(3) Not the Same: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 64: Good Luck

        "So, this is really your last shift?" Alyssa asked me softly from across the coffee shop. The customers were long gone by this point, leaving us silently cleaning.

        "Yeah, last one," I said with a breath, grinning at her from the counter. She wiped down the tops of the tables while I scrubbed the silver metal on the sides of the machines.

        I wasn't sure why she was asking, because we never really talked. There was an age gap, she was barely in her twenties, and I was almost twenty-four. It wasn't anything too big, but it put us in completely different worlds. She was focusing on graduating form her four year undergraduate program, while I'd already claimed my Masters degree. She was always happy and outgoing, while I shied away, even from regular customers.

        Another silence fell over us, the one I was used to. I bit the inside of my mouth, looking at the coffee markers that I'd used on a regular basis. I would have to never touch those things again.

        The sun was starting to set in the early September night. We'd be changing our clocks back in a few days. Summer was over, and things were really changing, even if it didn't feel like it.

        "Can I ask you another question?" she asked, looking at me timidly. I glanced at her, noticing the way she paused while hunched over the table, dirty blonde hair falling in her face. My eyebrows came together while I shrugged, bobbing my head gently.

        "Sure, what is it?"

        She hesitated for a moment, trying to think of the right words. I was almost confused, unsure of why she seemed so suddenly nervous. It was like she was asking me a million dollar question I couldn't get wrong.

        "Well, I know that you were seeing that dark haired guy that came in a few days a week," she trailed off, eyes wandering around while straightening her back. My fingers curled around the rag in my hand. She was talking about Craig.

        "What about him?" I asked curiously, going back to my work. I was getting really good at forgetting about Craig, not thinking about him, getting over him. If I was going to be with Zack, I needed to be over him. I needed to be with Zack one hundred percent because anything less wasn't enough, anything less wasn't fair. He deserved any part of me that he wanted.

        "But are you really dating Zack Merrick now?" She had a sparkle in her eyes, one that I wasn't expecting. I should have known she was a fan, any girl between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five would drool over all four of those boys in an instant.

        "Yeah," I said with a small, half smile. I wasn't sure what she would do with the information, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I'd already seen the blogs that had pictures of us, I knew that almot the entire All Time Low fan base understood that Zack was no longer on the market.

        "You're the luckiest girl I've ever met in my entire life," she breathed out with a small laugh. I felt myself blush, fixing my eyes on the counter before nodding.

        "Yes I am," I agreed, running my fingers through my hair.

        "I'm not trying to sound like a bitchy fan or anything," she continued, putting her hands in the air with a smile plastered on her lips, "But how did you guys even meet? He's pretty famous.

        I let out a chuckle, grinning at her while she watched me in amazement. Alyssa was one of the girls that would've ignored me completely in high school. Their lives were the only ones they ever thought about, but now here she was, eyes following me like a hawk.

        "We dated in high school," I said softly, noticing how hot my face was. My cheeks were flushed, and I wondered if the air conditioner was broken again.

        "Didn't they go to school on the east coast?" she asked, having a lot more information than I would have assumed she did. I continued, shrugging again.

        "I moved out here for college, and they're out here a lot. I ran into Alex's girlfriend and everything sort of fell back into place," I was speaking almost to myself, remembering these last few months. If someone told me in May that this was what my life would become, I never would have believed them. I would say they were crazy before walking away. I couldn't believe that this was how my life turned out.

        "That's so effing cute," she gusehed with another grin, beaming at me. I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly, while she continued to think about it, giddy and excited for a relationship that wasn't even hers. She was funny, maybe I should have befriended her before, maybe it shouldn't have been hard to be closer to her.

        "Thanks," I said quietly, unsure of what else to say.

        "Are you going on tour with them? Is that why you're leaving?" she questioned, eyes glinting in genuine and eager curiosity.

        "Well, I was offered a job managing a band they're taking on tour with them in the spring and I sort of need to focus on that right now, and this job isn't helping," I shrugged again, nto sure of where my sudden interaction was coming from. It wasn't like me to do this.

        "Are you serious?" her mouth was open, gaping in my direction. I smiled brightly, nodding. "I really want your life."

        "No, you don't. I promise you, you wouldn't want it." I said with yet another laugh, shaking my head at the thought. I'm not sure anyone would be able to live inside my brain or have to deal with all the problems I've had to deal with in the last six years, even if it was completely worth it in the end.

        "Whatever you say," she said giggling before turning back to her cleaning. I followed her actions, moving to the countertop next. It got quiet again, listening to the faint beeping of cars that were outside, and the soft music that was always playing through the speakers. It was still so weird to know I wouldn't be doing this anymore. This was weird to me when I punched out at seven-thirty.

        "Lauren?" Alyssa said softly, grabbing my attention again. I looked up, meeting her kind eyes, flipping her bangs out of her face. "Good luck with everything, you know?"

        My mouth turned up, teeth bearing a wide smile. I nodded, watching how she looked at me. We could have been great friends.

        "Thanks, Alyssa. You too."