OUT OF THE PICTURE

Chapter One || Marlin

Six Months Earlier

Giving her full attention to her pumpkin spice latte, Marlin almost spilled her cup on the white table when her phone suddenly rang. It had been ringing since she arrived here in the new coffee shop near Sheepshead Bay called Caffeine Mania.

This place had anything a typical coffee shop have, comfy couches with different shapes and sizes, cute and weird mug designs, also the whole room had this light atmosphere, eventhough it smelled caffeine.

But there was just one thing she found unique about the place, vandalism was legally encourage here. People could write anything everywhere- on the table, on the walls and even on their coffee mugs. It was intentionally colored by plain white so that the customers could write using colored pens and markers available at the counter. It was like a vast of freedom boards to express a person's thoughts, frustrations, secrets, almost anything.

Since the shop just opened today, everything was still almost white.

Marlin figured out that maybe it was their way to attract customers, especially they were new in town, and maybe that was why she chose this place to hide from Sarah who had been waiting for her in the apartment for hours now.

Her phone rang again, and people were already staring at her because besides Maroon 5 playlist that had been filling up this whole place, they could hear her dog barking ringtone over and over again.

She slowly opened her phone, it was Sarah. Again. She had 14 missed calls in her call logs already and 22 text messages. But this time, she decided she was going to answer it. She could tell by these eyes staring at her that they didn't want to hear another bark, not a single one. She took a deep breath.

"Hi..."

"Oh My God Mars! Where are you?! I've been calling you!"

"Heeeey Sa-rah! Uhmm I'm sorry my phone was in my bag, I didn't hear u calling..." She could see few eyes rolling over her because of her white lie.

"Whatever. Where are you?"

"Uhmm...I'm still here in the office, I just need to finish something" And there she was again, lying.

"What? I'm waiting here and its been 10 years. Hurry up already. The boys are waiting"

All of the sudden, she felt a blood rushing through her.

"Sarah, for the millionth time, I'm not going. It's already three Saturdays in a row. I'm done with it". She snapped, irritated.

Sarah was going to set her up a date. Again. Every time her friend got to meet a new guy, she should have a partner too so that they could hang out together. Like a double date. Eventhough she barely knew the guys Sarah had been giving her.

This was the 2nd time now after she broke up with Ray three weeks ago. Yep, that was Sarah, a good-looking attractive blonde chick who changed boyfriends as much she changed her bed sheet, her officemate slash roommate slash best friend.

She could sense Sarah's disappointment, and she could already imagine her pouting her thick lips on the other line.

Marlin grunted. "Fine, I'll go. But this is the last time...I barely know them for God's sake! And stop switching boys as if they're your toys."

She could hear her say "YES!!!! I knew you would say that hah! And about me switching bf's...it's not my fault they can't handle my bad ass!" She giggled.

"So I'm gunna pick you up?" Sarah asked.

"No! Uhmm....I still have to change. Why don't you go there first and I'll just follow? I'm pretty sure they're already bored waiting."