Life In Motion

0.1

Same shit, different day. I sit on the counter, my Chuck Taylors smacking the cabinet below me as I swing my legs back and fourth. I don't know why we haven't shut down yet. All the other stand alone coffee stores started closing six years ago, each one bought out by Starbucks.

Noir, like every other day, was a ghost town. On days like these, we get a maximum of 30 customers. All our regulars decided to buy in to the Starbucks scheme. Kieran thinks it was the flashy seasonal drinks that swayed them to "the dark side" as Kieran likes to call it. I know otherwise. The arrival of three new coffee stores was the most amount change our town has seen in six years.

Six years. Funny how everything changed in the same year.

The bell on the door jingled, a sound made so few and far between these days. I hop off the counter, and greet our customer with a smile. I know her order by heart now. Every day at Six O'Clock, she saunters in and orders a cold brew with a strawberry danish. $3.75. She hands me the exact change.

I grab her danish while Kieran finishes her drink. The door jingles again but I'm too occupied to so much as catch a glimpse. One wrong move and the strawberry filling will squirt everywhere. I set the danish on a plate and call to the other customer that I'll be with them in just a moment.

"A hello would be nice."

I stop dead in my tracks.

I knew that voice.

I look up to see him grinning sheepishly.

Michael Clifford. He was an upperclassman at Norwest while I was a freshman. We hit it off in the band room at lunch, both of us shy and in need of friends. We brought each other out of our shells. Now he spends most of his time in LA, writing songs for young talents.

Kieran shoots me a grin and nods as if to say go, catch up.

I wish the lady a good day before entering the shop floor, immediately running into Michael's embrace . He doesn't let me go, not until we're both struggling to breathe. We sit at the usual spot, the only table that hasn't changed locations in six years. The same place we'd sit every Thursday after school. Kieran brought us strawberry milkshakes, a mini tiramisu, and two forks.

"God. Time flies huh" He's looking out the window, across the street to the old music store that closed down a few months ago.

I sigh. "Sure does."

The thing with Michael and I is that we hardly have to say anything for us to catch up. It's nice to set all the work talk aside and just enjoy each other's company.

We were each others first kiss, and I suppose first love too.

That ended just as soon as it started. We worked better as friends. Now it's just something we look back on and laugh about.

The damn song comes on and both have the same look on our faces. He kicks me under the table. I laugh. He opens his mouth, I know what he's going to say.

"I don't wanna hear about him."  The words come out harsher than I intend.

"I know. Im sorry." He replies.

It stings. Every time I hear him sing my name I'm brought back to the day he played the song for me. A week before release. I couldn't take my eyes of his lip ring, the way it moved as he sang every word. All I could think was how good it felt to kiss him, and how badly I wanted to do so in that moment.

"What time do you get off?" The conversation shifts, and I'm relieved.

I glance at my watch. "Five minutes."

"Come back to my place? Mum and Dad would love to see you." He offers, knowing full well it's better than returning to my empty apartment.

"Michael Clifford, I can never say no to you" I smirk.

Time passes quickly when Im with Michael. I go into the back room to grab my bag. Kieran catches me on my way out.

"Don't do anything stupid." He remarks.

"Me, Stupid? Never." I reply.

Michael and I leave the store, I wave goodbye to Kieran.

________________________________

Soon enough we're back at Michaels childhood home. His parents hug me tight. We head to through the hall to his old bedroom. The same star sheets on his bed, the same space ships hanging from the ceiling

He throws himself onto the bed, smelling the sheets. I jump on top of him.

"I love you." We're looking at each other now.

I plant a kiss on his cheek. "I love you too."

We've always been this way. We still love each other. Light make out sessions are not uncommon. That's just how we work. Affection and intimacy are never out of the question, though it's been months since we last had sex.

He breaks the silence.

"Amelia, I need to tell you something." He starts. I don't say a word, I know what he's going to say.

"He's coming home."

There it is. The same sinking feeling that washes over my body every time Michael tells me.

Im angry.

"Michael-"

"Things seem different this time Amelia, he's changed."

I laugh. Nothing has changed.

-Hello!!!

It's been so long since i've written a story so pls bare with me. i know the writing is choppy but that's how i want it to be. i started writing this book in 2016 and never finished it. so i decided to restart it!!

you can follow me on instagram @ccolumnae if you want!!!

i missed this fandom so much.

i'll try to update as often as possible, though no promises ;)
-Rowan!!-