Black And White

Chapter 1

This is my first story, so please go easy on me.
Enjoy!

It was a Saturday night as I walked into the Grotto with my laptop under my arm and my phone in my other hand, trying to protect them from the soft but porous shower of rain. The doors slid open effortlessly as if it was greeting me in a sense. I walk in to the regular aroma of 1am coffee beans in the air. There were 3 other people there. Two girls were cuddling and watching podcasts while the other person was sitting alone in the corner. She looked as if she had not slept in 27 hours and she was just staring at her computer screen with a dead, almost soulless look in her eyes. I sat in the front of the room where the heater was not too overbearing but not too distant. I opened my laptop and was greeted by a cheerful sound asking a politely for my password. Before I type it in I need to order my coffee. I don't want anyone looking into my files and folders. There are things no human should ever keep on there.

I get to the counter and I'm greeted by the barista as always. He must be new I thought to myself. The barista was a tall very husky man but also looked as if he went to the gym regularly. It was like a floppy bouncy seal that lifts weights for fun. He was ginger with hair in a quiff but he seemed to make it less "fuckboy-ey". He had a full beard, one where you can see the mustache on top, and eyes like an emerald halfway buried in soft dirt. He gave off a gentle aura, like his presence seemed to calm me down. I realized that as I was describing him I've been staring the whole time and this was not a slowed down sequence. I began to panic.

"Oh! I'm sorry I uh, zoned out...for a bit...there...anyway!" He had a look as if this was natural and part of the job and he still gave off that soothing vibe. I stopped embarrassing myself and began my order. "Could I have a vanilla bean frapuccino please?" "Sure thing. What size will it be?" "Tall." Like you hahahaha. "We'll have that right out for you sir." Oh my God his voice is so deep and smooth I can swim in it. "Thanks, uh" I strained to read his name tag. "Atticus." He said helpfully. I sat down back at my computer where I finally put the password in and begin surfing the internet. Specifically tumblr. I began reblogging everything that popped up on my dash even those episode ads because why not.

After a while of reblogging, the barista, notably Atticus, called for a vanilla bean. I'm a bean I thought to myself. I got ready to grab my drink when Atticus stopped and had a weird look on his face. "Sorry I would've called your name but-" "Leon. My names Leon" I shot out. He gave a slight smile and said "That's a nice one too. Leon" as he walked away. I've never felt so dead in my entire life. Why am I acting so strange? This isn't some silly fanfic where I meet the man of my dreams and I just don't know it yet, right?

As I'm going back to my laptop I see the soulless girl st my computer. I begin to say something but she twitched so I thought it was best to leave her alone.

Atticus walked up behind me and said "This is Genevieve aka the Walking Dead."

"Why is she at my computer?" I asked.

"Who knows? At this point you can only hope she doesn't do anything. One time her friend said goodnight to her and she proceeded to go down a list of why her boyfriend doesn't love her."

"Yikes" I said under my breath. Genevieve began to look around the room before saying "This isn't my house." She then got up, gathered her things, took one last sip of her chestnut praline, and left the building. I didn't begin to question what just happened because my brain can't process the amount of hopelessness I saw in her sunken eyes.

Atticus took a seat next to me. I asked him why he's not up there and he said he's on break and he'd like to sit by the guy that made his day a little more interesting. I blushed. A lot. Like I may as well have been the color of his hair. But I was deep into my laptop so maybe he didn't see. I hope.