Memories Never Die

The Barista and The Blond

The next time I run into Kirsten, I wish it was a coincidince. 

I had simply been going to guest lecture a nueroscience college class at California Tech when I suddenly walks into a blond, angrily holding a piece of paper. 

Of course, I decide to make a fool of myself, dropping down to the ground to help pick up the piece of paper, instead of walking away in that classic Californian-I'm-better-than-you way. 

I look down at the girl, feeling an odd emotion. Surprise. With a memory like mine, few things rarely slip past me, especially bloody gorgeous, smart ass girls who could probably kill me with a single look. Yet, here she is, standing a mere foot away from me. grabbing the paper from my hand before storming away, before pausing mid pace once she gets approximately a meter away. 

"You're Cameron, that ass of a barista," she says sweetly, looking up at me. 

I involuntarily raise an eyebrow. This girl was clearly smart, possibly nearly as smart as I was, a quality even Marta didn't possess. To remember something as insignificant as a barista was...amazing. 

"And you're Kirsten, not Kristen, a.k.a. Queen of the Estupidos" I say, mimicing her smile. 

"Well, this Queen of the Estupidos thinks she has a stalker, you might recognize his description, scrawny nerd?"

"Sorry about that, princess, but I'm afraid I don't. I do however recognize cute, brooding sex god"

Now its her turn to raise an eyebrow, before cheekily continuing, "So basically everything you're not?"

If i hadn't recognized the tension earlier, I certainly felt it now. During our banter, she had filled the space between us, and was so close that if I moved the slightest inch I could kiss her, which I may or may not have wanted to do. 

She clearly was beggining to realize how close we were, but before she could step back, leave me for what wousld probably be forever, I grabbed the paper she had been glaring holes through, quickly scanning it before holding it out of  her reach, watcing her fight the instinct to make a fool of herself jumping to reach the paper. 

"Academic probation, how could that happen to an angel like you?" 

"It's my room mate, Camille. She threw me out of her apartment and framed me for academic theft because I threw out and told off some Linus guy who she was hooking up with." 

I smiled at that, because it seemed something Kirsten would do. Despite barely knowing her, I could tell she was slightly reckless, but completely protective when it came to people she cared about. 

"So, any family left to go to now?" 

"Not really, my mom died and my dad abandoned me with a family friend when I was young, but he recently died."

I feel horrible now. Despite having no family either, atleast in my case, they hadn't been forced away from me, taken before I was ready to let them go. Only after me accepting their inevitable death had they died, something Kirsten never got.

I give her a pointed look as I hand back the paper, debating with myself before I ask the question I know will change everthing, I win the debate, of course, and take a shallow breath. 

"Why don't you stay with me for a while?"

a/n:  this chapter turned out to be alot more dialogue-heavy then i intended. Oops.