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(narrated by Brooke)
Chapter 1:
It was a whole year since the closing & re-opening of the Cook n' Brooke. It had been almost a year since Eliza's fifteenth birthday. It had been a little over two years since I actually met Eliza. Really, had two years gone by? It certainly didn't feel like it.
Ever since we had re-opened the Cook n' Brooke, business had been better than ever. I was beginning to think it was the most popular restaurant in town.
Soon, I KNEW it was the most popular restaurant in town, because a journalist from Arizona Weekly, the local newspaper, came to write an article on my beloved restaurant. They interviewed me, David, Eliza, Carly, and one customer. The article told the story of my favorite place in the world, from the day it opened to the day it re-opened after we closed a year ago, due to a financial crisis. I told the reporter how the restaurant came about (a birthday present from David) and all that had happened there: a fire, karyoke nights, David had appendicitis, the food critics, we closed, and re-opened. Talking to the reporter about the life and times of the Cook n' Brooke brought back many memories, and as always, those memories brought on the tears. Luckily, it wasn't a segment on the local news channel.
"Brooooke," moaned Eliza, "don't cry again."
"Sorry," I sniffled, brushing tears off my cheeks. The reporter finished the interview, and we all went back to work.
"So... uh... Brooke," Eliza said casually, "any plans for Saturday?"
"Not that I know of," I replied, trying not to smile. Saturday was Eliza's sixteenth, and she was so excited.
Also, I was keeping a HUGE secret from her and the rest of the restaurant staff. Only David knew, and he had to know. He was there.
"Well, as you know, Saturday's my sixteenth bday," she said, excitedly, "and I was wondering... can you... maybe... teach me to... drive?"
She looked at me, smiling big.
"Absolutely!" I replied.
"You're the best, Brooke!" she screeched, hugging me.
"Yeah, I know," I replied, tossing my hair in a joking manner.
That secret I was keeping was driving me crazy. I really wanted to tell somebody, ANYBODY. Keeping secrets is my weakness, but I promised David I wouldn't tell anybody, because if one person found out, they'd all find out. It was especially hard keeping a secret as big as the one I had with Eliza around. Eliza's like super-duper smart, and usually manages to unlock my untold secrets just by observing the way I act. She told me herself. I swear, that girl's like a mind-reader or she's just extremely observant. She found out about the closing of the Cook n' Brooke before David & I had told anyone.
"Hey, Brooke?" Eliza asked me.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You're hiding something," she told me.
I winced, turning my face away.
"Me? Hiding something?" I asked, nervously, "ha!"
"Yeah, you're definetly hiding something," she said, " tell me. What's the secret now, Brooke?"
"There's nothing to tell," I replied, "now get back to work."
"I'll find out eventually," Eliza smirked, "I always do."
She walked to wait on table 17. I went to the Lounge. David was in there, watching TV. I sat next to him on the couch, grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.
"David, she's onto us," I warned him.
"She found out?" David groaned, "how?"
"She doesn't know yet," I told him, "but knowing her, she'll find out."
"Did she see something?" David asked.
"I doubt it," I replied, "I'm trying hard to keep it hidden."
"Try harder. Nobody can find out until Saturday," David said, "once we're sure of everything, then you can tell them. And you swore you wouldn't say a thing!"
"I didn't!" I replied, "that girl's too smart for her own good."
"Well, no offense, Brooke-a-lie," he told me, gently, "you're got great at keeping secrets. Especially big secrets like this."
"I know, I know," I replied, "I can't be perfect. Especially now. It's not easy, David. Not easy for me."
"Little while longer," David said, "we'll go tomorrow. Then on Saturday, once everything's said & done, they'll all know. Trust me."
I wasn't sure I could keep the secret much longer. Keeping a secret as big as the one I had in store wasn't easy."
What do you think the secret is? Post it in your comments!
Chapter 1:
It was a whole year since the closing & re-opening of the Cook n' Brooke. It had been almost a year since Eliza's fifteenth birthday. It had been a little over two years since I actually met Eliza. Really, had two years gone by? It certainly didn't feel like it.
Ever since we had re-opened the Cook n' Brooke, business had been better than ever. I was beginning to think it was the most popular restaurant in town.
Soon, I KNEW it was the most popular restaurant in town, because a journalist from Arizona Weekly, the local newspaper, came to write an article on my beloved restaurant. They interviewed me, David, Eliza, Carly, and one customer. The article told the story of my favorite place in the world, from the day it opened to the day it re-opened after we closed a year ago, due to a financial crisis. I told the reporter how the restaurant came about (a birthday present from David) and all that had happened there: a fire, karyoke nights, David had appendicitis, the food critics, we closed, and re-opened. Talking to the reporter about the life and times of the Cook n' Brooke brought back many memories, and as always, those memories brought on the tears. Luckily, it wasn't a segment on the local news channel.
"Brooooke," moaned Eliza, "don't cry again."
"Sorry," I sniffled, brushing tears off my cheeks. The reporter finished the interview, and we all went back to work.
"So... uh... Brooke," Eliza said casually, "any plans for Saturday?"
"Not that I know of," I replied, trying not to smile. Saturday was Eliza's sixteenth, and she was so excited.
Also, I was keeping a HUGE secret from her and the rest of the restaurant staff. Only David knew, and he had to know. He was there.
"Well, as you know, Saturday's my sixteenth bday," she said, excitedly, "and I was wondering... can you... maybe... teach me to... drive?"
She looked at me, smiling big.
"Absolutely!" I replied.
"You're the best, Brooke!" she screeched, hugging me.
"Yeah, I know," I replied, tossing my hair in a joking manner.
That secret I was keeping was driving me crazy. I really wanted to tell somebody, ANYBODY. Keeping secrets is my weakness, but I promised David I wouldn't tell anybody, because if one person found out, they'd all find out. It was especially hard keeping a secret as big as the one I had with Eliza around. Eliza's like super-duper smart, and usually manages to unlock my untold secrets just by observing the way I act. She told me herself. I swear, that girl's like a mind-reader or she's just extremely observant. She found out about the closing of the Cook n' Brooke before David & I had told anyone.
"Hey, Brooke?" Eliza asked me.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You're hiding something," she told me.
I winced, turning my face away.
"Me? Hiding something?" I asked, nervously, "ha!"
"Yeah, you're definetly hiding something," she said, " tell me. What's the secret now, Brooke?"
"There's nothing to tell," I replied, "now get back to work."
"I'll find out eventually," Eliza smirked, "I always do."
She walked to wait on table 17. I went to the Lounge. David was in there, watching TV. I sat next to him on the couch, grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.
"David, she's onto us," I warned him.
"She found out?" David groaned, "how?"
"She doesn't know yet," I told him, "but knowing her, she'll find out."
"Did she see something?" David asked.
"I doubt it," I replied, "I'm trying hard to keep it hidden."
"Try harder. Nobody can find out until Saturday," David said, "once we're sure of everything, then you can tell them. And you swore you wouldn't say a thing!"
"I didn't!" I replied, "that girl's too smart for her own good."
"Well, no offense, Brooke-a-lie," he told me, gently, "you're got great at keeping secrets. Especially big secrets like this."
"I know, I know," I replied, "I can't be perfect. Especially now. It's not easy, David. Not easy for me."
"Little while longer," David said, "we'll go tomorrow. Then on Saturday, once everything's said & done, they'll all know. Trust me."
I wasn't sure I could keep the secret much longer. Keeping a secret as big as the one I had in store wasn't easy."
What do you think the secret is? Post it in your comments!
