The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

"You can't be bored already, child," grandma sighed, shaking her head as a helpless smile formed on her rosy lips. "You're only on your second day here. It can't be that bad, can it?"

I turned the TV off and sighed. I had been glued here since I woke up three hours ago at 8:00, not really watching anything as I channel surfed and worried about what tomorrow would have in store for me - my first day at Belleville High School.

"It's not that I'm bored . . I just . . . don't know what to do," I answered, hoping I wouldn't offend my sweet grandma with my reply.

"Well what do you like to do?" she asked, sitting herself down next to me on the floral printed couch in the living room.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully with a shrug. Whenever I was bored I would hang out with either Brandon or Monica. But that wasn't an option now.

"Okay, what sorts of things are you into?" Again, I shrugged.

"Boys! What kind of boys do you like?" she asked, a small laugh escaping my lips at my grandma's childishness.

"Well, since I'm not getting any feedback from you, I'll just work with what I have…" she trailed off, confusing me slightly as she studied me. "So I already know you're a caffeine addict, judging by the amount of coffee you drank yesterday," she smiled. ‘And, looking at you appearance, I see you're into that whole "emu" thing I've heard you kids talking about." I couldn't help but laugh at my grandma's attempt to help me find something to do.

"Oh, I love you grandma," I sighed, my laughter finally subsiding as I wiped my index fingers under my eyes to wipe away the couple stray tears that managed to slip from my laughter.
"Ooh! I’ve got it!" she suddenly exclaimed. "There's this café I've passed a couple times when I've gone into town . . . Exotic Java, I think."

"And us emu's go there?" I questioned as I rose to my feet.

"I guess so. I've been too scared to actually go inside . . . but you might enjoy it."

". . . Why not?" I finally decided. I have nothing else to do.

I quickly went upstairs and to my new room, now full of my things. Rummaging through my dresser drawers, I pulled out a pair of dark, skin tight jeans and a green tank top with blue stars in various places, swiftly pulling those on with my green, low-top converse and adding some eyeliner around my gray eyes before making my way back downstairs. I found grandma sitting at the small dinner table in the nook of her kitchen, sipping a glass of water as she flipped through a catalog.

After being told the directions to the coffee shop, I got in my car and drove off, arriving about ten minutes later.

I pulled open one of the glass doors in the front, a small ding being produced as I did so, causing the two people working at the back counter to look up at me and smile.

I shuffled my feet across the black and white checkered linoleum floors to the back counter as I admired the artwork and bright colors someone had painted over most of the walls.

"Hey, can I get you something today?" asked the extremely pierced and tattooed man behind the counter with, what seemed, an actual smile.

I looked up at the chalkboard style menu above him as I searched for some kind of drink that seemed good at the moment.

"Uhm . . . just a watermelon flavored Italian soda, please," I said, finally looking down and into his deep blue eyes.

He nodded and punched my order into the cash register. "$2.75." I yanked on the chain hanging from the back pocket of my pants, revealing my black Misfits wallet. I pulled the five dollar bill out my grandma gave me before I left and handed it to the man. He supplied me with appropriate change and not soon after, the woman who had also been working behind the counter handed me a straw and a plastic cup, condensation on the outside as a pink liquid filled the inside, whipped cream on top of that.

Thanking the woman, I walked to the two, bright blue couches in the corner by the front door, barely taking a seat on one before the bell on the door went off a second time, signaling someone had entered the café.

Too eager to try my drink, knowing my grandma would be proud of me for using her money to get an Italian soda, I didn't bother to look up to see who had just entered.

I quickly pulled the paper off the straw, nearly breaking the straw as I did so, and stuck it through the lid of my drink, not hesitating to take a drink.

Mmm…I think I've found my new favorite drink.

I suddenly pulled the straw from my mouth, a faint suction cup sound forming, as I felt a pair of eyes on me. Setting my cup on the coffee table in front of me and wiping my slightly wet hands on my pants, I subtly looked at the two employees in the back, both having a conversation with each other, not looking anywhere even remotely close to where I was sat. I let my eyes wander, seeing the rest of the place empty until I finally stopped at the entrance. My first sight was a pair of beaten up, white converse (hardly white anymore) before my eyes scanned up the rest of their body. Extremely tight fitting black jeans, black fingerless gloves with a skeleton print on them, a black and purple Misfits t-shirt, and, finally, I met the most amazing pair of hazel eyes I'd ever seen, his black hair framing them perfectly. Staring back at me with a small grin on his pierced lips, he made his way towards me, the fluorescent lighting from above him shining off his face so that I noticed he also had a thin, silver ring in his nose.

I quickly looked down into my lap, my thumbs twitching nervously. What was happening? It wasn't like me to be nervous - especially over a guy.

"Uhm…excuse me," the guy’s smooth yet timid voice met my ears as I slowly lifted my head so I could look into those beautiful hazel eyes once more.

He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "This is gonna seem a bit weird, but you look really familiar. Do we know each other?"