No Control • hs

one

     I drag my legs over the side if my bed and shuffle my feet over to my apartment window. I can't help but look outside at my beautiful South Carolina veiw.

     I smile to myself before slipping on a pair of jeans and a mint blue cropped top. I straighten my brunette hair and follow my usual makeup routine.

     Today was my first day of work. I got hired as a barista for the nearest coffee shop around the corner from my apartment complex. I haven't met whoever lives in the apartment across from me yet, but I'm going to introduce myself before I go to work.

     I make myself a smoothie and put it in my favorite tervis tumbler. I finish it, watching the channel 3 morning news. I walk myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth and then turn off the tv. I grab my keys and phone off of the kitchen counter and head for the door.

     I open it, then lock it behind me. I knock on the door of the apartment right in front of mine.
     The door swings open. There is a short-ish chestnut haired male on the other end. His eyes were a magnificent shade of ocean-blue.
"Hello" He says in a British accent.

     "Hi" I pause "I'm Peyton, I live in apartment 24c." I say acknowledging that it was the apartment in front if him.

     "Oh, Come in." he says opening the door wider as I pass the threshold of his apartment.
I opened my mouth to say more but I closed it noticing there was someone else in his apartment as well. "I'm Louis by the way." he says turning to get his keys and phone on the coffee table. "This is my roommate, Harry." He says.

     Harry nods and waves and the corners of my mouth turn up as I wave back. "I'm Peyton." I say.

     "I know." Louis says.

     "Oh um--"

     "Nevermind." He says smiling at his phone blowing air hard out of his nose as he stifles a laugh.

     "Last?" Harry says dryly from the couch, watching tv, not even making eye-contact.

     "What?"

     "What's your last name?"

     "Ruth." I say. Harry breaks his attention to the tv and looks at me, expressionless. He keeps his eyes glued to mine as he makes his way to me.

     I find a likeliness in him, Harry, I mean. He is tall, has curly, brunette hair, resting on his forehead and he has dimples deeper than his accent. Or maybe they're equally deep, I'm not sure, because he has only said three words to me.

     I push away my thoughts when I realized he was standing close in front of me. "When did you move in?" He asks holding the door that was still open. Louis has disappeared in their apartment somewhere, I think he has somewhere to be.

     "Just last week."

     "Look, I don't know what you think, but me and Louis are just really good mates, we always have each others back."

     "I-I wasn't...um...thinking that." I stutter. Harry nods.

     "I should really get going, I just got employed at a coffee shop and I don't want to be late on my first shift."

     "Okay, well I'll let you go, then." I smile a bit.

     "It was really nice meeting you." Harry says.

     "You too, and Louis, tell him I said goodbye."

     "I will." I turn to walk down the hall as Louis and Harry's apartment door shuts.

Click

     Their apartment door opens again. "Peyton!" Harry yells down the hall. I swivel around to see him. "Maybe we could get coffee sometime...together."

     "Yeah," I smile. "that would be nice." Harry smiles and shuts his apartment door before I hop on the elevator and ride down to the lobby floor.

     I try getting Louis and Harry's faces out of my head while I make my way to my car. I know I don't know much about them, they could be murderers for all I know. They seemed nice though.

     I finally pull into the employee parking section of the coffee shop and get out of my car. I take a deep breath before my nose gets indulged in the scent of coffee and warm pastries. "Miss Ruth?" A lady from behind the counter asks.

     "Yes." I say confused.

     "I'm Courtney!" She says, "I'm who will be training you. I spoke with you on the phone Monday."

     "Oh yeah, that's right!" I shake her hand recognizing her voice. It was now Wednesday and I was exhausted from unpacking boxes upon boxes of my belongings. I honestly could take another day off before doing my first shift. But I kept quiet.

     She trained me and we got done about four hours after around 5:00 when everyone stops by to get lunch at their lunch breaks. "Hello, welcome to the coffee cup what can I get you?" I say grabbing an insulated cup and grabbing a sharpie to write on it.

     "Mochaaa..." I look up, recognizing the voice.

     "Harry?" I say.

     "Hi." Harry says with a smirk spread across his face. I write mocha down on his cup.

     "Anything else?"

     "Uh...um...how was your...day?"

     "Good. But, I meant with your-your mocha."

     "Oh... sorry...no thanks." I pay for his coffee and before I hand it over to get filled, I scribble:

Dinner @ my place at 8:30?

-Peyton