Autumn and Sawyer's Sweet Secrets (Ongoing) - 37,000 words :)

A Life in Frames

"Your first duty during your first shift ever was a total disaster," the Sarge says more softly than Autumn expects.

Autumn just sits quietly and nods. She knows that all throughout the day she's been more of a trouble maker than any help. It is after all her first time to be working on anything. It is her first time to have any responsibility over anything. Because of all the trouble and all the mess she's been causing the Retro Diner all day long, Autumn expects to be punished. She thinks that the Sarge will tell her to do 20 pushups or that the boy, Sawyer will be the one who will receive the punishment. The thought of someone else being punished for her mistakes makes her feel guilty. She doesn't want that to happen. She is ready to take the blame when the Sarge begins to speak.

"Don't worry Autumn. It's not your fault. As the commanding officer it is my duty and my responsibility to educate, train and guide my subordinates. What happened today is all my fault," the Sarge reassures the newbie crewmate in front of his desk.

The Sarge's words disarm Autumn. Her eyes light up as she raises her head from a bowed down position and looks around at the wall of the Sarge's office. Inside the office there are several picture frames of a young man in Army uniform. Her eyes widen as she recognizes the young man in the picture. It's the sarge!

Looking around the wall, she notices a trend.

1st picture: College ROTC days. The Sarge is extremely fit, looking very young and thin and strong, still a student training with a wooden rifle.

2nd picture: Army bootcamp training. The Sarge, now a fresh army recruit, looks a few years older but is still very young. Body is more muscular.

3rd Picture: A platoon of army privates. The Sarge can be seen in the second row extremely muscular and looking rather serious as their platoon is poised for battle.

4th Picture: The Sarge is in a formal Army Uniform, he is receiving recognition and a promotion to a rank of Corporal.

5th Picture: Now a few years older, the Sarge is receiving a recognition and promotion as Sergeant. He is smiling.

6th Picture: The Sarge is seen with a platoon of soldiers. He is the commanding officer. They are in full battle gear.

7th Picture: News paper article of a battle breaking out. Headline reading: "Only one Soldier Shot, but is Alive and Well." The article is also accompanied by a picture of the Sarge in a hospital bed with bandages on his shoulder and around his chest.

8th picture: the Sarge is seen behind an army desk. He isn't smiling. He is not showing any emotions. In fact, he looks miserable.

9th picture: almost the same picture as previous image but the Sarge looks bigger.

10th picture: almost the same picture as previous frame but the Sarge looks even fatter and older and is now sporting a thick mustache.

11th picture: A framed honorable military discharge certificate

12th picture: The now big bellied and mustachioed Sarge is shaking hands with Mr.Castellano outside the Retro Diner during the grand opening.

Autumn gasps, and the Sarge stops talking for a moment to clear his throat and stroke his mustache, then he continues talking about the relationship between war and the fastfood business. Neither hearing nor understanding the Sarge's every word, Autumn just nods along. Her attention once again gets pulled away by the panel of picture frames. She is now looking at the 13th picture. The sarge is wearing the same uniform he is currently wearing now. He is smiling a bit. For any other person, this smile won't be considered a smile, but for the Sarge, especially after the previous emotionless 6th to 10th pictures, this is a smile. The rest of the frames show the Sarge with the past Retro Diner crewmembers since its grand opening 9 years ago.

Autumn finishes looking at the picture right before the Sarge wraps up his entire speech about war, the restaurant business, the crew and responsibility.

He finishes up saying, "Do you agree Ms. Autumn Castellano?"

Without knowing half of what the Sarge was talking about she just says, "Yes, Sir Sarge."

"So, ready ka na ba para bukas?"Sarge asks the confused girl.

Still feigning comprehension she says, "Yes Sarge."

"OK then, you are dismissed and welcome to the crew!" the Sarge says in a lighter, almost cheery tone.

At the Retro Diner's front lobby, the crew is waiting for her.

"Was I long?" she asks her new crewmates.

"Hindi naman masyado and sanay na kami dyan ke sarge," Sawyer says. "Tara."

After their shift, the crew goes out to tambay and eat a bit outside. The three magkaCrewkada eat kwek kwek. Mindy buys balut, a barbecue and kwekwek but after a bite from the kwek kwek, Ricky finishes it off together with the balut and barbecue. Autumn finds this sight amusing. Autumn tries some kwekkwek for herself and she likes it. They then order some palamig and some softdrinks. The crew talk about their day and they focus mainly on their latest crewmate, who incidentally, is also the cause of all the things worth talking about during their shift. They laugh at all the things that the Sarge had to endure with the mess that Autumn caused.

"What about the pushups?" asks Autumn, clearly a bit worried that maybe she has caused all of them to be punished because of her mistakes.

Her crewmates just look at each other and share a laugh. Sawyer is the one to explain. "The Sarge doesn't really mean all those things that he says, even the pushups. Well mostly not anyway." The crew laugh again.

"Dati nga naka accumulate ako ng 100 pushups nung bago pa ako. Akala ko na ifafire out na ako sa first day ko pa lang. Tapos, pina pushups niya ako but nung matapos ako ng twenty pinahinto na ako at pinauwi. Tapos 'wag kang magalala Autumn. Ang male crew lang naman ang pinapa Pushups ni Sarge," Sawyer shares.

Ethan butts in saying, "Tingnan mo si Ricky lumaki na ang katawan sa kakatubos niya kay Mindy sa pagpushup at sa pagkain. Haha," sabay lingon kay Ricky na kumakain pa ng barbecue.

"Hoy... Ethan, di naman ah," Mindy objects jokingly. "Anyway, Autumn, I hope ensakto lang ang fit sa iyo ng uniform. Akin kasi yan dati nung medyo SEXY pa ako. Ok lang kasya sa yo Autumn?" Mindy asks, eager for a reply.

Autumn doesn't know if Mindy is kidding or not, so she just answers politely, "Yes. Perfect na perfect ang fit."

"Kita mo luv. Sabi sa 'yo ganyan ako ka payat nung nagsimula tayo sa Retro Diner," Mindy quickly snaps at Ricky as she slaps his right arm.

Ethan, Luke and Sawyer just look at each other as they hold in their chuckles. Autumn just smiles, glad that she didn't say that the uniform was a bit too big.

The Retro Diner Crew then go their separate ways to ride different jeepneys.