The Space Between Them

Chapter Three

My usual mood was replaced with elatedness and somewhat giddiness that mimicked that of a child going to Disney World for the first time. I couldn't tell why I felt this way. I mean, sure, I just had sex with a cute ass guy, and sure he was really sweet, but this feeling isn't lust... it feels more like an energy burst. I feel unstoppable. However, even though I feel like a car going 23,000 miles an hour, coffee is always the first stop in the morning.

When I stepped into the coffee shop I was met with a rush of warm air. I walked towards the register looking for Brayden once again, but I didn't feel the same way about him anymore. He left me here last time and trusted some boney little white girl to make my drink. How dare he do such a thing? -and yet again he wasn't there. I rolled my eyes and prepared for the same girl from last time to make my drink and make it terribly, but I knew today would be different for some odd reason. The feeling rested deep in my colon... or maybe I needed to poop... or both.

"Hey Eli," his voice. That voice. A voice that screams "Let's fuck in the storage room right now! I'm on break!" I would gladly accept his invitation.

"Oh. Brayden! Hey! Where were you yesterday? I needed you!" If my face could turn red, it would.

"Oh fuck. Really? Sorry, Elijah. I had to take a day off yesterday. Some personal stuff," I wonder.

"Is everything okay?" I look him up and down in worry. He wears his green apron and a black t-shirt.

"Mmmmmhm. I'm good. I hope that Emberley took care of you yesterday. She makes pretty good drinks."

"Totally."

Brayden walks behind the counter and takes my order. I don't even have to tell him my order anymore. He remembers it. He remembers me. I go to hand him my card and he refuses. He buys my latte. I tried to say 'no' to his offer of paying about $7.29 for a drink and a bagel, but he wanted to pay for it. His short, stuck up black hair accented his squinted green eyes. He was flawless. I could never have a shot.

I have this weird habit of falling in love with people. If you haven't noticed, it happens to anyone and everyone. Not that I'm a slut, but I love a well-made man. I could make an advertisement for a sugar daddy on Craigslist, but I'm not that thirsty. I don't want money. I mean, I would love to have money, but it's not the most important characteristic I look for in a guy. I notice the little things in people. That's what makes me fall in love: the little things.

For Brayden, it's the way the corner of his lip curves when he smiles and the way his hair instantly flops to the right. His family is awesome. His life is awesome. Everything about him is amazing. Dannie, however, is smoking hot, really sweet, sort of a hoe, and took my virginity. That's about all I learned about him. The winner is clear.

Brayden doesn't even call my name. He hands me my drink and bagel and winks at me. My heart feels like it just jumped into a volcano, swam around, and then began having an asthma attack.

"Look at the cup," He says and I move my eyes towards the sticker. Under the spot labeled "name" lays 10 numbers. I smile. I think to myself, "Wow. This is just like some over-the-counter gay Hallmark movie... and I like it."

"Woah. Thanks for your number," I say as I take a bite out of my bagel.

"My number? That's the number for some cute, random, barista Asian guy who thinks you are attractive. It's definitely not me."

"You are full of shit, you know that?" He shrugs and terrorizes my heart with his smile. Fuck. I got his number, and a bagel, and a good ass latte. I tell him that I will text him, and I throw myself back on the concrete warzone of multiple coffee shops, art stores, and vintage clothing markets. My phone vibrates and it's a text from Darwin. Everything is spelled correctly, so I doubt that he is drunk, or high, or half-asleep. I reply and slurp my hazelnut coffee orgasm in a cup.

"Hey. I'm packing up. Gotta go home for x-mas. Where tf were you last night?"

"Please clean up before you leave," I send the text and put my phone back in my pocket. I do not want to tell Darwin where I was. He will tell the entire campus and become the outlet for the NC State Homo-cide group that probably will never exist. My phone vibrates again.

"Yesterday was fun."

"Who is this?"

"Are you serious? ;P"

"Dannie?"

"Yes, bitch. It's me." He sends a laughing emoji. I feel like a moron. We continue to text as I avoid making contact with the people walking the streets. I even pass on the dogs. It takes a real man to pass by a dog and not acknowledge it. I finish my drink and inhale the remains of the bagel. I never get tired of bagels... and Brayden. I continue spurting the gay from my fingertips and talking to Dannie. The time is 2:36 pm and I have held the energy spurt for a total of about 2 hours. I feel unstoppable.

I eventually get up to the room and Darwin has dumped his crap into the hallway. He doesn't even attempt at folding his clothes and putting them into a suitcase. Instead, he throws it all into a box, yes, a literal box, and duct-tapes it shut. He only lives about 4 hours away, so I guess it's perfectly okay for him, but no airline is ever going to let him on a plane if his luggage is a cardboard box with a questionable weight and closed by silver tape. It totally screams "I'm not a terrorist, I totally am a stoner from Asheville!"

"Darwin. C'mon man! You can't keep doing this," I say while pointing out the pile of boxes in the hall. He shrugs and rips a piece of tape off the roll with his mouth.

"You should be happy. I'm cleaning out the place! Are you even going home this year?"

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know the answer.