"Nicky!!!" Tay squealed when I got to the diner. She ran up to me from where she was standing in front of Steve's door, wrapping her little arms around my legs.

"Tay!" I exclaimed, completely off-guard. I looked around for the child's mother.

"Tay! I told you to sit on that stool and not move!" I heard Jaime's voice scold. She appeared in front of me, having just walked into the kitchen from Steve's office.

"What's Tay doing here?" I asked.

"Electricity went out at the daycare. So I had to bring her with me," she told me.

"Why didn't you just call me?" I asked.

"Because I didn't want to bother you," she answered.

"Jaime..." I said.

"Nicky..." she replied. We looked at each other for a moment longer before I broke her gaze. I reached down and picked Tay up, propping her on my hip. I wheezed a little bit; the girl was getting big.

"You know, I'm on break now. I don't do anything all day," I said.

"Yes, you do," she said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"You sleep," she answered.

"For a few hours," I replied.

"That's better than nothing, right?" she said. I rolled my eyes and looked at Tay.

"Would you rather hang out with me all day or be at the diner?" I asked her.

"Both!" she giggled. I chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"What were you talking to Steve about?" I asked Jaime. She immediately blushed.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh my God. Spill," I said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Jaime Wagener. You better tell me what's going on or else..." I started.

"Or else what? You'll glare at me? You'll ignore me? I think I'll live," she retorted. I did just that. I glared at her. Then I had an idea.

"Tay, what were Steve and Jaime talking about?"I asked the four year old who I had caught eavesdropping when I walked in.

"They were talking about eating dinner tonight!" she exclaimed. I looked at Jaime, whose cheeks were flaming red at the moment. She shot her daughter a glare and I smirked.

"I knew it! He asked you out!" I cried.

"Would you keep your voice down!" she hissed. She drew me closer to her by the arm, her expression serious.

"He didn't ask me out. I asked him," she said. I raised my eyebrows, impressed. Although it wasn't surprising, since Jaime was one to take initiative.

"And?" I asked.

"He said right now wasn't the best time," she sighed. I felt my jaw drop.

"What?! I can't believe he rejected you! I'm going to go talk to him," I said, putting Tay down and starting to walk towards his office. Jaime pulled me back, though.

"Don't. I get where he's coming from. He's really stressed about this whole diner fiasco," she said.

"It still hasn't improved?" I asked.

"It's stagnant," she answered. I sighed.

"Damn. I really like this place. I hate seeing it suffer," I said.

"Moreover, this place is Steve's pride and joy. How awful would it be if it went down?" she replied. I nodded, not wanting to think about it. I bit my lip.

"Anyway, I should probably get going. I have dinner plans with the parents tonight," she said.

"What? Your mom and dad?" I asked. She nodded, taking Tay's hand. "I thought you weren't speaking to them?" I questioned.

"I wasn't. But they want to make ammends and I'm just hoping they'll lend me some cash because I really need it right now," she said. I frowned.

"Is everything all right?" I asked.

"Well, remember how Tay was sick a while ago? Her medications and trips to the doctor were pricey, especially since I don't have health insurance," she said.

"Oh," I said. "You should have told me! I could have helped you out somehow!" I exclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

"You have enough to worry about financially without me being a burden. Take care of yourself, first, Nicky," she told me. She said the last part in a serious voice and I knew it held a double meaning.

"I'm fine," I said.

"I'll believe that when you do," she said.

"I'm fine," I insisted. She shoook her head and patted my cheek.

"I have to run, but I'll talk to you later. I know you'll want the details about the dinner," she said.

"Of course," I said. She smiled and walked away, pulling Tay along with her. Tay turned and waved good-bye to me. I waved back and when they disappeared, I let out a long sigh. Just then, the door opened and Caleb walked in. I looked at him, confused. And then I realized it was Wednesday.

"What was Tay doing here?" he asked.

Jaime had formally introduced the two of them one day when she stopped by to say hello. Tay, although she remembered him from the park that day, immediately took a liking to him and he to her.

"Lights were out at the daycare," I explained.

"Ah," he said, nodding.

I studied him for a moment as silence fell between us. He had dark circles under his eyes, ones that were more prominent than usual. His hair looked as if he had been running his hands through it constantly. His face was pale and gaunt. His eyes were lifeless.

He must have had a rought night.

"Apparently the diner's not doing any better," I said, just to say something to diffuse the awkward tension in the air.

"Well, that's obvious to anyone that has working eyes," he replied. I gave him a look and he shrugged. "It's true," he said. "I didn't see Oliver," he said.

"I think he came in earlier," I said.

"I guess we won't have any customers tonight, then," Caleb said, hopping onto a stool.

"Don't say that," I said.

"You know it's true," he replied.

"Stop being so negative," I said.

"I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic," he answered.

"Caleb!" I exclaimed, frustrated with him already.

"What's going on?" I heard Steve say as he walked into the kitchen.

"Nothing," we both said at the same time. We glanced at each other and then back at Steve.

"You two are like children," he said.

"I was sticking up for you!" I exclaimed.

"Well, thanks, Nicole," he said.

"Suck-up," Caleb coughed. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Shouldn't you two be waiting on tables?" Steve asked.

"There aren't any to wait on," Caleb responded, a little too harshly. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was so inconsiderate.

"Then go clean or something," Steve mumbled, a dark look on his face. He then retreated back into his office. When he disappeared, I turned on Caleb.

"Can't you censor what you say?" I asked.

"I was just telling the truth!" he hissed.

"You know how much this place means to Steve. And you know how upset he gets when he hears it's not doing so well," I said.

"Oh, my God, Nicole. Get off my back," Caleb said, turning away from me. 

I glared at him and sighed, exasperated. I went to the back of the kitchen and grabbed the mop and bucket. Brushing past Caleb, who was standing idly by the door, I went into the main diner area. Just as he had said, there were no customers. Sighing, I began to clean the hardwood floors, which weren't dirty to begin with. Caleb walked out with a rag and began cleaning the tables down, his eyebrows furrowed.

It was so odd seeing the diner empty. I remembered when I first arrived in Berkeley for college three years ago and discovered the diner. It had been the hot-spot at the time, where all the college and high school students went to eat and hang out. All sorts of people came to the diner: people in business suits, students in college t-shirts, high schoolers in board shorts getting ready to go to the beach. Steve's diner was in the perfect location, too. From the windows in the far right of the diner, in the distance, the ocean could be seen.

Now, the diner was empty and silent. It used to be so full of activity, so full of life. During the lunch and dinner rushes, Steve would put the music on and people would just enjoy themselves, drinking beer at the bar, or eating the delicious sandwiches. It had been so much fun to work there. I remember when I first got my job as a waitress, everyone had been so welcoming. I had been shy and quiet at first, but I quickly warmed up to everyone's friendly personalities.

But since then, I've seen numerous employees come and go, get hired and then leave. I've seen plenty of people grow up over the years. I've heard so many stories from customers, shared many experiences with the co-workers. That's why it was so difficult for me to see the diner suffer.

The rest of the night went by slowly. Caleb and I finished with cleaning up the place. We got so bored that we even alphabetized the liquor. At dinner time, we had a few truck drivers walk in and order some drinks and sandwiches.

The drivers told us they were driving through Berkeley from San Jose on their way to Sacramento. They were spending the night at the small motel that was in town and had asked around which places were good to eat at. Someone had recommended Steve's diner, which is how they ended up here. I was glad that at least the diner retained its reputation as serving good food.

At the end of the night, Steve asked Caleb and I to close shop. We wiped down the tables and washed the few dishes that the truck drivers used and then turned the lights off in the diner. We stepped out into the chilly late December air. I locked the door, stuffing the spare key Steve had given me in my pocket.

"Want a ride home?" Caleb asked.

"I can walk. It's fine," I said, starting to walk away. He grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me back. I looked at him.

"We don't have to have the same argument every time, do we?" he asked. I pursed my lips and then agreed. We walked to his old SUV silently and then he began driving. His phone buzzed in the cup holder compartment where he had set it. He glanced at it and picked it up.

"You're going to answer it?" I asked.

"It might be important," he replied.

"You're driving," I said.

"Don't worry. Your life is safe in my hands," he said, a small smirk on his lips. He slid his finger across the "Answer" button and put the phone to his ear, keeping one hand on the steering wheel.

"Hello?" he asked. He paused, waiting for the person on the other line to talk.

"Yes, this is him speaking. Who am I speaking to?" he asked, the smile fading off his lips.

I guess the answer wasn't good because his pale face paled even more.

"What happened? When?" he asked, his voice sharp.

I heard faint voices coming from the phone. They sounded urgent. I saw Caleb's grip on the steering wheel tighten so much that his knuckles turned white.

"What room?" he asked harshly, interrupting the speaker. "Ok, thanks. I'm on my way," he said. He pulled the phone away from his ear and tossed it back into the cup holder. 

I studied his face for a moment, debating on whether or not to ask him what was wrong.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly with both his hands, sitting far back in his seat. I could see a vein throbbing in his temple. He looked like he was clenching his jaw tightly, a muscle twitching slightly along his jawbone. His eyes had darkened and he looked like he was having trouble controlling his breathing. His adam's apple kept bobbing up and down, showing that he was swallowing constantly.

"Caleb--" I started to say, feeling a little worried.

"Do you mind if we make a stop before I drop you off?" he asked.

"Wha--" I began. "Umm. No. Where are we going?" I asked.

"The hospital," he replied. "Liam's unconscious."

________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Woah. Did I just give you a cliff-hanger? Yes, yes I did. =P

I may or may not update for a while. I have a ridiculous test coming up next week that requires my full attention. But you never know when I randomly get inspiration and want to write.

So, as alway, leave me a comment and vote. I LOVE reading comments. And what do I love even more than that? Getting votes!

I truly want to thank each and every one of you that have been voting for this story. It's because of you that it's been such a success. I mean, #5 on the Adventure list! Who would have thought?!

Thanks again and keep it up!

Also, idk if the song has anything to do with this part, but I really like it.

"Dark Horses" by Switchfoot.

XOXO