Of Course

Chapter Two

The door was slammed so hard that the bells jingled furiously. He was starting another pot of coffee.

"How dare you stand me up, Grayson?" came the accusing voice.

"Marina. How nice to see you, too," he said dryly, putting on the coffee pot, and turning around.

"Don't you 'Marina' me, you don't stand someone up!"

"I didn't stiff anyone, Marina, not even you."

"Didn't you get my message? I gave it to-I bet that little siren didn't even deliver it, did she?"

He stacked the boxes on each other and looked her straight in the eye. "Don't call people names, it isn't nice, I hear. Besides, she did give me your message."

"Then why didn't you come?"

"Because I was under no obligation to."

"I expected you to!"

"You expect a lot for so little."

"I trusted you to come."

"You? Trust? What a laugh," he said, with a sarcastic chuckle. "You trust no one."

"No one is worthy of trusting."

"Well there you go. You hate me. What's there to say?"

She looked down. "I'm... sorry. I don't trust anyone except you."

"Oh, look--a bunch of baloney just fell out of your mouth."

"No, Grayson, I'm serious. Please believe me."

"Look. You haven't given me a good reason to, and I don't see why I should." And with that, he picked up the boxes and walked away.

---

"Your girlfriend come back?" said Clarence, flipping a few pancakes, and pouring more batter onto the pan.

"Don't call her my girlfriend."

"Sure seems like it the way she's chasing after you."

"I don't need your life advice, Clarence," he said grimly.

"Sure ya do, Grayson. Everybody does." She picked a pancake up with her spatula and flipped it in his direction. "Eat that."

He ducked, and watched as it hit the wall, and fell onto the floor.

"Come on, Grayson. Now who's gonna eat that?"

"Your dog."

"I don't have a dog."

"Our dumpster has dogs."

"And you know that how?"

"Because people are always telling me to 'Eat your food' and 'Don't starve yourself' and 'Grayson, no I'm not food.' "

She raised an eyebrow. "Riiiight."

"Anyways, how's life at home?"

A frown broke onto her face, and she turned away. "You know how my home life is."

"Geez, I'm sorry, Clarence. I didn't mean to."

"Yeah, I know." She shoveled a few pancakes on the plate. "What're you gonna do about Marina?"

"Nothing. Marina'll stop asking."

"Will she?" She handed him the plate.

"No."