alive | GBD

Day 2

I opened my eyes and saw light cracking through our living room window. I looked over and saw my uniform folded next to me replacing where Kristin was the night before. "Morning sleepyhead." Kristin said waving at me. "What time is it?" I said rubbing my eyes trying to get all my sight back. "5:45 get dressed." Kristin said pointing to my clothes. "Crap okay I will!" I said grabbing my clothes and running to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and noticed that my hair was already looking okay in a bun. Thank the Lord almighty. I quickly changed and looked down. The gym has been paying off. 

I'm kinda forgetting I have cancer, but it comes back when Kristin hands me my pills. I have to take 5 everyday. I'm honestly lucky though because some have to take a lot more than just 5. 

"Okay it's seriously time to go." Kristin said. I looked at the clock, it read 5:59. I open at 6:30 so we're doing fine on time. We both walk out the door and I lock our front door. We pass Mr. Jenkins and walk down the stairs to our car in the parking garage. 

We were almost there and we pulled into an alley. It's a secret alley right behind our shop that we can park at. We got out and walked to our shop front. I unlocked the door and we walked in. We don't have to do much to get the cafe ready for the day, as we always clean the night before. I prepared the coffee machines and made a batch of whipped creme (of course I tasted some for myself). "Kristin come taste this, it's my best yet." I said yelling for Kristin. "Okay... are you sure?" She said tasting the whip creme off the spoon. Her eyes widened. "Right?" I said laughing. "Okay yeah that's good." She said. 

I turned on the music and clicked on the "Popular Tunes" on spotify. Music started booming throughout the cafe and we started to dance and put chairs down. I looked at the clock and saw that it was time to open up. I switched the sign from "Sorry we're closed" to "We're OPEN!" 

Within 2 minutes, the boy with the blonde streak from yesterday walked in. Wasn't his name Grayson? "Hello." I said as he walked over. Kristin was in the bathroom. "Hello, it smells good in here." He said smiling. "Thank you, what would you like?" I said smiling. "Oh um just a water and a blueberry pastry." Grayson said pulling out a ten dollar bill. "Oh it won't be that much." I said smiling that he thought pastries are that expensive. "Oh I know." He said setting the ten dollars down on the counter top and walking to a seat. 

I pulled a warm pastry out of the oven and it smelled wonderful. I filled a cup up with water and took it over to Grayson. He smiled, took the items and then looked to the door. "It doesn't appear that anyone is coming in soon, would you take a seat right there?" He said pointing to the seat across from him. "Oh I shouldn't-" I said but was cut off by him saying. "Oh but you should. Please?" He said looking at me. I sat down. 

"What do you do for a living?" I said asking him. "Well I make YouTube videos." He said sipping his water. "Oh okay, that's cool." I said. To be 100% honest I wonder what else he does. I can't imagine YouTube pays people that much for a couple thousand followers. "Yep, love my 2 million." He said taking a bit out of his pastry and smiling. "2 million?" I said astonished. "Mhm" He said laughing. "Wow. I just work in a coffee shop." "How old are you, Mary Kate?" He said. "Oh I'm 20 years old. How about you?" I said looking at him. "20 and you own a coffee shop? I would say you're doing good for yourself. I'm 21." Grayson said. 

We talked about families and how Grayson's dad had a sickness at a point but had gotten better. I love that some people make it out of their sicknesses. They don't let it hold them down. I'm doing quite the opposite, but I do have a life to live no matter what. Whether I live to be 20 or 100. I love this coffee shop, and that's where I'll be until I pass away. I never told Grayson about MY cancer, I just assume that he would do what everyone else does. Feel sorry for me. People are sweet, but once they know you have a problem you're instantly someone's charity case. I don't want to die with the legacy of being the girl people felt sorry for. I won't let myself die with that legacy. All I want is to bring people together. That's actually my slogan. "A coffee a day makes the day better. A coffee a day brings people together." It's all over my shop. 

"Where do you want to be in ten years?" Grayson asked. "Well I guess I don't know. Somewhere happy. What about yourself?" I said. The poor thing doesn't know that I don't have ten years. I have 30 days. I'll have 29 tomorrow. "I want to meet the love of my life." Grayson said smiling. That's actually the cutest thing. Ever. I looked over and saw someone walking through the door so I got up and ran over. "Hello, welcome to 4th Street Cafe what can I get you today?" I said smiling at the woman. "A black coffee please." She said and I rang her up. Obviously that wasn't a very intense order so she was gone within minutes. I looked over to the booth Grayson was at assuming he would be gone, but he wasn't. I walked over.

"Um is something wrong?" I said. Grayson shook his head and said "No, I have nothing to do today. If you don't mind, I wanted to stay here with you. You seem intriguing to me, and I appreciate a mystery." 

That's exactly what he did too, he stayed the whole day. Occasionally ordering new food or drinks. He stayed until I closed. At the end he said "Thank you, for some reason, I enjoy your coffee shop very much." 

Part of me is a little confused. Part of me wants him to stop by tomorrow.