Written for QLFC, Season 6, Round 6 [Tornadoes, Chaser 3]
(main) Write about a character from your chosen month - March: James Potter
(color) taupe
(word) refreshed (changed -ed to -ing)
(word) striped
thanks to shay and vic for betaing!
James wants a refund.
His mother, Euphemia, has roped him into manning the register on the weekends and weekday afternoons instead of "dawdling aimlessly" in the kitchen. And now he's stuck here, a fake smile plastered on his face and most of time bored out of his goddamn mind.
(Thank goodness he only has to work on the weekend.)
Apparently, his family's coffee shop is a hub for the older generation. All he gets are mothers with whiny children and overworked businessmen, but no pretty girls ever come.
That explains why Sirius is barely around. James regrets that he told his best friend to run when he could. Now Sirius's working at the bar, picking up girls like nobody's business and having a good time.
And James is stuck here, wearing an apron that screams social suicide. Thank God none of his uni mates ever drop by.
If they did come, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.
On the second Saturday after James starts working, his soulmate walks in.
Well, she's not really his soulmate, per se. But she's potentially his future date. Possibly his dream girl.
She's wearing a taupe off-the-shoulder top, skinny jeans, and a pair of Converse. She has long, dark red hair cascading down her back in waves and sharp emerald eyes. She looks confident and gorgeous all at once, and James feels like he's in love.
(Another hyperbole, but he can't help but be slightly poetic when it comes to girls like her.)
James's hands instantly start to sweat, but he keeps his poise (for now).
"Hi," Gorgeous Girl says, and perhaps the prettiest smile he's ever seen paints her lips. "Can I order a cherry scone and two espresso shots?"
James's mouth is dry. Don't be stupid.
"Late night, huh?" he blurts out.
"Actually, no," the girl replies, crossing her arms and a disapproving expression on her face. "It's for my friend, Marlene—daft girl stayed up all last night clubbing and now she has a terrible hangover. I told her not to go out, especially since she's behind on homework—I'm sorry, I shouldn't be ranting to you like this."
"It's fine," he says, smiling, having been able to muster a little more of his courage during her tirade. "You can rant to me anytime. I'm James, by the way."
"Lily," she replies, another dazzling smile crossing her lips, and James wants to die.
He doesn't want that refund anymore.
Rain is hammering the windows the next morning, but a different sort of storm is raging in James's mind. He wants nothing more than to see Lily again. In his anxiety, he breaks the coffee machine.
(God, if he tells Sirius this, he would be teased relentlessly for the next century. And a half.)
Finally, his wish is granted as Lily rushes in. She's wearing a different ensemble today—a vintage floral-patterned dress and yellow rain boots with a black-and-white striped umbrella in her hand. She's flustered and panting heavily, but James thinks she's still as beautiful as ever.
(In his opinion, she looks beautiful in anything and everything. He thinks she couldn't look ugly even if she tries.)
"Lovely morning, isn't it?" he asks rhetorically.
"You tell me," she grumbles. "The bloody weatherman says it's going to be sunny, and then next thing you know, it's raining cats and dogs. Absolute bullshit."
He chuckles at her choice of words. "Somebody's in a sour mood."
"Did you not hear anything I just said?" Lily wrings her rain-soaked umbrella and pulls a face as the water goes flying everywhere. "I can't ever catch a break, can I?"
James heaves in a breath. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of such dismal news, but yes. The coffee machine broke earlier."
Lily groans. "Is it possible for a hole to just open up underneath me and swallow me?"
"Ask Mother Nature," he advises her, pushing back his amusement.
"She's the one who started this whole godforsaken mess," Lily snaps, glaring at the floor. "Do you really think I'd go to that stupid bint?"
James laughs. "Fair enough."
He doesn't see her again for weeks after that. Granted, he's a uni student and only works mornings on the weekends, but he doesn't even see her then.
What if she hates me? His mind formulates many reasons and scenarios during the course of her absence, ranging from simple explanations like she's probably on vacation to absurd theories like what if she has a boyfriend and went and eloped with him?
The chances of the last part of the sentence are very unlikely, but to James's panicked mind, it is perfectly sound reasoning.
(He doesn't confide in anyone, only Sirius, since he's the only one who can even remotely understand. Sirius calls him insane and tells him to get his mind under control.)
His shifts, usually sluggish, become unbearably worse and at the same time, incredibly fast, since he's always wrapped up in thoughts about Lily. He doesn't notice the time zipping past as his mind contemplates all of the possibilities from sensible to mad.
(He shouldn't be so obsessed with this girl. They barely know each other; they've only interacted twice.)
(But the truth is, he's been infatuated since the day he met her. Aside from being stunned by her effortless beauty, he also thinks she's terribly witty and funny. And she's also selfless and kind, waking up early and getting her mate some sustenance when she doesn't deserve it.)
(Suffice to say, he can't stop thinking about her.)
Finally, his mother intervenes, concerned about his state of misery. She forces him to close the coffee shop early and sits him down at a table.
"James, sweetie, what's wrong? You look like you haven't slept in days," she says, worry coloring her voice.
Yeah, that's what's wrong, he thinks inwardly, but he didn't want to risk his mother's ire.
"I'm fine, Mum," he mumbles, just as someone knocks on the door.
It's Sirius.
He doesn't know what to think of that. On one hand, it's a relief having someone to support him. But on the other, it's kind of making him nervous, since Sirius is a loose cannon and there's no predictability for his actions.
Euphemia nudges her son. "Go get the door," she orders gently. James gets to his feet and shuffles to the door.
"You look like shit," are the first words out of his best mate's mouth.
Now here he can use sarcasm. "Gee, really? I hadn't noticed."
Sirius rolls his eyes. "Aww, is that time of the month, sweetie?" he quips, a smirk growing on his face.
"Sod off," James murmurs, but he feels a little bit better. A little.
Sirius pushes past him and greets Euphemia with a broad smile. "Hullo, Mummy Potter," he says cheerfully. "I got your text. What's up?"
"Wait," James says, raising an eyebrow. "You have her number?"
It's Euphemia who answers. "Of course he does," she scoffs. "He's my other son. Why wouldn't he?"
Sirius swells up with pride. "Aw, Mum—"
"Hey, mother-son bonding time later," James interjects, growing more frustrated by the second. Lily is more important.
"Simmer down, James," Euphemia scolds him. "Now, what's all this moping about? You know we have a strict 'no-negativity' policy in this coffee shop."
Sirius drags over a chair to the table and sits in it, propping his feet up on the table. "I think I know. It's about James's bird, Lily."
"Sirius!" James hisses.
"What?" Sirius shrugs nonchalantly. "Let's not beat around the bush. James is having lady problems."
James's fist twitches, but he knows better.
"A girl, huh?" Euphemia's eye gets a gleam that never bodes well for James. "Jamie, you never told me it was a girl."
"It is a girl." James shoots Sirius a glare. No use in stalling now. "You know, a girl with red hair and green eyes?"
Euphemia taps her chin thoughtfully, and then realization dawns on her face. "Oh yes, Lily. She came in the other day while you were at school."
James's chair screeches as he stands up abruptly. "What?!"
"She looked like a bus had run her over," Euphemia continues. "Turns out, her parents had been hospitalized the previous night due to a car accident, and she needed a little caffeine to get through the day."
"Oh—that's er—terrible," James says, a lump forming in his throat. "Is she okay?"
"I don't know," she replies, shrugging. "She hasn't been here since. But I certainly hope she is."
"Did she say what hospital?" James begins untying his apron, a determined look on his face.
"No, but I presume it's the one just a couple blocks away. You're not going to do anything reckless, are you?" Euphemia eyes him suspiciously.
"Of course not," he half-lies. Quite honestly, he doesn't really know.
James barrels into the waiting room, heading straight for the front desk. He needs to find her.
"Have you seen—"
"James?" a familiar voice says and James whirls around.
It's Lily, emerging from the double doors that lead to the patients' rooms. It's a refreshing sight to see her after so long, even though she looks awful. Her mascara is smudged and running in streaks down her face, her eyes are rimmed red, and she looks bedraggled.
But regardless of her looks, he still thinks she looks like an angel.
(Oh man, he's smitten.)
He rushes forward and embraces her tenderly, burying his nose in her hair while she buries hers in his shoulder.
"I'm so glad to see you," she says, her voice muffled but still audible. "Even though we hardly know each other—I'm just glad to see a familiar face."
His smile fades as he realizes the gravity of her situation. "How are you?" he asks.
"I'm—" Whatever she's about to say is cut off by a sniffle and James realizes she's crying.
"Shhh." He strokes her hair, trying to convey sympathy and comfort into that simple gesture.
"James, they're in a coma and—and I don't know if they're going to wake up and—what if they die? I would never be able to live with myself—"
"Lily." He doesn't want to let go of her, but he has to. They're causing a scene. "Let's go talk somewhere private, okay?"
"The lounge is just over there," one of the nurses comes through the double doors and interrupts, pointing to the right. "If you need some privacy, it's empty…"
"Thanks." James shoots her a grateful look and steers Lily, who is still teary-eyed, into the lounge.
"Lily," he says again, kneeling, taking her hands in his own, and looking into her eyes. He's momentarily astonished; her dark green eyes look kaleidoscopic when she's crying. "Lily, I need you to listen to me. Everything's going to be okay."
"No it won't!" she lashes out, pulling away from his hold. "You don't get it, okay? James, they could die—"
"I know," he replies calmly. "But do you think they'd want you to be like this? All weepy and upset?"
(At this point, he's grabbing at straws. He has no idea what her parents are like; for all he knows, they could be serial killers. All he wants is for Lily to feel better.)
"How do you know what my parents would think?" she snaps defensively. "You don't know them."
"Well, they must be wonderful in order to have raised such a beautiful young woman," he responds, flashing a small grin at her. She laughs hoarsely.
"James, are you really flirting with me?"
"I'm being honest," he insists.
"If you say so." The beginnings of a smile start to form on her face and James internally cheers. He's awfully tempted to kiss her right then and there, but it's not the right time.
But someday, he'll tell her how he feels.
WC: 1965
Dragon Breeding Club - 1965 words
Chocolate Truffle Craze - Bittersweet Truffle - write a fic with a bittersweet ending.
Prompt of the Day - (trait) confident
Sophie's Tearoom - Candy Corn Macarons: (action) Arguing
Writing Club
Disney - S1 - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Write about someone getting tongue-tied
Cookie's Crafty Corner - Cast On - Write about characters meeting for the first time.
Book Club - Aunt Lydia: (colour) dark green, (word) scoff, (trait) harsh
Showtime - 10. Spooky Mormon Hell Dream - (action) Lying
Amber's Attic - T4 - Inspirational Quote: Write about someone receiving advice.
CYB: D5. "You don't get it, okay?"; W1. Accident
Lyric Alley - 15. Look out 'cause here I come
Lo's Lowdown - Derek Morgan: trait: flirty
Bex's Bazaar - [Character] Timothy Q. Mouse - Write about a supportive friend.