Behind The Mask

Chapter 2

Even though it's a bus station I can try to wrap my head around the idea that maybe it could have been some magical train station. King's Cross maybe?

The exhaust pipes of the buses make everything look like it is covered in smoke. Cups of coffee from the nearest Starbucks sends steam into the air that makes every second person seem like they might be drinking some warm magic potion. I would have probably stood with my own café mocha or some such in my hands but I've never acquired the taste for coffee, or anything hot for that matter. To me a nice cold Dr.Pepper beats the taste of coffee any day. Still I head into the direction of the Starbucks, knowing that if there is any place that I would have to wait for E.J. or he will wait for me it would be there. Find the coffee and you find E.J. weirdly enough. He said he got a taste for it when he wanted to stay awake as much as possible because of all the nightmares. Now he struggles with insomnia, which means the coffee needs to keep him active during the day. He's always been interesting, but after he settled after his move he changed quite a bit. He's not the same person he was in the hospital. He seems braver. Maybe even stronger in a way. He also seems a bit more serious. Last week when we met up he was way more serious than what he was the first few months after we met. He used to be the one to start the jokes. Lately I have been the one initiating them.

I spot him as I make my way through the caffeine driven addicts on my way to the Starbucks, seeing him stand in line, looking around him every so often. Probably looking for me.

"Hey! Over here E.J.!" I shout, drawing his eyes to me.

Our eyes meet and he smiles. He's good at smiling. He makes the world want to smile with him when he does, so I smile without effort, knowing very well that half my smile is concealed behind the mask, but still wanting to show him that I am happy to see him.

I half run toward him where he is standing in line. Part of me wants to be sure that he would've ran to me as well if he wasn't waiting for his coffee.

When I reach him I ask; "What made you decide to come?"

"You didn't really give me a choice, did you?" he says with a smile and then leans into me for a hug.

I allow him to hold on for a few seconds before I drop my bag and hug him back. I haven't quite gotten used to hugs, and I've never been one to touch E.J. first. Gosh, after what he has been through in his life you could have tipped me over with a feather the very first time he gave me a hug. I don't know how he does it. If I was in his shoes I would probably not want anyone to touch me ever again.

"Well... I missed you," I whisper near his ear. For some reason this is not the type of moment I want other people to overhear. "And I couldn't think of anyone who deserves to live more than what you do."

"You're sweet," E.J. answers back as he pulls himself from my embrace. "Some coffee?"

"Don't you know me yet? I'm all sorted," I say pointing to the bag at my feet where I packed enough cola for my trip. It might not be icy cold, but too cold might not be such a good idea at the moment in any case.

"So where are we going?" he asks, moving a step forward, getting closer to the front of the line.

"I really don't know. I think let's get your coffee and then we see which bus leaves first," I answer, watching the attendant in front who is taking his sweet bloody time to make a coffee, trying his best to flirt with the girl in front of him. I want to tell him to keep it in his pants, but with E.J. around I am always kinda weary using any type of wording that might have a sexual connotation to it.

"And if the bus takes us to Jersey?" E.J. asks, a sly smile running over his face. He knows it's the place I hate least in this world after I was with a foster family there for four months. It was terrible to say the least.