A Room With A View

Chapter Sixty-One - Phineas

December 14, Thursday

Phineas sat sandwiched between Shaina and Len. Or Lem, Phineas wasn't sure.

Her name aside, she was an unsavory character. She looked unshowered and animalistic, with heavy kohl seeming to obscure her vision. It was distasteful.

Phineas would've left, but Shaina was adamant that he needed to "get out of [his] comfort zone", so he'd begrudgingly gone along with her scheme, letting himself be dragged to a coffee shop in Greenwich Village.

"Ahem," Shaina coughed, nodding her head toward Phineas's hands.

With a start, he realized he'd been white-knuckling his mug. He peeled his fingers away from the porcelain and flexed. They were pink from the heat.

He hadn't wished to order anything other than tea, but apparently this coffee shop only served Lipton. Phineas had found it inconceivable that a coffee shop would not offer loose leaf, but rather than call over the manager, Shaina had quickly ordered him a sickly sweet macchiato. He had yet to take more than one sip.

"So," drawled Len, "you're the Watley. We've met before, you know." She picked at her nails. They were chewed and the polish was chipped.

Phineas's lip curled in disgust. "I remember," he said. He wished he didn't. He'd mopped the lobby floors after Len had come by with the check for Ms. Mills's rent.

"I've heard a lot about you," Len said. She threw an arm over the back of her chair.

Phineas tucked his elbow into his chest. "Mmm," he intoned.

"Shaina here says you're a brilliant performer," Len continued.

A shameful heat caused Phineas to sweat instantly beneath the collar of his shirt. He took a sip of the macchiato to buy time.

Cinnamon and caramel exploded onto his tongue with such a force Phineas almost spit out the drink. Instead, he swallowed it, barely suppressing a gag.

"Oh?" he said.

"Mhmm," Len nodded.

Shaina beamed on Phineas's right, which was surprising, as she hardly ever smiled.

"That's...well that's kind of you," Phineas said. He kept his eyes glued to the coffee mug. It was robin's egg blue, with a chip on the far side that was most certainly against the health code.

"Do you want to tell Len about your performance?" Shaina asked encouragingly.

Phineas grit his teeth. No. He'd rather forget the whole affair altogether.

"Maybe about the skits you performed in?" Shaina asked.

The skits in which you performed, Phineas silently corrected.

"Ineas," Shaina said sternly.

Phineas had had enough. He pushed back from the table, causing the macchiato to spill over the chipped side of the mug, and stood.

"No thank you," he said curtly, answering Shaina's previous question.

Without looking at either woman, Phineas stepped around the table and walked quickly toward the door. He could barely keep himself from running for the exit.

Outside, he stopped and leaned against the brick wall, catching his breath. His head was spinning and his mouth felt full of cotton.

Why couldn't he have just told Len about the show? Why did he have to make a big scene about everything? Why couldn't he be normal?

At that thought Alice's voice burst into his head.

"Don't be normal Phineas. Be you. You're so much more than just normal."