Holiday His Stories (BXB short stories)

Sweet Tooth

"For Melissa?" the barista called. Holding tightly to the two plastic cups.

"That's me," said the boy. Today he was wearing a gray sweater vest over a white button down. So dressed up. Maybe he was going to some kind of winter performance. Maybe he was in a winter performance. Maybe he played acoustic guitar or violin. Maybe he just felt like getting dressed up today. His blonde hair looked so soft, and his long bangs waved back on either side of his forehead, a piece falling over his face.

"One caramel frappuccino and an Iced coffee?" Trying to prolong the moment.

"Yeah," the boy said, blue green eyes blinking up at the taller boy. Fingers rubbing together nervously, hesitantly reaching out for his order.

"Straws?" He always asked, even though he knew the answer.

"No thank you," The boy's voice was always so sweet. The barista bit his lip, glad no one could see it under his mask.

"Ok, so . . . napkins?" One last shot.

"No, thank you." The boy looked down at the drinks, still in the barista's hands, then back up at the taller boy. Blinking. He had dark brown eyebrows and thick eyelashes. That's all the barista could see because the mask covered the rest of the smaller boy's face.

"Ummm,,," Maybe this time he could do it. Maybe this time he would muster up the courage to..

"Daniel? Let's go sweetie. Grandma's waiting!" The middle aged woman excused herself and stepped around the elderly couple waiting for their pick up.

"These are ours?" She glanced up at the barista, looking so fixedly at her son. Then her eyes were drawn to her own boy, who stood so awkwardly looking back.

"Oh my god," she murmured, taking the drinks. "Tomorrow, ok." She directed this to both boys strangely. "We'll come back tomorrow. But right now we've got a family dinner." She took her son's hand and pulled him towards the door. Daniel, apparently, looked back at him and said goodbye quietly.

"Have a nice day," the barista called out.

And turned around to see the three other barista's laughing hysterically, literally almost falling over.

"What?" He shrugged and straightened his apron. "Don't you have drinks to make?"

"Are you ever going to get up the nerve to talk to him?" Tanya snorted, grabbing the latest ticket from the computer. "You stare at him every single time he comes in here. He's going to think you're some kind of weirdo."

"You think so?!" He turned to her so fast, his voice thick with anxiety.

"No, dumbass. But you definitely are Captain Obvious. That's ok, though, because I think he's Lieutenant Oblivious. He's definitely not picking up what you're putting down." She started to make the first of about twenty drink orders that just came through. "A little help? We are at a place called, work, you know."

===

The next day...

Daniel and his mom came into the Starbucks. Not calmly like normal. Seemed like Melissa was pushing her son through the door, as he tried desperately to pull away. But once inside, the boy straightened his clothes, immediately glancing over to the counter, made eye contact with Justin, turned beet red and tried once again to go back out the door. His mom's hand on his elbow, he was led to one of a handful of tables they'd just reopened now that most people had gotten their vaccines. Eyes on the floor. Hands opening and closing.

They sat there, his mom bringing out her phone, ordering via mobile even though they were present in the store. Justin saw their ticket come in, made their drinks. And just stood there. Heart jackhammering in his chest.