The Coffee Date

Chapter 1 - Meet Hazel

On her way however, she paused as something on her wooden kitchen table caught her eye. It caught her eye every morning. She glanced around the small surface before her gaze landed against her glasses resting just beside the sheet of paper. Right. She had been reading it before she went to bed the night before. Sliding her lenses comfortably onto her nose, she lifted the paper to her eyes and skimmed the top half of the page once more.

Hazel Daniels, our daughter, is to be granted with half of the money from our estate as the other half will be donated to charity.

Her wrist instinctively flicked the page away to the other end of the surface. She couldn't stand to read it, not again. Her glasses fell off and onto the table with a gentle clatter as her hands lifted to tiredly rub her eyes. Every morning she did this. Every morning she read the same sentence, reacted the same way, and continued on her routine. Today wasn't going to be any different.

As she stood to go and get her joe she wondered why she was so content with the never changing path she was stuck on. Maybe it was because she didn't need to think, her mind was stuck on the automatic loop of what was coming next. Of what game she would play with Lily to keep her occupied this afternoon. Of what TV show she would watch with her classic tuna sandwich at lunch. Her mind was always on auto-pilot and she liked it that way. She didn't need to process anything else. She simply needed to continue flying this plane.

An unsettling click from her right snagged the brunette's attention. The autopilot had clicked off. She set down the red polka dot coffee mug and floated weakly towards her bright red coffee maker, leaning down to examine what had gone wrong.

"Off.." She breathed to herself. Her delicate pale fingers brushed over the switch as she examined the exterior. She only ever used this once a day so it couldn't be broken. She stood tall facing her challenge and lifted the lid slowly. No grinds. No water.

She blinked in surprise and turned away. What had happened? She always filled the coffee pot the night before. Why was today different? Her hazel eyes faded shut as she remembered the night before, replaying the events as if she was rewatching a film. One she had seen too many times.

She pictured herself reaching under the counter, bringing out the large metal tin of grinds and poking her head inside. "Empty." She had grumbled, tossing the tin into the sink to be washed and the recycled. "I'll go get coffee another day." She remembered whispering to herself, and then quickly dismissing the thought as her mind hit autopilot once more.

A groan escaped her pale lips, smacking her cold hand against her heated forehead. Now she would need to take control and steer this plane. Autopilot wouldn't work today. She had pushed this aside so that autopilot would work for her yesterday. Not today.

"Ugh. I'm such an idiot." She groaned, sliding her slippers against the hardwood floor and she started back to her bedroom. Autopilot only ever worked for so long.

There was no way she would be able to successfully do anything today without some sort of caffeine. So, she had two options. Either go to the grocery store and stock up on everything. Or she could go grab a coffee from somewhere quick and then return to her planned our day. She chose the latter.

Her fingers gripped the knob which, when tugged, revealed all of the girl's dresses, skirts and accessories. Her parents would always say that it was a rainbow explosion of fabric, buttons and zippers. They weren't wrong. Hazel loved bright and quirky clothing. It made her feel unique and special, something her parents always had assured her she was, not just because of her taste in fashion. They would always tell her the way she walked and spoke and laughed - really did anything - was unique and added to her character. She missed hearing those reassurances.

With a sad, reminiscing smile the brunette began tugging small articles of clothing out of her mess of a wardrobe. Black flats, white pullover, beige polka dot summer dress, white bow-tie necklace. The usual kind of outfit she would wear; cute and odd. Sliding all of the articles on and checking her hair in the mirror, she slipped on her glasses and did a three-sixty degree spin.

"Good?" She asked herself as she did so. She stared back at herself in the mirror. She didn't need to brush her hair, it looked fine just the way it is. She checked her breath and sputtered in disgust. "Not good." Who knew that one little thing wrong in her routine would require so much work to follow.

Scurrying to the bathroom she brushed her teeth faster than she ever had in her life. After all she just wanted to get this ordeal over with and return back to her normal works. So after adjusting her hair, fixing her glasses and checking her teeth once more she gave a weak smile at her reflection. "Now good."

Whisking through her hallway tinted with the scent of her vanilla perfume she threw her brown purse over her shoulder and snagged her keys from their small rack hanging just beside her door. However, just before the brunette whisked the door open and grew ready to take on the world, she paused. It felt as if this had been the first time she was willing going outside in forever. She would stoke up on groceries the first day of every month and it would last her until a new page on her calendar was able to see the light of day. She didn't go outside if she didn't have to, and only rarely poked her head out of her door to check for mail. She was enclosed, an introvert as many academics would say, and now she was risking it all to step out for what? A cup of coffee?

Her hand rested against the cool metal doorknob, as if screaming for her to turn it and voyage out. Was she ready for this? To give in to the pressure of morning caffeine and break the routine she had so carefully built and formed? The hazel orbs glanced behind her, studying Lily tilting her head in confusion at her mother - so to speak - about to leave her spontaneously. Something inside of her gut churned. She didn't need to do this. She could go back inside and never see the light of day again if she wished. Yet something, something subtle and small, was telling her that getting a cup of coffee somewhere else would be new. Exciting. A break from the ordinary. While that terrified her it also excited her. She could become the girl she was just a few months earlier, skipping down the sidewalks and nodding shyly to strangers who walked on by as to not seem rude. It seemed as if it was a lifetime ago. All because she made the mistake of not getting more coffee. All because she had chosen to break her routine. For a reason? Had her subconscious intended for that to happen? Or was it just her pure laziness pushing her to procrastination?

"Bye Lily." She cooed quietly, whisking open the door and starting outside into her complex's second story hallway.

Thanks to a simple cup of joe, she was off to experience the world again. Whether she had intended to or not.