Stargazing: Changing Our Stars

Chapter Four

I’d always been baffled by the thought that certain people had believed that standardisation of our needs or even wants had been a necessity if one had wanted to feel a sense of belonging to a group or gathering. There had also been those who had gone against this belief. They believed individuality. Yet, still conformed to the norm of their kind.

The truth was that as humans, we had an undying need to belong. We had always felt an unexplainable urge to be part of a pack. Yet, unlike wolves, we followed this urge as if we were mindless sheep.

But, then there was Johnathan Brown. He hadn’t exactly had any desire to belong to anything. If he had, he  hadn’t made it known just yet. Johnathan Brown was, well, Johnathan Brown. I doubt there had been a better way to sum him up into words.

Today I watched him as he sat behind the mahogany counter of the coffee shop, swirling a glass of milk into small circles. His hair seemed uncombed and his clothes had looked as if he had walked out of a bar fight intoxicated, passed out and woke up as is. Yet somehow he brought about a certain level of sophistication which would have left you to believe he could possibly correct the theories of Darwinism and have its followers believe him.

I heard him blabbering about politics – a subject I ensure you I had no interest in. Although, even it had been something that might have peaked my interests under normal circumstances, I doubt I would be able to remain part of the conversation. Why? Because circumstances had been far from the norm. My thoughts had ventured off too far for me to call its return.

The doorbell rang as Paige slipped her way through the doorway. Surely I had began to question her timing as the girl had began taking the phrase, ‘speak of the devil’ slightly too seriously. Or in this case, ‘think of the devil.’
A faded black jeans, black T-shirt and a pair of black Tommy’s.

“Mourning someone’s death?”  I said.

“Excuse me?” she asked as she walked right past me.

“The colour. I never thought I’d see you in all black. It seems morbid. As if someone had died.”

“It’s a shade.” She said as she reached behind the counter and slipped into one of the spare overalls. “What are you-"

“New temp.” She cut me off, “Boss lady hired me. Besides, if you must know, someone did die. Death is imminent among humanity. It’s inevitable.”

“Dark, morbid - as Damian said - but entirely true.” Johnathan Brown spoke.

“Good morning to you too, Mr Brown. "

“I’m hurt.” I mused. “He gets a good morning, yet I don’t. You two know each other?”

“He’s my biology lecturer. I need to be nice to him. My grade might very well depend on it. But, if you insist, “ she continued by leaning towards me and kissed my cheek, “Good morning, waiter boy. Did I hurt your feelings or something?”

“Watch it. I might need to fire you.” I gave her a sideways smile as she fell into a fit of laughter. Her face lit up and her eyes seemed to sparkle in her laughter. She seemed to be taking some sort of pleasure out of it and I could tell. Although at the moment, I didn’t want her to stop. Unfortunately she did and as she did, the warmth of her laugh melted away into a cold and subjective smile.

“You can’t.”

“What you mean, I can’t? I’m your superior.” I spoke  with a hint of cockiness behind my voice.

“Nope. Boss lady hired me to keep an eye over you.”

Her tone  was so serious that I wasn’t sure whether or not she was kidding or not but then her eyes glittered again as a smile grew on the side of her face,  “Oh my, Daiman is left speechless.”

“So it seems you do know my name.” I mused.
“Shut up, waiter boy.”

And that’s what I did. Staring into her soft blue eyes, I couldn’t seem to say no. Also her voice had this distinct way of changing to a more serious tone so slightly that you couldn’t really tell the difference. You just knew. And dare you disagree, I fear to question the outcome.

“You know, it’s Wednesdays.” She said as she began polishing an empty cup.

“And?”

“That cup of coffee you promised me. You seriously going to make me wait longer?”

“I don’t recall promising anything.”

“It's best you not keep the lady waiting.” Brown spoke while still swirling his milk.

“Indeed, never keep a lady waiting. Where’s is your chivalry, waiter boy?”
I sighed in defeat. “Whatever, how do you like your coffee?“

She gasped. “Is that how you ask all the girls you see on a date? With a whatever? I’m shocked!” She said as she began laughing.

“You truly are something else.” I said as I slipped behind the counter and brewed two cups of coffee. One dark, the other a light brown with countless sugar in it and set it down at the table I had first seen her sit at. She tugged onto her overall as she walked to the table after me.
“Awful lot of coffee for one person. Rough night?” She said with a smug.

“Oh I’m not drinking alone. Sit down.” I said smiling as I held her chair out. She began laughing again, her laugh radiating it’s warmth yet again as she tugged onto her overall one more time before sitting down.
Still smiling I walked around the table and took the seat opposite her. “How’s that for chivalry?”

“Oh, not too bad. Not too bad.” She said as she tried putting on a serious expression as she reached for the darker cup of coffee and took a sip while fixating her glare onto me through her eyelashes- she broke and pulled her face weird and set down the coffee while sticking out her tongue. “How do you drink that?!”
“You get used to it” I said trying to hold in my laughter as she began to drop spoons and spoons of sugar into her mouth trying to remove the bitterness.

“Easy now. Don’t you think that’s enough sugar?” I asked as I slid her cup towards her. She grabbed it and took a huge gulp. “Idiot.” I said as her eyes widened realizing it was still hot. She swallowed and made a sort of grunting noise.

“You idiot!”
I began laughing.