Miles’ Regret, Leigha’s Idea

Staying home all day made Leigha bored. Miles barely stocked the fridge and had no alcohol. He had locked the door to the extra bedroom and his room before leaving for work. She tried guessing what he kept in there. Probably hentai manga, remembering the boys at his age. She couldn't exactly go shopping because their mother knew Miles was working. It would be suspicious if she saw charges during his working hours. Plus, Leigha had no friends to go shopping with since they were finishing school. And she had no friends from high school.

She slept in late until 1:00pm, which was too late to do anything productive. Unpacking her things was boring; she would do that as needed. Or have Miles do it for her. He was good at that cleaning stuff. With the thought of Miles, Leigha shot up from her comfortable spot on the bed. She could visit Miles at his work. And they could charge the food (and a beer or two) to his payroll. No spending or people to keep her company. She moved to get out of bed, her sock- covered foot touching the cold hardwood floor. She jumped back under the covers. She would go out in a bit.

---

From what Leigha remembered, the diner was next to the hospital where their mother worked. She could recall whining to her friends at Christmas and they might have held her back from running inside the hospital to fight with her mother. She stepped inside to find the restaurant mostly vacant. One of the girls noticed her entrance and made her way over to the front with a cheerful smile.

"Hello, table for one?" asked the girl with a cheerful smile.

"Um, yeah. I’m looking for Miles." She stood on her tiptoes, trying to find her little brother in the room. She saw a man waiting tables, a male and female cook in the kitchen, but no sign of her brother.

"Miles isn't in for another half hour. I'll get you a table." The girl took a single menu and led her near where the other waiter was cleaning a table.

"This will be Miles’ section when he arrives, but for now, you'll be in my care. I'm Anita," she introduced herself as she grabbed Leigha's hand and held it up to her own, comparing her hand against Leigha's. Leigha adjusted her seating so she could see where Anita was looking.

"Are you a palm reader?" she asked.

"What? Oh, no. No! I'm, uh, checking for soulmate marks."

"Soulmate marks?"

The topic intrigued the new customer, causing the waitress to blush in embarrassment.

"Um, yeah, see." She showed Leigha her hand, the girl's eyes lighting up in excitement as she looked at the mark.

"It's my soulmate mark, so…"

"You work as a waitress to check people's hands for your soulmate?" Leigha slammed the table as she finished Anita's thought. Leigha turned to the waitress, a determined look in her eye as she took the soul mark hand. This mark was going to be Leigha's new something.

"I will help you find your soulmate," she promised, shaking Anita's hand in agreement.

---

When Miles and Ramona made it to Tormino's that afternoon, Miles knew something was up. For one thing, Oliver wasn't sleeping under the table or in the locker room. Ramona also confirmed Anita's stuff was still there.

The other thing was that Cyrus opened the door to his office and started yelling at Miles. "Sonata, stop your sister from drinking all our alcohol!"

Miles marched to the front with Ramona following behind. He saw his sister in a corner booth, drinking with Anita as they looked over Anita's hand pictures.

"Those two." Leigha pointed with her mug to Miles and Ramona. "Those two are soulmates," Leigha slurred, Anita giggled in agreement. Miles could hear Ramona squeak in embarrassment before running back to the breakroom. She tripped, but Miles was beside her in a moment, standing her up so she could continue her sprint.

"See, soulmates," Leigha announced. Oliver rang up a disgruntled customer who was complaining about the drunken girl.

"How long has she been here, and how many drinks?" asked Miles

"Three full cups of beer and going on her fourth in the last half hour. Anita joined her when she tried to cut her off a drink ago."

"I'll take my sister's section," offered Miles, storming to where his sister had wrapped Anita under her arm. It looked like Leigha had given Anita a few too many sips of her alcohol. The head waitress looked flustered and giggled at everything Leigha said.

"I bet if we look super close, we can find their soulmate marks," said Leigha before raising her mug, which Miles swiped away before she could take another sip.

"Miles," Leigha whined, reaching out for the three-quarter empty cup, "that's mine."

"Consider yourself cut off. Now please pay and leave. You're bothering other customers."

Leigha frowned, her brows creasing over her eyes. "Don't wanna."

"Don't want to what? Pay? Leave?"

"Both. You pay, and I stay with my new best friend." She brought Anita close, rubbing her cheek in Anita's hair.

Miles crossed his arms. Leigha noticed the lowered cup and tried to reach it. But Miles snapped it out of reach.

"What do you mean I pay? You have your monthly allowance."

"But you know mom checks it, and if she finds out I'm here now, she'll know I'm not in school," Leigha groaned. She slumped her head on the table and turned her face up to look at her brother. A red mark had already developing on her forehead; her eyes were pleading and pushing her lips to make a pout.

"Pretty, please," she begged. On any other person, this might have worked — namely, their father, who was a pushover because he worked long distances. But Miles had the same nerves of steel as his mother.

"No."

"Why?"

"I work hard for that money, for me, not to keep you entertained. There is free stuff you can do around town now that Anita is off shift for the day." He headed towards the bar with the half-finished beer, concluding their discussion.

"You're off work?" Leigha asked her seat partner, now snuggling up on her shoulder to take a nap.

"Yep," Anita answered, punching the "p" sound. "Today, I have a morning shift. It changes."

"Then what am I supposed to do when you or Miles are here working? And how am I supposed to pay when Miles is so mean?"

Anita shrugged, taking a nap on her new friend's shoulder.

"Pay with your allowance," answered Miles. He and Ramona returned to the front of the diner. Leigha's response was to stick her tongue out once his back was facing her.

"I know, you could work here," stated Anita, as she woke up

"No!" yelled Miles, and several male voices. Miles looked to see Oliver and Shasta as panicked as he was. Leigha must have scarred them within half an hour of meeting them.

"You would have your own money. You could work with your brother or me whenever Cyrus schedules you. That way, we can always have fun."

Leigha sat up as she considered the proposition. Having her own money would be good. And since Miles also worked there, their mother wouldn't be suspicious of her quitting school. Plus, now she could help her new friend search for her soulmate. And to top it off, Miles didn't like the idea. She looked over at her brother, who was glaring with a look that said, "Don't you dare."

She gave him a smug look before turning back towards Anita.

"I'll take it."