Only In Your Dreams

~2~

I whip my arm over my head to try and blindly find the device my alarm is coming from.  I end up knocking over the half full glass of water on my nightstand instead which forces me to peel the warm cocoon of blankets from my face to get up and clean the mess.  Once the alarm sound ceases, I have an instantaneous vision of my dream.  Usually they don't start until after my day has started and I'm fully cognitive but for some reason this vision is happening while I'm still drowsy with swollen eyes.  I decide to check my phone for notifications; my boss has been on my ass lately about everything and anything at 6 am sharp.

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*Text from Mr. Sear*  "Y/n, please don't forget the documents needed for the students in classroom 134 I asked for five days ago...thanks.  Also we are in need of coffee, please pick some up, my treat. See you soon. 
P.s wear those cute new pink shoes you got for your birthday today"

I gag internally, wipe my crusty eyes and lock my phone.  My boss is the kind of guy who treats you well if you're a somewhat attractive female employee but in return gives you creepy uncle vibes, and unfortunately this job is the only one that would take me given the fact I don't have my degree in teaching yet.

*6:30 a.m* , reads the time on my phone.  I've never been the type of person to take more than half an hour to get dressed and eat breakfast in the morning given the fact that I shower mostly before bed.  I grab my coat and head out the door to meet the white and yellow colored taxi cab outside my door.

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"Hello, how are you today?"  The driver announces in an uninterested tone towards the front of the vehicle without even glancing back at me.

"I'm well, to the coffee shop up the road please."  I pause for a moment.  "How is your morning?"  I ask trying to sound more enthused then he did.  

"It's a morning."  He says with a sigh, which I signify as he's not interested in the small talk I've tried to establish with him.

We sit in silence for the next 10 minutes as I check my phone continuously hoping to get the coffee in time before work. 

*6:45 a.m*  My phone reads.  Good timing if he drives a bit faste-  My thought cuts off as the car halts abruptly. We're here.   I pay the driver and exit the cab only to be nipped in the face by the harsh winter air that greets me as I do.  Bunching up my coat and scarf around my face I enter the coffee shop.  It's dead like always.  It's a lowkey coffee shop on the eastside of Bay City MI, an already smallish town in itself so not that many people know about it.

"Hi!"  I'm greeted with the happiest smile from the barista who knows me well.  I wave back at her and a huge shiver runs down my spine, causing me to tremble.

"That cold huh?"  She chuckles at me.  "What can I get for you, the usual?"  She exclaims.

"That, and four other americanos please; work order."  I smile and giving her a wink I pull out the black credit card my boss gave me for the million morning coffee runs he has me do.  She rings it up and I step off to the side to check the time once more.

*6:50 a.m*   it reads and I shuffle to put it in my back pocket.

"I'm going to use the restroom really quick."  I tell her as I walk around the counter to head back.  As a do I hear the door bell ring meaning a new customer has arrived and I feel a wave of illogical guilt hit me for leaving her alone as if I could help her somehow.  

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As I close the bathroom door and make my way around the corner to grab my already placed out coffee tray, I thank her, head down counting to make sure all five coffees were there.  They were as usual.  Lifting my head to make sure my walking path is clear I'm stopped immediately, and even then it was too late.

The puddle of five fresh coffees pools around, and on my pink pumps, splatters on my coat, and disappointment on my face. 

"Oh- I'm so... Oh my god, please let me help."  I hear a kind and gentle masculine but feminine voice whimper out at me.

"Oh, It's alright it was an accident."  I laugh awkwardly as I bend down keeping my eyes straight on the ground at the mess in front of me.  "I should've walked a bit slower around that corner."

"Can I buy you new ones...please?" He begs politely.

"That won't be necessary, but thank you for offering."  I shoot back quite hastily wondering what the time is now.  I'm going to have to let Mr. Sear know I'll be late, what happened, and how much money I spent.  He's going to be so irritated.  I wince at the thought.

I realized that this faceless mans voice almost sounds familiar like an old friend from my younger years, or someone my mom knew way back.  Once the empty coffee cups were retrieved, we both stood up at the same time, him handing me the tray and our eyes finally meeting for the first time. 

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I feel the shiver again; the one I felt after walking into the shop.  The blood falls from my cheeks, I feel my hands go cold, along with my face and it's expression.  No emotion I've ever felt or described could portray this one being felt at this moment in time.  Time didn't even feel real.  Recognizing the mans face in front of me, as dumbfounded as mine, I knew that what he was feeling described my emotions perfectly and this could only mean one thing.  

It was him.

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