Lessons Learned I

The day before I was to start my classes, my roomie and I hung out at a little cafe in downtown Seattle called the Bean Scene. It was near the campus, so with all the all-nighters I knew I was going to be taking on, I knew they'd be getting tons of business from me.

We got a table near the bar and began talking.

"Are you excited about starting tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yeah! Nervous, but excited! What about you?"

"You have no idea. I know I won't get any sleep tonight."

"Pfft, same here. We'll keep each other company." She smiled a little.

I returned her smile. "Yeah. At least we feel too alone. And if we get bullied by the sophomores and juniors, we can team up and kill them."

"Sounds like a plan to me! I like your thinking."

I smiled at her, feeling a lot less nervous than I had felt upon first arriving at the huge campus. "Hey, you want something to drink? How about an iced coffee or cappuccino? We can split a bagel if you'd like, too."

"Sure! I adore iced coffee and iced cappuccino...as weird of a thing that is to say. Here's some money to pay for my crap." She handed my ten dollars.

I put the bill back down on the table. "I've got it." I walked up to the bar thing and waited on the waiter guy to walk over. He was nowhere to be found.

A guy with longish, but spiky dark brown hair and brown eyes was sitting on a stool next to where I was standing. He had an earring in his left ear, a chain around his neck, and he was casually dressed. He was very clean shaven and I could smell really good-smelling cologne being emitted by him.

He was sketching something and drinking what looked like an iced cappuccino. "Waiter went off to have a quickie with the server," he spoke up.

I slowly turned my head around and looked at him, giving him an odd look. I remained silent.

He looked at me. "It's a joke." He sat his pencil aside and stuck his hand out. "I'm Alex."

Um...good for you? I can remember thinking.

I gave him another baffled look, then turned forward and leaned against the counter, waiting for the waiter to get back. "I'm Rachel," I said.

"So, are you from here?" I wasn't getting a stalker vibe or anything, but I still decided to use caution. Lucky for him, I didn't listen to my mother when she taught me that aliens come in the form of humans, as they try to interrogate you and find out everything about you before they abduct you and take you up into space, never to be seen again.

"Yep," I said, still leaning up against the bar and facing forward.

"That's cool. I just moved here. College and all... Are you in school?"

I raised my eyebrow, then turned toward him and faced him. I stared at him for a few seconds. "No offence, but why are you interrogating me? I just came up here to get a drink, but that's obviously not going to happen..."

"I'm sorry. It's just, you appear to be about the only friendly face I've seen since arriving here and..." He interrupted himself. "Sorry."

He just hit my soft spot. I guess I'll take my chances on this one.

I sat down in the chair next to him. "Where are you from?" I asked.

"New York."

My eyes widened. "Seriously?"

He nodded before saying, "Dirty and smelly. Not as impressive as one thinks." He lightheartedly and quietly laughed.

I smiled a little. "Why did you move out here?"

"Couldn't take the other college. There was a lot of gangs and stuff."

"Hm..." I muttered. I glanced back at Lee. She looked at me, then gave Alex a weird look.

The waiter finally walked back over, looking ... happy ... for some reason.

Maybe Alex was right after all.

"Hi, can I help you?" he asked.

Alex sighed, returning to his drawing.

"Um...you know what? Nevermind," I said to the waiter.

Why do I feel so sorry for this guy? He looks so pitiful...I can't help it. I'll be careful.

"Hey, Alex...my friend and I just started college here in Seattle...we're freshmen. ...or fresh...women..." I muttered. I shook it off. "Anyway. You can join us if you'd like. At our table. There." I pointed to where Lee was sitting.

"Are you sure your friend wouldn't mind?" Alex asked, looking at me.

I glanced over at her, then looked at Alex. "Nah. She's new to Seattle, too, so you and her have a lot in common already." I gave him a small, warm smile.

He returned my smile. "Thanks. But if you don't actually want me over there, it's fine."

I shook my head. "I don't have anything against you. Unless I should be against you for something. Is there any reason why I should keep my distance from you?" I asked in a playful, joking voice.

He laughed. "I'm a pansy. Trust me, I'm no threat whatsoever. Is there a reason for me to keep my distance from you?" he asked in the same playful voice.

I laughed a little, giving him a full smile. "Nope, I'm generally nice. But I hold grudges. There's your fair warning."

He nodded a little and stood up. He was a good three or four inches taller than me. "I'm an honest person. There's your heads up." He smiled a little.

I grinned at him. "I'll hold you to that." I continued to smile as I led him over to mine and Lee's table.