough. There was no point even trying to count hers, it was way more than 20 let alone 10. And that was on healthy coping mechanisms. ”Well. .i’m almost there with cheap cider. .only about another hundred drinks to try then.” Theia snorted at that. "Make sure to try them all at once." She suggested, because that wasn't liable to kill a grown man, let alone the pint sized punk she was working shift with.

”Aren’t you only like 1 or 2 years older than me?” Theia shrugged, she didn't actually know how old Link was, only that he seemed like a baby compared to her. Perhaps it was just that her life experiences made her feel ancient. "Age doesn't matter, only that you're the baby." She teased, though really it didn't matter. She didn't care how old people were it was whether they fucked her off or not - and at work, it was only whether they did the job or were lazy assholes. Whilst Link sauntered off to the kitchen, Theia surveyed the restaurant again and then pulled out her phone - to once again, a million notifications. She continued to turn the notifications off for her group chats, and Shi continued to go back into her phone and turn them on again. Not giving her the option to ignore them. She briefly scrolled through all the shit but gave up, replying a brief 'lol' and hoping that would suffice. She fired off a reply to Joe's messages and then slipped her phone back into her pocket when Link returned. ”They’re done. . guess we can relax until the customers start piling in?” Theia raised a brow and looked at him, that look that clearly said, what do you think. "Slacking off already? It's only the start of the shift and all." She was joking though, there really wasn't much to do until people started arriving.

[LINCOLN HARVEY BRECKAH]

"Make sure to try them all at once." He snorted and rolled his eyes at her ”You’d think you wanted me dead saying things like that Theia.” He joked with a grin. "Age doesn't matter, only that you're the baby." He smirked and threw a scrunched up napkin at her. ”Funny.” He said before disappearing to check the kitchen and returning once he saw everything was in order. "Slacking off already? It's only the start of the shift and all." He shrugged his shoulders with a grin. ”Theres nothing to do!” He began to protest until the sound of a bell ringing shifted his attention toward the front door as a group of people began to pile in. ”Okay now there’s something to do. .” he said, walking over to greet them and take them to a table.