Mind the Gap (In Too Deep) by Casey McMillin Read Free Book Online Page B

the type of food that would mortify Brit. I hadn't heard her talking about it, but I was comfortable guessing that she was at least a vegetarian, more likely a vegan. Anyway, as a result of me not knowing anything about Brit or what her frame of mind was, I wanted a big hunk of meat in my mouth, and bacon was just the thing for spiting a hippie.
    "How's Emily?" I asked, looking a for a round about way to bring up Brit.
    "She's good. She's done with the Lakers for the season, so she's just working in that dance studio for kids while she and Gretchen make plans for the art center."
    My plan was working.
    "Did Gretchen already hire everybody she'll need?" I asked.
    "What? You mean like Brit? I don't know if she agreed to take the job or not. I know she was thinking about it."
    What I was thinking was: "I already knew that much. Don't you have any new information?" What I said was: "I wasn't talking about her. I was just curious if she had a whole staff picked out already."
    "I think she has most of her choices made already, but nobody's officially working yet," he said. "At least not full time."
    "And they've got that restaurant thing going too," I said. "I'm excited about that one, because I hear we get to test the menu."
    "I was already jealous that Emily got to do that, now you're in on the action too," Ethan said.
    "Hey, just think… if you end up moving there, you can eat at the restaurant anytime you want," I said.
    "Yeah but I'll have to pay for it then. You guys get to try everything for free."
    "Oh, yeah, I forgot it'd be terrible if you had to spend some of your millions on a plate of food cooked by a hard working family."
    Ethan laughed and punched me on the shoulder. I loved to give him a hard time about being cheap since it was one of the only things he did worth making fun of.
    "I think Brit's working with them on the restaurant," I added, in a last-ditch effort to bring the conversation around to her.
    "She is, and Emily says it's going to be really cool. I think she's pretty good."
    Again with things I knew already. Thanks Ethan.
    Just then, Annie, the owner of the diner, came up behind us with two oversize d jester hats. She put one on my head and one on Ethan's. "I'd like to have everyone's attention," she shouted. The restaurant got quiet, and everyone looked at Annie as she continued. "These are two of our best customers, and a little mouse told me that at least one of them would be leaving us here soon." She was so dramatic with her delivery of the simple words that moans of disappointment and protest came from the crowd even though none of them knew us. "Now, here's the thing… we usually leave them alone, and let them eat in peace, but today's different. I want you guys to help me keep an eye on Ethan and Josh here. If any of you see them take off their hat for any reason, they have to get up and dance with us on the next song. Seriously boys," she said, pointing at us, "if the hat comes off, you're dancing."
    I sighed and shook my head as I took both hands and pulled the hat securely onto my head. I was prepared to fight in order to keep that thing on my head.
    Before we finished eating, Ethan (the person I thought was my friend) reached up and plucked the hat off my head and sat it on the bar beside me. I panicked, instantly wanting to snatch it up and put it back where it was. There was no hope that it went unnoticed. The second he did it, a mob of tattle-tales immediately started humming and pointing.
    It was a no brainer that he was going down with me. Without even thinking about it, I reached over and took the hat off his head and set it next to mine. More humming and pointing. It was only after I took his hat off that I realized the harsher punishment for him would have been to leave his hat on and deprive him of the opportunity to dance. He was grinning like a sly cat as he took the last few bites of his food. I was too nervous to eat any more. I'd seen enough of the antics at Annie's Diner to