The sound of sizzling minced meat filled the air as Void stared at it absentmindedly.
"Hey, Void, what're you doing? The meat's burning!"
"Ah, sorry, Anne. Just had something on my mind," he said, quickly flipping the burger and placing it on the bun.
He was working his part-time shift at the bar again. The $1,000 he used to trade had come from months of saving at this $7-an-hour job.
"What happened? Did you get into trouble with Daniel again? I told you, he's a walking headache."
'Daniel again...' Void didn't show what he was really thinking, he just laughed.
"Nah, it's not that. The news just caught me off guard. The president got shot."
Annie raised an eyebrow, one gloved hand on her hip as she leaned closer, her black lipstick catching the greasy glow of the kitchen lights.
"The hell are you talkin' about?" she said, voice sharp with disbelief. "You mean the president? Bush? Shot? Like, actual bang-bang, not political scandal crap?"
She snatched a fry off the counter, popping it into her mouth, eyes still locked on him. Her eyeliner was thick, and the streak of dark purple in her short black hair framed her cute face that always looked half unimpressed, half amused.
Void nodded slowly, wiping his hands on his apron. "Yeah, He's in critical condition."
Annie let out a low whistle, leaning back against the fridge. Her chain belt jingled softly against her ripped fishnet skirt. "Well, shit. I knew this year was weird, but damn."
"Weird how?"
"Nothing much. Just... drama at home. My long-lost dad suddenly called me out of nowhere." She rolled her eyes. "Meh. Whatever."
"Hm… I see." Void didn't ask further. His mind was still busy, trying to process the ripple effects of the shooting.
He had already searched Damien Kastor. But nothing stood out, no scandals, no big history. It was like the guy had come out of nowhere, just a random major from some no-name city who got bumped up after the actual VP fell ill.
That alone made Void uneasy. Was Kastor like him? Another person thrown back into the past?
But he shook his head. That didn't feel right.
If someone had future knowledge, why the hell would they waste it becoming a vice president?
You could live rich, stay hidden… rule from the shadows. Why bother to be in the spotlight?
"Oh yeah, Anne, could you cover my shift for a few hours around dinner? I've got someone I need to meet."
She narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling into a smirk. "Ooooh, Void's got a secret date? Should I prep the emergency candles and tissues?"
He scoffed, tossing a slice of cheese onto the next patty. "It's not a date."
"Oh, so it's a business meeting," she said, making exaggerated air quotes with her gloved fingers. "Lemme guess, mysterious stranger in a trench coat, speaks in riddles, hands you a USB drive with world-shattering secrets?"
"Close," Void said dryly. "Except it's more like a guy in khakis who smells like coffee and conspiracy theories."
Annie snorted. "Damn. I was hoping for romance. Or espionage. Can't believe you're ditching me for a walking Reddit thread."
He gave her a lopsided grin. "I'll bring you back a sticker."
"It better be holographic."
Both of them fell quiet for a moment, eyes meeting across the sizzling grill. Then, as if on cue, they both cracked up.
Annie shook her head, grabbing the finished burger and sliding it onto the tray. "Don't miss me too much while I'm gone," she said with a grin, strutting off with the tray balanced on one hand like she owned the place.
Void chuckled under his breath. "I do miss you."
In the last timeline, they'd drifted apart. After losing his family, he'd spiraled, cutting himself off from everyone.
Annie had tried to reach out, more than once. But he was too lost in his own grief to see her hand. Eventually, she stopped trying.
By the time he thought about reconnecting, many years had passed. And the guilt of ghosting her had only grown heavier with time.
He'd convinced himself it would be awkward to meet again.
But standing here now, flipping burgers in a greasy bar kitchen, joking around with her... it made him feel nostalgic.
'I was such an asshole to ghost her like that. And there's still Derek, and the others too.'
Void glanced at the sizzling hot plate and let out a quiet sigh.
'Back then, I buried myself in grief and shut everyone out. Thought I was the only one hurting. But now? I've got a second chance. And I'm not wasting it.'
He pulled out his beat-up flip phone, thumb hovering for a second…
Then he typed out a message to Rachel.
[If you're free tonight, come by Rusty Joe's. I'll be working the grill. First drink's on me, and free fries.]
A minute passed. Then the phone buzzed in his hand.
[Who is this?]
Void smirked a little and tapped back quickly.
[Void.]
Another pause. Then:
[…How did you get my number?]
He hesitated. Then replied with a smirk.
[I have my way.]
A longer pause this time. He thought she might not answer. But then the screen lit up again.
[Guess I'll bring my taser. Hope you still like sarcasm. And I'm only coming if you're paying for everything. ]
[Deal, if you forgive me. ]
[No promise.]
Void grinned, flipping the phone shut with a satisfying snap.
Time passed in a blur of grease and orders. Void finally wiped his hands on a towel and stepped out from behind the kitchen.
He looked around the bar, letting his eyes adjust to the warm neon glow. And there she was, Rachel. Already seated at a small corner table near the window, hoodie half-zipped, earbuds out, sipping a soda through a red straw.
She wasn't alone.
A guy in a button-up shirt was standing by her table, clearly trying to strike up a conversation. Something about the way he moved made it obvious he was trying to impress her.
Rachel didn't even look at him. Just took another slow sip from her straw and stared straight ahead like the guy didn't exist.
Void grinned. He turned and ducked behind the bar, where Anne was restocking the cooler with a clatter of glass bottles. She glanced up and smirked.
"Well, well," she said, twisting a cap off a bottle with her hip. "Booth by the window. Hoodie girl. And not a trench coat in sight. So what's the play here, romantic comedy, spy thriller, or Void Tries Feelings: The Sequel?"
He smirked. "She came, didn't she?"
Anne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. And now you're ditching me for a moody indie girl with cheekbones. I'm hurt, Void. Deeply."
"I'll bring you back a holographic sticker," he said.
"You better. Or I'm telling everyone you cried during Lilo & Stitch."
Void grinned, gave her a mock salute, and walked off toward Rachel's table, hoping he could convince her.
'First, earn her forgiveness. Then… make her a star.'