The Usual... A Max Schneider Fan Fiction

Chapter Thirty: Trivial

I giggled again. "It's okay," I told him. "You're holding me again; that's all I care about."

Max smiled. "Sleep, little dove," he coaxed. "I can feel you're still tired, and lord knows I wanna go back to bed too."

I nodded a little, cuddling into his chest. "Love you," I whispered. Max kissed my hair.

"I love you too, baby."

* * * * *

I felt myself sighing quietly, longing gently for Max's body beside mine. I frowned, slowly letting my mind drift as I worked, my lips absently humming a small tune. It was almost two weeks later, and I was sleepily cleaning around the shop; Max had been on set all damn day, and I switched shifts with Lucas so I could work and distract myself.

I looked up as the bells above the door rang, already knowing who it was. For the past two weeks, Max had been ordering coffee from the shop and having a guy come to pick them up for the cast, at least once per shoot. I didn't mind, as I loved getting to write cute 'I love you' messages on the bottom of Max's cup, and I knew it made his day a little brighter; it was just sweet.

The same guy who'd been picking the coffee up walked towards the counter as I turned to pick up the order. He was a guy about my age, with light brown hair and soft amber eyes, who always wore a light black jacket and a hat that he wore backwards. He strode in with his hands shoved in his front jean pockets, a cocky flair in his step and a confident bounce in his movements. The bounce and flair were vaguely familiar to me, and the first time I saw him walk into the store two weeks ago, I couldn't place the feeling... before I realized it was the same bounce and flair my best friend had had before he met his Sophie.

"Here you go," I spoke, setting the stack beside the register. He grinned that sly grin at me, making it obvious he didn't know I was Max's girlfriend, making me cringe slightly in my skin. I quickly rang up the order, smiling politely as he bit his lip at me, reaching in his back pocket for his wallet.

He'd been eyeing me like this since the first time he came in; the kind of look that made me shiver unpleasantly.

"Here," he spoke, his voice smooth and almost plastic in sound, as if it was carefully said. He handed me his credit card and I ran it quickly, not wanting him in here any longer than he had to be. The receipt seemed to print so slowly as I felt self conscious, feeling his eyes scanning me like they had almost every day for the past two weeks.

"Can you sign here?" I asked, handing him a pen and one of the receipts. I waited for his copy to print as he signed it, and I knew he was doing so slowly in order to prolong this meeting.

"So..." he began... I knew this was coming. "I don't think I've caught your name yet."

I took a breath. "Symphony," I gave a quiet response. The guy's smile widened, forming another plastic, mask-like grin. I felt my stomach sink.

"Symphony," he repeated, and I felt myself shiver uncomfortably as he winked. "Beautiful name."

I shook my head slightly at myself, moving down the counter to begin wiping it down. "So, Symphony..." he kept talking, and it was hard to suppress an eye-roll. "When do you get off?"

I didn't look up at him. "Later," I said, vaguely, wiping the counter a bit more forcefully than necessary. The guy watched me carefully, biting his lip.

"Why don't you..." he slid closer, raising his eyebrows. "Let me take you somewhere."

I decided I'd had it. "I've got a boyfriend," I stated flatly, finally looking up at him. He just laughed though, his voice slimy.