CONSTANT HEADACHE ; EZRA MILLER

seven: what's your name?

the warm weather that New Jersey had been enduring for the past scorching few days showed no signs of subsiding yet, the sky remaining blue on Friday afternoon, the closing to a school week that had left Chelsea exhausted beyond measures.

"how's the coffee boy doing?" Alex, who was basking in the familiarity of home that the recent weather had brought her, asked her friend with a knowing smirk.

Chelsea's face twisted into a scowl, ready to complain at the nickname Alex had given the boy, who's name Chelsea was yet to find out, despite having what had begun to seem like regular visits with him, an amount of time they dedicated to arguing in the presence of coffee.

"would you stop calling him that already?" she asked instead of slapping Alex on the side of the head; something that was temping, but not tempting enough as Chelsea wasn't sure if they'd crossed that level of friendship just yet.

"i'll stop calling him that when you find out his damn name, Chelsea. that's what normal people do when they make friends." Alex laughed before adding, in a low voice so that Chelsea couldn't hear, "or boyfriends."

"he isn't my friend, not even in the slightest. he's my archenemy at the very least." Chelsea complained about the boy who she truly did believe to be her biggest annoyance in life, consciously ignoring the fact that most of her problems seemed to vanish at his presence, something that was truly ironic, as she believed him to be one of her biggest problems at hand. a very irritating problem, that she could choose to stop seeing at any moment by ignoring the cafe on the corner of ivy street, though that would mean surrendering; something Chelsea wasn't too fond of.

"maybe you should reconsider going to that very cafe then, you know there's a really cool—" Alex tried helping out her friend, but to no avail.

"but it's my safe haven! the baristas know me there!" Chelsea defended. "i am in no way, shape or form letting him win. you hear me?" Chelsea spoke seriously, though all Alex could hear was a trail of dramatic words, one after another. she to contain her laughs, knowing her friend would just further scold her if she let them out.

"i'm hearing you, Chelsea, but are you hearing yourself?" she finally let out a laugh, earning a threatening look from Chelsea who's face was now red; from either anger or hearing herself, Alex didn't know.

it was that conversation that brought Chelsea to where she is now: sat in her usual spot of the all too familiar cafe, readying herself to question the boy what his name is.

she wondered what it would be. he seemed like a Kevin, maybe even an Elliot, to her.

she wondered what he thought her name was. she was even questioning if she looked like a Chelsea by the time he arrived to the cafe, rushing to his chair with his head down. it was obvious he wasn't a fan of crowds—or people for that matter—despite there being barely anyone in the cafe today.

"hello." she greeted him, something she'd never done without insulting him before.

he must have noticed, too, because he shot Chelsea a confused look before settling himself in his seat, cross legged like usual. "hello?"

"could i ask you a question?" Chelsea thought it was best to get straight to the point, there was no use in prolonging the ongoing construction of her curiosity.

"as long as i can ask you why it's been at least ten second without you calling me an idiot?" the boy rose one of his dark eyebrows, his gaze seemingly going straight through Chelsea.

"allow me to try again," Chelsea politely smiled. "could i ask you a question, idiot?"

"of course." he mirrored her polite smile, obviously but not so convincingly trying to mask his annoyance at himself for virtually asking the smug girl to insult him.

"right, so, what's your name?" she almost laughed, the question sounding weird out loud. she realised Alex had been right, most people would have known each others name by now.

"guess." the boy laughed, "you get three guesses and i'll tell you." he proposed something that sounded like a game to Chelsea, who was annoyed that he wouldn't just tell her. she guessed anyway.

cracking her knuckles for more effect, she used her first guess, "Kevin?"

"nope." the boy, who's name Chelsea was growing more curious to find out, denied the name.

"Elliot?" she used her second, causing the boy to shake his head as a 'no'.

"i don't know.. Patrick?" Chelsea used her third and final guess.

"Patrick?" the boy questioned.

"yeah, well, i don't know."

"I don't think I look like a Patrick".

"I think you do. Besides, you're the one making me take guesses!" she reminded him, ready to put a name to the boy who annoyed the living shit out of her.

"oh, right," he laughed. "i'm Ezra." he went in for a handshake, jokingly, but his hand was slapped down by Chelsea who was trying to process the new piece of information about him.

"Ezra." she repeated. "Ezra, the boy who likes dumb comic books and loves to annoy people." she laughed, finally able to address him as something that wasn't an insult—not like she'd be doing that often, though.

"yeah, whatever, what's your name, then?" his gaze was set on Chelsea as if he were interrogating her, like the suspect of a terrible crime.

"Chelsea." she spoke, drawing her name out due to her nerves. though she wasn't sure why she had nerves, this was just Ezra, after all.

"that's a nice name. it suits you." he spoke, leaving her confused as a direct product, though she quickly regained her ability to give snarky comments; something Chelsea was always doing in the presence of Ezra.

"wow, that's the first nice thing you've sad to me!" she joked, though she knew there was truth; he'd never once complimented her, not that she could remember.

Ezra laughed, throwing his head back slightly. "i've said many nice things to you, Chelsea, you're just not very good at deciphering my words."

"what?" her confusion grew bigger. if there was anyone that refrained from complimenting Chelsea, it had to be Ezra, the boy who she despised, just like he did her. she'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to catch a compliment coming from him, it was something completely out of character for the boy who set out to annoy her every time they were in each others company.

"have a nice day, Chelsea." he spoke, her name again; it rolled off his tongue as though it he had known her as that for years.

he got up from his chair and left the cafe without another word, leaving Chelsea alone with her dazed thoughts and his empty coffee cup sitting across from her.

-

i'm so bad at updating lol help