Partners in Crime {Pip x Ravi}

Ravi

"Mama we're just meeting for coffee." I groan as my mom tells me what to wear over the phone. "You've missed Pippa for months, she's finally back, and you're 'just meeting for coffee.' I don't buy it."

I can't bear to tell her that we aren't getting back together. No matter how much I miss and love Pip, I know that she won't feel the same. It wouldn't even surprise me if she was dating someone new. A beautiful, smart, funny girl like her? She probably had guys crawling all over themselves for her.

That thought makes me angry and sad at the same time. But she wouldn't. I don't think she would have, anyways. She would want to keep them safe like she tried to keep me safe.

"Mama, Pip has been gone for a long time. We're just seeing each other as friends." My voice cracks at the word 'friends'.

"mmmkay. Well, don't embarrass yourself. And wear something nice. And tell her that we say hi. And-"

"Bye Mama." I interrupt. I hang up.

I exhale a breath. I'm sure I won't hear the end of hanging up on my mom. I sit down on my bed. I put my head in my hands and sigh. I've tried and tried to move on. I've been on dates and even had a girlfriend for about a month, but no one matches Pip. No one was as pretty, funny, or amazing as her.

I think about what I'll say to her when I see her while I shower. Somewhere between shampoo and conditioner, I wonder if there's even a chance that we could be together again, but I know it's foolish. Wishful thinking I guess. I get out and change into Jeans and a nice grey long-sleeved shirt. I comb through my hair which brushes right under my ears.

I brush my teeth and put a little cologne on my wrists and neck. I check the time on my phone. 5:29.

I decide to get there a little early. I grab my phone, wallet, and keys and head out to my car. My house is small, with one bed, two baths, and a simple living room and kitchen. My job had started paying good money sometime last year and I could afford to live in a house with a mortgage.

My car, however, is the same beat-up grey honda. I get in and the ignition takes a few tries to start. When the engine sputters to life, 'Uptown Girl' starts blaring out of the speaker way too loud,  I crank Billy Joel down to volume 4 as opposed to 15 and peel out of the driveway.

I mutter along to the song as I drive through my neighborhood. I wondered how Pip would look. The last time I'd seen her she had choppy and patchy hair from the duct tape that Jason Bell had wrapped her head in. Her eyes were sunken and dark, red from crying, and purple from lack of sleep. I hope she's doing better now. I know that she didn't care that Jason was dead, but if she's guilty, so is everyone who unknowingly helped her. I know Pip won't let her friends suffer because of her. That's one of the many reasons I love her.

I pull up outside of the cafe. It's 5:46 now. I walk in and sit in a booth in the corner of the store. It's sparsely populated with a few girls in the corner doing what looks like homework, an old man reading a book, and a boy and his mother ordering food.

I order two coffees. One black with a little sugar, like Pip likes, and mine which I put a ton of sweeteners in because black coffee is disgusting. As much as I respect Pip, I can't support her decision to drink black coffee.

I open my phone and go to the photos. I only have 178 photos and 3 videos. I scroll back two years and start seeing Pip. She's gorgeous. I have a picture of her reading, a picture of us on valentines day, a picture of her asleep with her head in my lap. I hear the door to the coffee shop open. I quickly put my phone away, but its not Pip. It's one of her old friends, Lauren. I roll my eyes. That girl annoys me, she left her friends for a half-wit boy. I heard that Anthony broke up with her a week ago. Small town, y'know. She glances at me, makes an ugly face, and turns away. I try to suppress a laugh. 5:53. Pip will be here any minute. My leg starts tapping the ground anxiously.

My fingers drum on the table. My gaze is fixed on the door.

5:55

5:57

5:59

6:00

(Ding)

The cafe door swings inward and she walks in. For a few fleeting moments, I forget how to breathe. Her honey-brown hair is short now, tied up into a wet ponytail. She's dressed in black dress pants and a light blue shirt, cuffed at the elbows and only tucked in on one side. Her eyes, beautiful and green, find me and she starts to make her way toward me. I stand awkwardly, suddenly not so sure where to put my hands.

She gets to me and I go to extend my hand for her to shake, but instead, she hugs me tightly around the chest. I realize that she is still much shorter than me. Her hair smells like lavender and coconuts.

She pulls away suddenly as if she remembered suddenly how she- how we left things. "Hey, Sar-Pip." I stutter, gesturing at the booth. her eyes darken a little before sitting down. I sit across from her.

"Hey, Ravi." She grins.

"How are you?" I ask. "Well..."