Coffee with Wilde

Chapter 4

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go - Oscar Wilde.

Klade was back the next week, sitting with his trench coat wrapped around him, as if he never left.

Athena took the seat opposite him, her eyes wandering around the cafe and landing on Lena and the movie editor who were sharing the same screen. Lena looked up briefly and waved before diverting her eyes back down to the screen, adjusting the blue headphone that she shared with the editor.

"You're still here," Klade said, dryly.

"Yes, it seems like I'm constantly intent on ruining my week," Athena said, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Eh...this place seems to be the highlight of mine," he said, the right corner of his lip turning up, the lips which were normally pulled into a thin line.

"It's nice that you think of me in that way."

"I don't but my psychologist thinks you'd be good for me."

Athena paused, half bent over her bag unzipping it, slowly raising her head up. The half-smile wasn't gone but it disappeared from his eyes. Is it inappropriate time to come up with a joke? she thought.

"Don't look so shocked, I always thought it was pretty obvious something was wrong with me. I've got depression, they're thinking bipolar but I had an off week, I couldn't sleep or eat. I turned into a Plathic figure." He slouched back into his chair his limbs flailing out dramatically.

Stifling a laugh at the pun, she avoided eye contact, pulling out her notebook to give her hands something to do. "I'm sorry if I can-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, I don't need your sympathy or understanding or pity. You and I are a weird artistic team and you are the only one who can remotely put up with me so I feel sorry for you...Anyways what's your biggest problem? Your muse doesn't love you back?" he said, tacking on the end in the bid to change the subject.

Raising her eyes to the Heavens she leant over and punched him in the shoulder, her hand connecting with his shoulder bone through the thin coat. "I have bigger problems than that..." She sighed, shaking her head, rolling up the sleeves of her jumper, exposing her pale limbs, tinted with light bruises.

"Hey Ant-tits," someone yelled from behind her.

There was a slight murmur throughout the cafe, due to the new arrivals.

"That's my biggest problem and now I really need the bathroom."

Pushing back her chair and shutting her notebook she weaved in and out of the tables, only to be stopped at the door by a burly boy. He mirrored her movements as she attempted to leave the cafe and move onto the concrete floor of the train station. The boy picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The hope of keeping her modesty intact was long gone, as Athena clutched at the plaid skirt in order to stop herself from revealing herself to every patron in 'Artisans'.

"Put me down before I rip your-"

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you continue to harass my customers," Kwan said, from behind the marble counter.

"Put her down Gavin, you've tortured her enough. Stop being a dickhead," the boy facing Athena yet behind Gavin said.

"Yeah and what are you going to do," Gavin said with a sneer.

"There are just some people I know I'm going to write a poem about."

Athena was finally put down roughly, she staggered, steadying herself on the door frame, before tugging down her jersey sleeves and walking past Gavin with her chin up and with clear direction, the women's toilet.