Black Rose.

CAFE BLEND | TUESDAY | PART 4 (1325 words)

Me crush who I adore will be filled with venom, pure and utter venom, all thanks to the giant Mondale. "Ah, Mr. Kashmir," he says me name. I am warming to the prick every day, so long as he does not keep me for too long. He is a laissez-faire leader, lets his peers handle the bulk of the students as he enjoys a glass a Jack and a fine fat cigar. I dont blame him. Not really. But he must see something in me. Something I don't see.

"Not now sir, I'm a bit late so I am."

"One minute please," he insists.

In a huff I respond, "what?"

"I hope you and Angelina will be back in time for class?" He asks as he fixes his tie and jutted his chin to the ceiling. "Not like yesterday. Hmm." He raises a brow. He thinks he has it all sussed out.

"Sure I answer," and I rush off.

I'm not overly late, but she stares daggers at me, sharp daggers at that. She is tapping her foot and shaking her head.

"Sorry I'm a bit late like," I say as I catch me breath.

"Was about to go down without ya," she says.

Luckily for me she is still in stitches regarding Master Bates.

We went downtown for lunch again. Scheming is not on the cards, I didn't want her to feel the savage wrath of her abusive father. The Monster as she calls him.

We went to Cafe-Blend. Tis the first coffee shop en route into town. It is packed with professionals most of whom are sharply dressed and of course working for the Machine, or so I presume. 

We approached the front counter and stood in the que. behind a glass counter is an array of sweet treats. They have the biggest coffee machine I have ever seen. "bertha needs more beans," one of the barista said. "On it," another replied. 

The staff of four, in there plum coloured shirts, are flat out working. One female a ginger touched by fire is taking orders. Another two, twins they were, are attending to the coffee making process. The last person, who I assumed to be the proprietor of the store, is at the cash register and is the only one smiling. We went mute as we waited. 

I hated waiting. There is something about standing and waiting that causes me to sweat profusely. I can not stand still. I tap me foot to a beat I had in me head and sway on the spot.

we ordered ourselves a cup of coffee each and it came in a huge white mug with a dinky delicate handle and a complimentary long sugar biscuit on the side twas real nice. Thankfully there are seats available. Window seats would you believe. I carried the tray down to the available seat. we took a moment to get comfortable. 

"So..." she broke the ice. "Will we get to know one another?"

"I suppose," I replied. "What would you like to know like?"

"Well firstly why do you always say like at the end of a sentence? Like," she did it teasingly.

"I don't like," I reply.

 Angie spat out some a her coffee when I answered her.

"Hey, I asked for news not the weather." Still she is in stitches. "Come on Angelina - "

"Don't call me that!" She snaps. 

From bliss to sheer venom in the split of a second.

"Fine Angie, it's not that funny. I don't know why I always say." (I nearly said it). "At the end of a sentence force of habit I reckon. Tourettes maybe or eh...I don't know like."

Ah, damn it.

"Ok..." she says.

"It's not annoying you is it?"

"No," she answered, "kind of find it cute is all. Makes you-you, I guess. I like it. So Kash, whats your favourite movie? Like." She asked me as she emphasizes the word a the day seemingly. "Or genre if you have not got a clue."

"Hmm," I had to have a good auld brood, put me rassoodock to work. "Good question," I bided me time. "Whats yours?" I threw the question right back at her. Then I took another sip of this splendiferous coffee. I could tell she wants to tell me about her favourite film. It is on the tip of her tongue. That gave me more time to brood.

"Fight club," she blurted out.

"Yep," I had to agree. "Classic, for sure" I answer. "Real savage show."

"So?"

"Oh right," I respond. "Eh... in general I like most genres. Horror of course, fantasy, but me favourite film is a coin toss between A clockwork orange and wan flew over - "

"The cuckoo's nest," we both said at the same time.

"Jacks just great," she says.

"Isn't he," I add.

We simmer for a second and then I take charge of the conversation. "Whats your favourite poem?" I queried. "I erm, noted you have a poetry book that is separate from our English work."

"Edgar Allan Poe's - "

"The Raven," I finished off her sentence. "Mine too." We shared a look of jubilant bewilderment.

"We have a lot in common," she noted.

"I agree."

"Have you a favourite flower?" She asked me.

It seemed like a girly thing to ask but I didn't expect her to ask a question about flowers, she didn't seems the fauna and flora type. "I'm afraid not," I eventually answer.

"Shame," she says pushing out her bottom lip. "I was kinda hoping you were going to say the black rose."

good choice.

"I know when I die I want a single black rose clasped in my cold dead hands."

I hate her going all Sylvia Plath on me.

"Well, Angie, hopefully, you don't die soon, eh?" I say. "I might have only spent a day with you but eh..." she looks at me passionately with those amazing eyes, me general between the boulders stirs again.

"But what?" She says.

"I have grown rather fond of you." Whats up with me today, grown fond of you? That is exceedingly corny. I second guess meself and me words that fly out of me trap. What the fuck?

"Ya know what Kashmir, I agree." She answered. "Like."

We conversed some more about our various likes and dislikes all the whilst sipping our huge mug of coffee. The proprietor gave me and Angie a look as if to say, order another cup or leave. But I knew we were fine, just fine.

"So what will we do after this?" She asks me. "Won't make it back in time for class now. will we?"

"I don't know," I respond. She starts playing footsie with me again and again I smile. I'm sure it is all cringe-worthy, at least from me paranoid perspective. She might think me next idea might be a bit bazzoomie. "Well..." I begin. "The courthouse is near and we can go in and listen to the cases that are on." I liked law. I mean it's an integral part of the machine for sure but an intriguing part nonetheless.

"You propose we go to court?" She asks me in a rather surprising manner.

"Hell yea," I say. "I like to go in from time to time to viddy who in town has been naughty."

"Is it a date?" She asks.

"If it is, a date," I answer. "It's the most original date I have heard of. Probably a first."

"Probably," we look into each other's eyes and both get lost at least I do. "Well then, boyfriend," she quipped, "let's get going then."

So we left Café - Blend, not yet at a stage where we should clasp hands, didn't want to appear to be the stereotypical high school couple. We don't conform.

We made our way down the town and you will never guess who we bumped into at the auld courthouse.