The Café

The fashion that the curtains were parted was just enough to let a small amount of light through them. It was this ray of light that shone across John’s face, waking him. The headache that he awoke with was much worse than that of the one that he had fallen asleep with. Groggily, he rubbed his eyes and contemplated throwing the sheet over his head and returning to his slumber, or get out of his cocoon of sheets and try to be productive. After a few minutes of the two choices floating across his mind, he reluctantly chose the latter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I just don’t know what I’m going to do, Lynn. This morning, when I looked in the mirror, I did not recognize the face staring back at me. Actually I did, and it was a face that I had hoped to never see again, a face that I had thought that I had ostracized from my life.” Katie told the older woman while they were changing shifts. They sat in the back room, in the kitchen area talking while they waited for a patron to enter through the old door.

“I can understand that, dear, but I don’t think you have anything to be worried about, I mean that thing that happened hasn’t happened in a while has it? I mean it didn’t start right after the party did it?” Lynn asked, placing her hand on Katie’s shoulder.

The girl thought for a moment, her mind replaying and searching for the one thing that Lynn had asked about, the one thing that she had blocked from her mind, the one thing that she had so carefully locked away and purposely lost the key to said lock.

“N-No. No, it hasn’t. It hasn’t happened, this was the first time. But, you know what they say, it only takes one time. What if- What if, it was that one time? I mean last night, if it was that one time, and now, it’s going to happen again, all over again? Lynn, I can’t do that, not again. I’m not strong enough, it will break me. I know it will.”

Pulling the sobbing girl against her, Lynn spoke softly, almost as if she were speaking to a small child. “Sweetheart, you’re going to be okay. Trust me, okay. We got through this once, and if we have to do it again, we will, okay? I know we will, I know you will, you are stronger than you were a few years ago, stronger than I have ever seen you. This, this thing, will not break you, alright?” the young girl nodded, hiccupping on her sobs.

“I-I’m sorry, Lynn, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to, I really didn’t. It just happened, I just-I just let it happen. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that I let it happen. I swear it was an accident, a simple mistake.”

Murmuring comforting words, Lynn nodded, feeling as though this moment was all too familiar.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After running his daily errands, John was finally ready to either take a late nap or just turn in for the night early. He put the groceries away and the new records by his record player, deciding that if he took a nap, he would be up all night, he went to bed.

He laid in his bed for an hour and a half waiting for the sand man to come, however, no visit was ever made. He tossed and turned trying to find a way that he was comfortable. Throwing the blankets off of himself, he felt too cold, but with the blankets, he was too hot, and sleeping with one leg covered and the other exposed, felt uncomfortable to him. Begrudgingly, he tossed the blankets off of his body for the last time and decided on staying up for a while. After thinking over the possibilities as to why he could not sleep and why he felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. The answer was simple. The answer was five letters. The answer was one word, a name really. The answer was her. Katie.

He had to fix the problem he caused, he had to fix his pride, sew the open wounds shut. He considered calling her, but that would be as though he were trying to use a plastic needle. He had to see her in person, talk to her and redeem himself.

Once again, he opened the door to his white truck with shaky hands. Once again, he gripped the wheel with white knuckles. Once again, he stood at the door of her apartment. Once again, he knocked on the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With bloodshot eyes she looked in the mirror and it was the same face that haunted her earlier in the day. It was a face that shared similar traits, but looked different. It was that face. That horrid, horrid face. Everything is going to work out. Everything is going to be okay. I am going to be okay. I am okay. I am okay. I am okay. But what if I’m not. The thoughts ran through her mind, haunting her along with the face staring back at her. A knocking coming from the front door pulled her from her thoughts, and it saved her from herself really.

Katie was not ready for company, she did not want any, she thought about not answering the door, she thought about hiding. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair grimy. Reluctantly, she opened the door and wished that she could take back that action.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as he saw her, he regretted leaving the night before. Then skin around her eyes was swollen, her eyes were red and bloodshot, her nose looked as though it was raw and her skin was paler than it was normally.

“I’m sorry. I should have gone about everything differently than I had. I should have been straightforward with you. I am sorry about that, and I am sorry I left so abruptly last night. I hope that this hasn’t changed your mind on us continuing to be friends,” John mouth turned into a slight smile at the last part of his apology.

“It’s alright,” Katie said, trying to hold in her self pity. “Come inside, let’s try this again, okay?”