Wasting My Time Dreaming

Rian

I didn't sleep last night.

“Now I know what it's like to be an insomniac,” I muttered, rubbing my temples with my thumbs, desperate for coffee. I used my coffee shop app on my iPhone, determined to get good coffee in whatever itty bitty town we were in. The first one that popped up was about a ten minute walk from where I was. I grabbed a hoodie, and headed out, thinking about Sydney.

Before I knew it, I was walking into the itty bitty coffee shop, a young girl working behind the counter. She smiled at me, biting her lip. “I know who you are,” She said, making my order. “You're Rian Dawson, and your best friend is Sydney,” She said, smiling at me with her white teeth.

“How do you know bout Sydney?” I asked, taking a sip of my coffee. I was genuinely interested. She smiled.

“That isn't important. Do you love her?” I was bewildered by her question, and she noticed. “I'm not going to go tell E! news or whatever. I've talked to Sydney before, and well … just answer the question,” She said, taking a seat on the counter, brushing her bangs from her face. I took another sip of my coffee, which was really good.

“I think I do. I think that's why I've been such a jerk to her. Because I love her.” I nodded, knowing this was true. The girl behind the counter nodded, her name plate reading “Marnie”.

“That makes sense. If it helps, she said the same thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“She's afraid to love you. And honestly, if you don't mind me saying, you two are seriously just screwed up. Most couples would just get together. But you guys made it complicated.” Marnie chuckled. “You guys forgot to keep your feet on the ground while your heads were in the clouds.”

“Aren't those song lyrics?” I asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“What? 'Keep your feet on the ground, when your heard's in the clouds'? Yeah, Paramore lyrics,” Marnie said slyly, winking. “But that's beside the point. You guys obviously love each other, so don't you just take the chance?” She drank out of her own coffee cup, raising her perfectly sculpted brow.

“It's just that, like, we've been best friends since the minute we met, and I don't want to change that.” Marnie laughed.

“That's a lie, and you know it,” She said, biting her lip. “Sorry. That was mean.”

“Not, it was the truth. I don't want to because I know I'll end up hurting her. And that's the last thing I want.” Marnie looked at me, her expression softening. She sighed.

“Do you want my opinion?”

“Haven't you been giving it?” I asked, taking a sip of my coffee, trying my best not to be too blunt. Marnie laughed, biting her lip.

“No, that's more the random act of kindness thing talking,” She muttered, but raised her brow, waiting for my answer. I shrugged, taking another sip of my coffee. “Take a chance. Odds are, if you really love her, then you guys will end up together. But if Fate decides that that's not how your life's gonna turn out, fight for you two to be friends again. But you could always end up like my parents, marrying your best friend. Come on, Rian. Sydney loves you more than life itself, and she isn't gonna take any step at all without you. So take this one with her.” She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee, the overpowering smell of beans filling my nose as she began to make a new drink. I mulled over her words, and she began to speak again. “You guys are like Romeo and Juliet. You refuse to live without each other, and if you don't end up together, you'll both die.” She chuckled. She was right, we were like Romeo and Juliet.

“Jesus, Marnie, are you like this with all your customers?” I muttered, and she laughed.

“Only the ones that intrigue me.”

“I intrigued you?” I asked, raising a brow.

“No, the girl who came in her with tears in her eyes, fiery red hair, and ordered a kind of coffee that is only found in Las Vegas, Nevada and kept muttering to herself about some guy named Rian.” She mused, trying to get her hint across. “She was the one who intrigued me.”