Bowie

9

"Uh, Cole... What are you doing at my job? You could have called first. Or wrote." I said looking around frantically. He looked at me.

"I just thought I would surprise you..." He trailed off looking upset. I instantly felt extremely bad. I touched his shoulder and slid into the booth next to him. He hugged me and sobbed into my hair. "I don't know what to do anymore. I'm close to loosing my scholarship, Greg has been so mean lately. We never get along anymore, and I only think of you. You supported me when nobody else did."

I didn't know what to say to him. "Do you want to come over later?" I asked. "As friends?" He nodded and opened his wallet to leave a tip for whoever waited on him. I caught a glimpse of a picture that he had taken of me when we were still together.

Me and him had gone on a trip together and I had my camera out taking pictures of him. So he took one of me. He caught me staring at it and blushed handing me the picture. "You can keep it." He muttered looking away. I stared at it getting lost in my own mind.

"Here's my address." I said slipping the picture into my apron and taking out a pen, writing on a napkin. "I have to get back to work. I hugged him and kissed the top of his head and walked away.

I looked at the picture again. David had one just like this of me. But he had taken the picture and 3 years later than this one. I put the picture safely in my bag and got back to work.

***

The phone was ringing when I stepped into my apartment. "He-hello?" I stammered.

"Hello Ilse!!" The friendly, familiar voice of my dad rang out of the phone. "How's my girl?" He asked.

"I'm good dad!" I said back. "Me and David..." I trailed off. I haven't told my dad about David yet. "are planning a visit." I finished.

"Who's David?" Dad asked.

"Me and David have been seeing each other for a couple of weeks. I kind of asked him if he wanted to spend thanksgiving with us because his family is all the way in England." I explained. "And oh yeah, I'm going to England for Christmas." I finished quietly.

The line was quiet for a few seconds before my dads voice rang out again. "A few weeks as in two, three?" He asked.

"Three." I confessed, blushing.

"And you're taking a trip to England?"

"Yes dad." I answered to him, then changing the subject. "Cole visited."

"Oh how nice." My dad said.

"Yeah, well, he's dumping all his troubles on me." I said a little angry. "And he's coming over later. What am I going to say to David?"

"Tell him the truth. You should be honest with him and tell him about Cole." My dad answered.

"I suppose I should." I said, sighing and looking of the picture on my fridge of David. "Well dad, I would love to talk longer but I have to gilet going. Pick up the apartment and such."

"Okay, well. I love you Starbuck." He said.

"I love you too, dad."