Milk And Cookies (TBD)

Chapter 1

Three Years Later

The boy sat on the fluffy red couch, waiting. Waiting for the therapist to say something. Waiting for her to tell him he was out of his mind. He was waiting for her to send her to a mental ward. He wondered what it would be like.
"You're not crazy." The therapist, Nadia, said.
"We've heard stories like this before. But only from people who fought in the Makoro-Adiena war."
Alex raised his eyebrow. "Really?"
Nadia nodded. "Jeremy isn't the first case. There've been Sams, Jakes, Arnolds. We still don't know what happened though."
"Now, anything else, Alex?"
But Alex was frozen up. His eyes were glazed over and he was frozen in place.
"Alex?
"Alex McCarran?"
"ALEX!"
"ALEX WAKE UP!!!!"
Nadia leaped out of her chair. For a 50-year-old woman, she was pretty agile. She shook him until he came to his senses. "Alex what happened?"
"H-he was here. He was here. He was here." Alex said straightening up.
"Who, Jeremy?'
Alex nodded.
"Does this happen often?"
Alex nodded.
"Hmmm... I don't want to prescribe medicine. But that may be for the best... I think you should get out more. Socialize. Meet new people. I find that helps."
Alex stood and nodded. "Thanks, Nadia."
Nadia nodded. "Anytime, Alex. She said as she pulled her dark gray hair into a pony-tail.

Alex wiped his cold, damp boots off on the carpet that covered the floor when you walked into the local coffee shop, Saint Brewery. The old lady behind the counter, Dina, was chatting it up with some girl he had never seen before. However, once she saw Alex she smiled.
"How can I help you, Alex?" She said as the other girl went to sit down, waiting for her drink.
"Can I have the usual?" He asked. Dina nodded and smiled.
"Of course."
Alex went to go sit down in the cozy booth that was closest to the corner. The girl who had been in front of him was eyeing him with a curious look. She wore a gray sweatshirt with a cat on the middle. Her jeans were ripped and bleached and she wore torn up brown uggs. Her hair was dark brown, a contrast to caramel brown eyes, and cascaded down her shoulders in waves. Freckles spotted the bridge of her nose and her cheeks.
When Alex spotted her out of the corner of his eye her head quickly snapped back into place and she went back to staring at the wall. But the smile that her pale pink lips were in was still there.
Dina's younger co-worker, Elis, called out "Trenta, Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino mixed with a Twix Frappuccino, with whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon powder with a cherry on top!" Alex instinctively got up because no one else had such a crazy order.
He didn't notice the girl get up. Elis smiled slyly as she realized what was going on. Their hands both touched the cup at the same time one on top of the other. The girl blushed and quickly pulled her hand away. Alex shook his head.
"Who is it for?" He asked.
"Oh! It's for McKenzie!" Elis said smiling even wildly. The girl grabbed it and sat down. Alex went back to sit down to wait for his coffee.
"Another Trenta, Ferrero Rocher Frapp mixed with a Twix Frapp, whipped cream, cinnamon powder, cherry!" Elis called.
Alex grabbed his cup and went back into the booth.
When the girl, McKenzie, saw him sit down, she got up and sat with him.
"Hi! I'm McKenzie. Though you already know that. What's your name?" She asked him.
"Alex." He said nonchalantly, hoping she would go away.
"Alex... How long have you lived here?" She asked, smiling broadly.
"Three years. I moved here after the Makoro-Adiena War." He said. When he said war her smile faded and a grave expression moved over her face.
"Where'd you live before?" She asked, slightly suspicious.
"NY, but it was too busy for someone, me, with PTSD." He said.
She nodded, "Cool..." She got up. "Nice meeting you Alex, hope I see you around." She swiveled and sashayed out of the room.
"Alex, dear, we're closing up!" Nadia called a few minutes later.
Alex nodded, left, and took the bus back to his apartment. His mind was on McKenzie. How could a person who was so cheerful all of a sudden turn grim at one word?
Alex shook his head. Why was he thinking about her? She was so annoying, optimistic, happy. She was probably ignorant and child-like. Not at all mature. Too nice. And that wouldn't get her anywhere.