Meet Me Half Way

Chapter 13

I think life was meant to be more than this. More than the day-to-day occurrences. More than waking up, going to work, doing school work, and going to bed. The same routine over and over again. I promised myself I wouldn't create a pattern when I'm older, but it's only human to do so. Humans need a routine. They can't live without them. It gives them structure and a purpose in life. Wake up, do the same daily, and go to bed. I've fallen victim to a daily routine more than I'd like to admit. I want to breathe finally. I want to see new things. I want to explore life outside of a routine. I want surprises. I want happiness. I want to live with no regrets. I want to live life.

I glanced up from my notebook and watched Luke glide his hand across the paper. His right arm was looped around the paper, keeping it out of sight from others. His left hand moved fiercely as he sketched. I found myself wishing I could see what he was drawing.

His dark hair was covering his eyes again, but he wasn't letting it stop him. He wore an army green Vanderbilt Baseball hoodie and gray sweatpants. His Converse was a dirty white, almost like he rolled them around in rainwater. He caught me looking, and his green eyes peeked up at me. I felt embarrassed that I was caught looking.

"What are you drawing?" I asked him as I leaned back in my chair.

My thighs were sticking to the wooden chairs. However, it was pretty decent out, so I wore a sweatshirt and shorts.

He gave me a sly smile as he crossed his arms across the paper, "I'll show you eventually."

I sighed in exasperated annoyance, "Come on; I'm impatient."

"And that is why you have to wait."

"Come on, Luke, that's not fair."

He leaned forward and sketched a rose on my paper.

It was a quick sloppy rose, yet it was the most elegant thing I've seen. The pedals were jagged and loose, and the stem was off-center, but you could tell an artist had drawn it.

I smiled, "I think this is the prettiest sketch I've seen."

Luke blushed as he looked at me, "Thank you."

If he could draw a rose this elegant within a minute, I can only imagine how beautiful the sketch he is working on now is.

"Do you want to live in Nashville?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do. It's an amazing city. I couldn't imagine living somewhere else now being here. How about you?"

"I've always wanted to travel, but I don't know."

He smiled, "You can still travel. Living somewhere doesn't restrict you from visiting places. Nashville would be your resting place, plus where you have a job."

"Yeah, I guess you are right. I haven't thought about it like that."

"Will that be all for you two today?" I asked the young couple.

It was a Tuesday night, so it wasn't too busy, but we still had some people floating in from time to time.

"Yes, thank you." The man said as he held the coat up so the woman could slide her arms in.

I gave them a quick goodbye and went to the backroom for my break.

Mason was sitting at the break table, sipping a glass of water.

His eyes reflected in the light, making them look sparkling.

"It's been a pretty nice night." He said as I sat down across from him.

His hair was a shade of light brown, making his eyes seem even darker.

"Yeah, I haven't had to rush around like my head was cut off."