Work Text:
“Is he crying?”
Uma, Willa, and Harry turn around from their conversation at the host stand to follow Celia's eyes. They see a white-haired boy around their age crying in one of the booths.
“When did you sit someone down in my section?” Uma growled, she uncrossed her arms, walked away from the host area, and continued to walk toward him. She was stopped by one of their newest employees with a toast ( a restaurant point-of-sale (POS) system ) in their hand with a question. “What now?”
“Um, Miss Uma–”
“Just Uma Gil. What do you want?” Uma asks,
Gil clears his throat, he presents the toast right in front of her face. “Um, my customer wanted the fried clam combo but I accidentally put in the seafood boil….”
“Give me that,” Uma snatched the toast out of his hand, inputted her code in, and fixed the customer check. “Next time Gil, PLEASE read before you select and send it in. Did you tell the chefs that you made a mistake?”
“I was supposed to do that?” Gil raises his eyebrow,
Uma clicks the button on her earpiece using her walkie: “Chef, cancel fried clam for table…” She looks at Gil, waiting for the table number.
“Table C5,”
“Table C5, they want the seafood boil instead. Make it snappy,” Uma said in her walkie-talkie before going back to the crybaby in her section. She stopped going to the expo section, took her toast out to put in something, and got a cup of water. She walked out to the main dining area and dropped the cup of water at the table.
“So… What’s with the crybaby in B3?” Harry asks, they were at the bar while Freddie made drinks for both tables.
Freddie walks closer to them shaking a drink in her hand. “Who’s crying?” She grabs a margarita glass and pours a coconut margarita with a sugar rim for Uma.
“Where’s my drink?” Harry ask,
Freddie rolls her eyes, “I’m making it right now, you don’t see how many goddamn drinks I have to make? It’s a Thursday night. Why are we so busy?”
“Don’t know, don’t care. Make me a goddamn drink.” Harry said, taking a drink out of his cup.
“Some kid is crying in our booth, drinking a smoothie,” Uma replied ignoring Harry, she took a drink straw to quality test the drink Freddie made but in reality, it’s for a small taste of alcohol in her system. “Thank you,” Uma took the drink to drop it off at her table.
“I hope you die,” Freddie said out of nowhere pouring alcohol into the shaker.
Harry blew her a kiss, “Sames go to you,”
Uma walks to drop off the drink, she enters the expo area seeing the burger she ordered is ready. She smiles, thanking the chef before walking out.
Out of all the days in the world, Carlos Devil hates today the most. Looking at his phone one more time seeing photos of his mom, dressed in a black suit, he didn't know why he had entered a seafood restaurant. While he tried to make the tears stop, they kept flowing. He wanted to avoid his family and wanted some peace by himself as it was just him for the rest of his life. His phone was going off with messages from Mal, Evie, and Jay wondering where he went and why his location was off. He didn’t have the will to text them the truth, he was just tired.
“Here,”
Carlos looks a bit to the left seeing a full-course meal right before him. He looks up to see a brown-skinned girl with teals or aqua braids staring at him. He quickly wipes his tears before sitting up straight. “Um– I didn’t order–”
“I know,” Uma said, she moved the burger closer before walking off, and Carlos waved his hand to stop her.
“But, I’m not hungry,” Carlos said, right before his stomach growled.
Uma chuckles, “Yeah right, It’s on the house.” She said before walking off right to the host stand.
Carlos didn’t expect that nice gesture, he was really hungry. Turning the burger around to inspect it, it looks good. Grabbing the burger, he took one small bite before bursting into tears. It was a damn good burger. He came to Ursula’s a lot when he was a kid when his mom Carlos waited until he finished his food before looking at his watch. It was close to closing.
“Um, excuse me,” Carlos asks slowly creeping up to the counter where all the servers were mingling.
Harry turned away from his conversation to Carlos, “Yes?”
“Do you know where my server went?” He asks,
Harry looked at Celia back to Carlos, “Who was his Server?” He whispers to Celia.
“Uma,” Celia said,
Harry remembers Uma left to get some supplies real quick for the bar, he was in charge of her table for the time being. “She left,”
“Oh, do you know when she’ll be back?” Carlos scratches behind his head.
“No,” Harry said as he saw his table wave for him. “I swear to yee god if that mother fucker asks for another beer.”
Carlos stood there still unsure what to do next, Celia walked closer to him. “Uma had to leave real quick but she told me your food was on the house so you're free to go.”
“Oh okay,” Carlos didn’t know what else to say but he walked out of the restaurant and onto his lonely boring life.
He started coming back to the restaurant every night, and like every night Uma would comp his meal as much as he insisted on paying but she refused. He’d leave a tip whenever she was gone, and Uma would quickly catch him before he left and give it back. It was an ongoing thing, everyone started recognizing him as he became a regular ordering the same thing or something new for the servers to eat. He soon would give Freddie the cash and Freddie would slip it into Uma's apron without her knowing. There was one night when Carlos did not show up and everyone, even Uma, was wondering where the freckled boy went.
“Doesn't he look familiar?” Gil asks. Uma and Freddie turn around to Gil, but they know who he is talking about.
“Does he?” Freddie eyebrow, while dropping a tray at the bar.
Gil nods, “He looks like he goes to school with us?”
“Don’t believe it, no way people on this side of town go to Auradon Prep,” Uma said, she wasn’t lying. They live on the south side of downtown Auradon and it’s not ideal for the rich folks but it’s still a part of Auradon. Prep is known for where the rich kids get handled opportunities, they were able to attend Auradon Prep through scholarships, or in Uma's case, her father worked as a teacher so she, Freddie, and Celia get to attend.
“But we live here and go to school there,” Gil said, confused. Freddie rolled her eyes and handed him his drink for his table. “Oh, thank you!” He smiled before walking away.
Freddie chuckles before turning to Uma making drinks. “Do you think what Gil said is true? Maybe he does go to Auradon Prep. I know you like that.” She teased as Uma stopped mid-drink motion to face Freddie.
“What do you mean by that?” Uma raises her eyebrow.
“You like him.” Freddie said, “I know my sister, my twin in fact and I can tell you have a soft spot for the nerd.”
“He reminds me of Gil. What can I say?” Uma admits that one night when she first saw him, she could feel his pain coming from his face. She thought offering a burger with a hint of kindness could make someone smile. She didn’t know that he could come every day. She thought it was because of the food, but no, it was because of her. “I don’t like him, but he seems cool, though.”
Freddie nods, still in the back of her head she can sense a type of emotion but she decides to move past it. The drinks and restaurant won’t close by itself.