Project Coffee

iii

"So?"

"Are you going to cooperate with me?"I ask hoping he'd smile and nod.

"No."He says turning back to his fricken wall.Well there goes my hopes."I've already told you,I'm not a charity case."He repeats again.

"And I'm not being paid to be here."I reply my eyes sculpting his nose and eyebrows.He turned to me once more his mouth partially open.It made me think he had something to say.Something to tell.

But instead he closed his mouth and turned back to the wall.

Guess we were just gonna sit here in silence.

"You don't have to stay."His voice calls.Its softer and slightly less deadly.It took a whole eight minutes for him to say something.

"I know."I say my eyes on the window to the left.Another silence over wells us again.All I can think of is how the trees move in the wind.Swaying their branches and leaves back and fourth back and fourth.

"When can I get my discharge?"He asks   turning to face me now.

"As soon as a parent or guardian comes."I reply."The hospital system doesn't allow minors to be released without a parent being there."I inform.He snickers at that.

"Then I guess I'm stuck here forever."He laughs.It wasn't a humorous one.But a cold sarcastic one.

"Maybe their,"I pause unsure of what to call it.Saying busy would make it sound like they don't have time for him,saying not in town sounds like they forgot about him.

"Don't bother."He grumbles breaking me away from my brainstorm.

"I'm sorry."I half whisper.

"My names Dakota."He introduces."But you know that already."His eyes fall into the file sitting on my lap.

"My names Katie."I reintroduce,"but I've told you that already."I smile.

"You go to Kings Private,right?"

"How do you know that?"In better terms I would as:Did I just get myself stuck with a stalker?

"You seem to put together to be in public school."He shrugs.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"I ask raising a brow at him.

"Depends."He cocks his head at an angle his eyes still staring at me."don't most people have plans on Saturdays?"he squints at me.

  "this is my plan."I state."Every Saturday from nine through five."I tell him.I'd memorized my schedule a while ago and it's helped me keep track of time since.

   "I think I'm gonna like you."He thinks out loud,my cheeks heat up as he smiles my way.

"Well that's good,cause you'll be seeing more of me."I tell.

By the time I'd left the hospital it was nearly two hours after my shift.I'd spent an extra hour with Dakota meaning I needed to spend the hour I'd normally spend checking out and filling through paperwork after my shift.But it was all good.All was always good.

My phone wouldn't stop beeping with incoming calls and text messages.All From Freddie and a few from Dylan.

But I don't text and drive,because I don't have a death wish so I'll wait to reply to those.

I'd stopped by the flower shop to buy a few flowers seeing how the ones I kept in my room were dying.

"Could you be any more cliche?"I hear a grumble from behind me.The voice airily familiar.I was scanning what seemed to be the endless row after row after row of pink roses.

"Whats that supposed to mean?"I turn around my voice coming off as defensive.I was not cliche.Maybe a tad.But I will not be identified as one.Nope.

It wasn't until my brown eyes met his that I realized was none other then the same guy who caused me to stick of chemicals from a purple foam explosion.Alex Vineyard standing a good three feet away from me his arms crossed over his shoulders and that smirk that was practically glued onto his face met my gaze.My eyes turned into slits as my lips pressed together.An unspoken hatred breaking into me.

"Why are you here?"I ask,an asshole like him wouldn't be caught dead buying flowers for someone.

"Free country."He shrugs before walking out the door the bell on the door tinkering as he leaves.

Seriously,what the hell was that even about?

When I made my way to my parking spot.I felt let complete shit.All I wanted to do was lie down and not wake up until Monday morning.

When I got out of my car,flowers in hand and phone in pocket.I wasn't expecting to see Dylan waiting at my front porch.

"What are you doing here?"My voice comes as I cross the lawn to get to the porch steps.

"I was waiting for you."he looks up from his phone standing up before pushing his device into his pocket.

"I thought I told you I was busy today."I remark.

"This couldn't wait."His face telling me nothing was going to end well.My gut telling me to stop talking.My grasp on the flowers I had tightening as the bag I had on my shoulders feel heavier.

"What's going on?"I ask placing my flowers on the stoop of my porch.

  "I need to talk to you."He huffs out.The autumn wind blows causing his blonde hair to ruffle up in a messy fashion,

  "Well I already figured that part out."I state.

   "I think we should see other people."Dylan opens up.He doesn't even bother masking his words or considering how I'd feel about him saying that.

  "What?"my throat clenches up and my heart falls to my stomach."Is this because we aren't spending enough time together?"I ask"you know I've been really busy lately,with school starting and work,I'm sorry."I explain feeling my veins burn my body as the blood flows in them.I was burning up.

  "I just don't feel the same anymore."His hand goes to the back of his neck,his voice muffled like he'd rather be somewhere else.

"Everything was fine last week."I croak out remembering how we'd spent the afternoon the day I didn't have work together.We'd stayed in and spent the time watching movies and stuff couples to do.

"I found someone else."He looks up at me moving his line of sight from the ground underneath to my face.

My throat feels like I swallowed a million crumbled up paper balls.

He'd found someone new.Some one better.