Chapter 1: Emma's Back

Emma's P.O.V.

Ahh, Gold Coast, Australia. It's been a little over a year since I've been here, though not much has changed. I just finished unpacking, putting all my old stuff back where it belongs in my room. Sure I had fun with my family, traveling the world and all, but I really missed my best friends, not to mention my boyfriend and I couldn't wait to see them again.

"I'm going out," I told my mom the minute I got down the stairs, then I left out the front door. I decided the best place to look for my friends, besides Mako, would be the Juicenet. I found it by memory and hadn't even bothered to look at the name of the place.

Once I entered, I noticed that many things had changed, I guessed that Ash had done this while I was gone. With all the changes, plus the fact that I haven't been here in so long, I couldn't find the boss' office, I planned on getting my old job back. Then I saw a waitress, I cold tell she was a waitress by the tray of drinks she carried, she had hair redder than Charlotte's, and her hair was spiked like the character, Alice in the movie Twilight that I saw when my family was in the U.S. So I decided to ask her where the boss' office was, she seemed nice enough.

"Hi," I said as I walked up to her.

"If you take a seat I'll be with you in a sec," she replied.

"Actually I was hoping you could tell me where the boss' office is?" I asked.

" If you're looking for a job, you've come to the wrong place, the boss only hires certain people, "she rudely said with a smirk, "Like me."

" For you information, I have worked here before, and I am very good friends with the boss" I informed her.

"Really?" she said, surprised, "Which one?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know, the owner or his girlfriend who runs this place with him," she replied, " If you're here for his girlfriend, your out of luck, she's not here, and if your here for the owner, he's already taken, trust me, I tried."

"Just tell me where the office is," I replied bluntly, I wasn't sure if I should believe her or not. She seemed like the lying type, but what if she was telling the truth? What if Ash had really gotten another girlfriend? I just had to talk to him myself to find out the truth.

"Okay, the owner then, follow me," she said, then she led me to a closed door, "he's in there. I have to get back to work." She finished, then left and I knocked on the door.

"Come in," A boy's voice answered, it didn't sound like Ash's voice, but it was familiar, so I opened the door and walked in. To find Zane! Of all people, how did he end up owner of the Juicenet?

"Emma?" Zane asked.

"Yeah," I replied, "you do know your waitress isn't one of the sweetest ones right?"

"Oh, that's Sophie, we only keep her around because she's all we have. She scared away anyone else who wanted to work here," Zane replied.

"We?" I asked

"Yeah, isn't it obvious? I run this place with Rikki. Hence the name Rikki's ," he said, like it was so obvious. Then I remembered what Sophie had said about him running it with his girlfriend, and it made sense.

"Oh, well I did come to get a job, I could take her place if you wanted me to," I said.

"That would be great! You have experience and everything, plus I'm positive Rikki would allow it. So when can you start?" Zane asked.

"Tomorrow, first I want to see all the people I've missed while I was gone, " I replied.

"Okay, the time we opened hasn't changed, so try to be on time, if your not though, it's okay, we're cool with that. Just don't be too late," Zane said, "Oh, and on your way out, tell Sophie I need to see her."

"Sure," I said on my way out of the office.

"The boss wants to see you," I told Sophie as I passed her on my way out.