[See Me]
*Poppy*
May 12, 2016 (Roughly 10 years later)
I sit in the corner of the coffee shop, sipping my hot mint tea as I watch customers interact with the employees.
Laughter sounds from behind the bar, providing a perfect example for how friendly the environment of the local Starbucks really is.
The tall, handsome man with dark hair leans across the counter, flirting with a barista named Susan. Susan, flustered with the attention, abandons her tasks as her focus shifts primarily onto the man before her.
Shaking my head, I take one more sip before I gather my drink and pastry as I stand, heading towards the bar. I toss my half eaten croissant and then dump the rest of my drink down the sink.
Donning on my green apron, I clock in a few minutes early to relieve Susan of her position. I tell her to go spend sometime with the guy, out from behind the bar. She gladly heeds my order and I resume making the drinks she had forgotten.
After the small rush of drinks and food are handed out, I roll my neck, trying to relieve the tension that is gathering. "Pop, we're all out of Grande hot cups." I internally groan as I look over at Megan walk out from the back of the house, carrying every size of cups except Grande hot. She goes to stocking them and I turn to call another store to see if I can borrow cups.
A few hours of work and a gifted sleeve of cups later, I find myself leaning against the counter as Susan and Megan gossip over the man that was flirting with Susan. I shake my head again, looking at them with wide eyes as I silently urge them to get to work.
"Guys, can you please clean the bar." I mutter, frowning when they look over at me with a confused expression.
Was I speaking Spanish?
No, because I don't know Spanish.
I roll my eyes. "Poppy!" A small smile crosses my face as I look over the counter to see the petite blonde who decided to name herself my best friend.
"Hey, Rach." I glance over my shoulder one last time. "Get the bars done. I'm taking my last break." My voice is filled with more confidence, something that Rachel always seems to give me when she's near.
I grab my water and hurry around to wrap my arms around her small form.
"Coworkers giving you a hard time?" I roll my eyes in answer as we take a seat in the middle of the booth, next to a couple who seems to be on a first date.
"Lets not talk about work. How are you? How's school?"
Rachel and I have been friends since we were fourteen years old. Her family moved to Illinois in the middle of the school year and for some odd reason, Rachel decided to befriend the quiet, loner girl.
Her brother, Reid, is two years older than us. He went away to college when he turned twenty and returned this year. He took two years off in between his Sophomore and Junior year, trying to figure out what he wanted to do. He graduated last year and moved back to Illinois, in an apartment in Naperville.
Rachel followed her brother, going to school out of state right out of high school. She is studying to get her doctorate as a Pediatric Nurse. She is back for summer break and I am honestly the happiest I can be.
My life is so different when Rachel is here. When she's gone, I am alone and all ounce of confidence seems to evaporate. She has been my strength since day one and I rely on our friendship everyday.
"School is fine. All A's." Rachel smirks, her eyes gleaming with happiness.
I went to a local community college for a few years and graduated with my associates. I am now a shift supervisor at Starbucks with no idea of what I want to do with my future.
I see the door open from the corner of my eye and look over to see Reid walk in, his eyes darting around the lobby until he sees Rachel. I nod toward him, causing Rachel to spin in her seat and let out a squeal.
The siblings embrace each other in a bone crushing hug, causing me to smile down at the table so I'm not eavesdropping on their private matter.
The relationship they have is unlike any other I've seen. Brothers and sisters grow up picking on each other and always bickering. But Reid and Rachel were two peas in a pod. They always had each other's back and always wanted to be with each other. Reid invited Rachel to football parties and never allowed his friends to pick on her.
I remember one time a friend of Reid's complained about Rachel and I joining in on attending a Drive-In. I instinctively shrunk away and wanted to go home, while Rachel took severe offense. Reid quickly righted his friend saying, "Rachel is always invited. Same with Poppy."
No one ever second guessed our company again.
"Hey, Poppy." I look up to see Reid looking down at me, his bright blue eyes shining with happiness.
Reid and Rachel are the only one's who call me 'Poppy'. Everyone else always calls me 'Pop' or 'Pops'.
It secretly bothers me when people call me nicknames. Poppy is my name. Only my mom can call me 'Pop'.
"Hi, Reid." I whisper, biting my bottom lip as I divert my eyes. I hear him chuckle before he sits down beside me on the booth. He bumps his shoulder against me.
"I never see you anymore. Where have you been?" He asks me.
I look around the Starbucks lobby, silently telling him my answer. I am here almost every day for 9 hours.
"Well, we need to go to our Drive-In, then." Rachel chimes in. I smile to myself. I have been waiting for this all winter and spring. Drive-In's are some of my best memories as a kid, especially because it's with these two.
"I can't. I have to close tonight. I'm off tomorrow, though." Rachel's face breaks into a wide smile.
"Excellent. Tomorrow, you're mine... And then I'll share you with Reid for the Drive-In." Rachel looks down at her phone when it beeps and her eyes widen. "I have to go see Talen. Reid, keep Poppy company for the duration of her break." Rachel jumps up and walks over to kiss my cheek. "I love you."
"Love you." I whisper, watching as she ruffles Reid's unusually short blonde hair upon passing him as she jogs out of the coffee shop.
Talen is her boyfriend from high school. He was on the football team with Reid and I am quite surprised Reid deemed him worthy of his sister. I was sure he would render her single until she was forty.
For as long as I can remember, he has kept boys at arms length for not only Rachel, but for me as well. I don't understand why. Rachel is his sister, I get he's being protective. But he had no claim on me, no reason to want to protect me. I was just his sister's best friend.
In fact, I'm sure that at times I annoyed him.
I remember one time, I showed up at Rachel's house bawling my eyes out because of Diane and something she had said to me. Reid had walked into his sister's room to see Rachel consoling me and after Rachel giving him a short synopsis of what happened, I saw Reid's face turn to stone as he shook his head and left the room without even asking if I was alright.
I didn't expect him to, we were hardly friends and I was a blubbering teenage girl. But I have always remembered the expression and the feeling of being dismissed.
Reid props his elbow on the table, his side rubbing against me as he rests his chin in the palm of his hand. I peek up at him from the corner of my eye, to see him staring at me intently.
I bite my bottom lip and stare down at the table.
With Rachel gone, I don't even have the courage to start up a conversation. Not even with Reid. All words are lost to me and my mind is scrambling to find some decent vocation.
I flinch when I feel a gentle finger trace the outline of my hairline, starting at my part and all the way down to where he tucks a few strands behind my ear. "Poppy..." Reid whispers.
I feel him shift closer to me, causing me to tense when his lips are a mere breath from my ear. "I see you." He says.
My eyes widen at his words. I look over at him, shaking my head. What does he mean?
Rachel doesn't even see the true me.
She doesn't know my past, what I went through when I was young. Even when we were friends, I didn't tell her about my home life. Everyone looks at me and thinks I am quiet and soft spoken. They don't know that I am, in fact, a shell of a person.
So, what does Reid really see? The soft spoken girl? Or the broken shell?
I bite my bottom lip again, gnawing on it.
"No. You don't." I slide out of the booth and grab my apron, ready to return to work, even if it's a few minutes early. Reid springs to his feet, a frown marring his features.
"Poppy, wait." He reaches out to grab my hand but I step back and put on a small smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Reid." His bright blue eyes dull with a hint of sadness before he nods and returns the smile.
Reid and I never were close, which is why I didn't understand the blocking of any male contact. He never cared for me, not really. This is the most we spoke, without Rachel with us.
I watch as he gives me one last smile before turning and walking out the coffee shop, following out the door that Rachel previously used. Once he was out of sight, I put my apron on and proceeded to cleaning the espresso bars.
~*~
Rachel's arm is hooked around mine as we walk through the emptying mall. I let out a sigh and bow my head, avoiding eye contact from anyone who passes us.
"How's Talen?" I ask. Rachel lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head. I know their long distance relationship is hard on them as well. They only see each other a few times a year, on breaks and holidays.
But Talen is supportive of Rachel's dreams and aspirations. He stays here in Illinois, working at the local gym as a physical trainer and waits patiently for Rachel to return.
"He's good. He's... He's the one, Poppy." I don't stop the smile that makes its appearance. Nothing makes me happier than seeing Rachel truly joyous. She loves Talen so much and her declaring that he's the one.... Best news I could receive right now.
"I'm glad, Rach. I'm really glad." I lift a cup of hot mint tea, that we got from the Starbucks inside the mall, to my lips and sip carefully. Tea is soothing, always relaxes my body.
Rachel unhooks her arm and switches her bags filled with clothes to her other hand so she can run her fingers through her long hair. She ruffles it, creating body and flow.
"Reid is acting weird." Rachel says suddenly. I look over at her, my eyebrows furrowed with confusion. Rachel stops walking, grabbing my forearm to stop me as well. I turn my body so my full attention is on her.
How is Reid acting weird? He's Reid... He's always weird.
"He's never had a girlfriend." Rachel says. I lift my tea to take another small sip. "I think he's gay." I spew the hot liquid out of my mouth, almost choking on it. Rachel giggles, pounding on my back.
"He's not gay, Rach. Remember, he had that fling with Keri." I point out, shaking my head. There was no way. Reid was the most straight man I know.
He doesn't flirt around and thrive under women's attention, however he oozes masculinity. He has had a few short relationships...
But Rachel is right.
I have never been formally introduced to any girlfriend.
"Okay. Right. Then why is he single. I mean, he's good looking right? You think he's good looking, don't you?" Rachel rambles, her concern for her brother apparent as her eyebrows crease in worry.
I honestly love their relationship.
Reid... Attractive? Of course he is. Even the blind could tell, just by hearing his voice and touching his face. Reid is near perfection. His selflessness is the cherry on top of the sundae.
Why is he single?
"Reid isn't the one to just date, Rach. And neither were you. Talen is your first serious relationship and he is the one for you... You waited for him. Reid is doing the same thing."
It was a total guess that sounded good in my head. I am sure this excuse will sound good to Rachel as well. It's what she needs to hear, even if it isn't the truth. She needs to take a deep breath and trust that Reid is doing what is best for himself.
Rachel nods. "Come on. Reid will be waiting."
~*~
"Poppy, get up here." I climb into the bed of the truck, crawling over the bedding of blankets until I am pressed in between Reid and Rachel.
Rachel quickly drops her head on my shoulder and watches as advertisements play on the screen, as we wait for the sky to darken.
Reid struggles to get comfortable beside me, situating and re-situating himself. I finally lift so he can move his arm and drape it around my shoulder, his hand gently touching the top of my left arm. I look over at him, trying to ignore the feeling in my stomach.
We've done this every time we go to the Drive-In. There is nothing behind his touch.
I try to convince myself, but I can't deny the feeling of excitement.
But why?
Why do I care if Reid touches me? I never used to before...
"I see you."
It's because he sees me.