Alexis groaned as her alarm went off, sending shrill ringing into her ears. She turned over and looked at the clock. 4:00 am. Another same old day with the same old job and same old people. She rested there for a moment, reveling in her last few moments of rest. Finally she pulled herself out of bed and trudged towards the bathroom. She turned on the water for the shower as she slipped out of her clothes. After testing the water first, she stepped into the tub. She slowly began to relax as the warm water pounded down on her soar body. She'd gone to the gym last night with her friend Melina. She swore that girl had a battery in her head besides a brain.
She washed along her body, the smell of lilac soap filling her senses. And then she reached her leg… She winced as she opened her eyes to gaze down at her scarred skin. Flashes of fire filled her vision and she quickly shut off the water, wrapping a towel around herself. After four years, you'd think she'd be used to the ugly scars winding up her left leg. Apparently not.
She pushed the memories away before they even had a chance to come. She quickly dried off, realizing how long she must've taken in the shower. She wrapped her hair up in a towel and began to brush her teeth, the mint tasting paste seeming to wake her up in itself. She rinsed out her mouth and reached over for her makeup. She lined her already piercing eyes with black eyeliner and she powered her eyelids with green shadow. She slipped into her closet and fumbled around, trying to find her work uniform. She sighed as she saw them, lying exactly where they were supposed to be. She slipped into formfitting jeans and then she pulled on her black shirt with the Starbucks logo. She put on her boots and grabbed her green apron. She took a quick look in the mirror and, satisfied, made her way into the kitchen.
"Hey Alex." Alexis looked up as she heard her mother's cheerful voice.
"Hi mom." She replied. She glanced at her watch and laughed. "You're up early. Going somewhere?" She asked, making her way towards the counter to unplug her cell phone.
"No. I just couldn't sleep." She yawned. Alexis glanced over at her mother, envious of how relaxing her life seemed to be, being able to lounge around all day in her pajamas.
"Hm…maybe tonight will be better." She wondered aloud, shrugging. Her mom had been having trouble sleeping lately, and she couldn't think of a single reason why. She tossed her cell into her purse after grabbing her keys. "I have to go to work. We still on for the movie tonight?" She asked, slinging her purse over her shoulder. Her mother had promised to take them out for a break and see a movie. The offer seemed to be the only chance Alexis would ever get a break these days. Between work and school, she hardly had a life anymore.
"Of course!" Her mother hollered as Alexis made her way towards the door. "See you tonight."
"Bye mom." She yelled back just as she shut the door behind her. She skipped down the stairs and made her way towards her lime green Beetle. "Hey Mantis." She said, patting the hood of the car as she unlocked the door. Her friend had named it the Praying Mantis due to its color and the way Alex seemed to tail everyone. Since then, the car was known as Mantis. She slid into her seat and turned on the ignition. She peeled out of the driveway after she buckled her seat. She turned on her headlights in order to see through the early morning darkness. She turned on the radio and made her way towards La Brea High. The Starbucks she worked at was just down the street from her school. She gazed out the window and smiled as she watched the tall buildings pass by. It really was a nice city here in California. But as beautiful as it was here, all she wanted was to get away and go back home. She's only moved here last week. Her father lived in Ontario, Canada. Apparently he'd had enough of her, and sent her away to be with her mom. Needing money, she applied for her job the same day she arrived here. Melina, a girl she worked with, was her only friend so far. No one had even noticed her at school. Except for the bullies of course. Apparently newcomers were an invitation for fun. Stanton, although not a bully, had taken a huge liking towards her. Not a good one, though. Everyone at school seemed to love him. Her feelings were the exact opposite. He was a stupid, arrogant jerk as far as she was concerned.
She sighed as she spotted the small building and she pulled into her usual parking space. Shutting off her car, she grabbed her purse and apron, locked the door, and made her way towards Starbuck's back door. She pulled on her green apron and tied the strings around her slim waist. She grabbed a pony tail holder from her purse and reached up to her hair. She pulled her long, flaming red curls into a tight ponytail, her hair now barely touching her shoulders. She unlocked the door and went straight to the lights. She didn't flip on the open sign just yet. She moved into the main room and began pulling chairs off tables. The shades on the windows were still down, but it would've been just as dark without them. She moved behind the counter and began to stock the food. She practically drooled at the smell of their perfectly baked apple fritters. She glanced at the clock and sighed. Was it really only 4:45? She shrugged. She had about an hour left before anyone else got here. Well, that gave her time to study. She moved over towards one of the shop's computers and turned it on. She tapped her fingers on the black counter top as the computer loaded. After signing on as a guest, she opened up a window for the internet. The page loaded instantly. She seriously needed a better computer at home. She went to La Brea High's school website and logged onto her student account. New mail? That was never good. Her eyes quickly skimmed over the e-mail, her face losing its joy every passing moment.
"Are you kidding me?" She whispered harshly, glaring at the screen. It was a letter from Madame Louisa, stating that their art project would be due this Friday, not the next. She groaned loudly. She had a week to start a painting she didn't even have supplies for. She laughed quietly. How was she ever going to be an artist if she could hardly even afford paint? She signed out and continued turning on the rest of the computers. She made her way towards one of the couches. I have another hour…she thought to herself as she lied down on the comfy piece of furniture.
Liam smiled widely as he saw the taxi grow closer to the small shopping center near La Brea High. He was going to be going to that school now, that is if he decided he wanted to stay here. He'd run away a full three weeks ago, and he still couldn't find a place he wanted to settle down at. So far, this was by far the most exciting city he'd visited so far. As the taxi pulled to a stop, he pulled out his wallet. "Thank you." He said. "How much do I owe you?" He asked, already having gotten out thirty dollars.
"$24.50." The taxi driver grunted, holding out his hand.
Liam gave him the thirty bucks and grabbed his backpack, moving it into a comfortable position on his back. "Keep the change. Have a nice day."
The driver snarled a reply just as Liam shut the door. One look and he was already in love with the city. He was told that this was the city of lights, but in this small shopping center, everything was almost completely dark. He noticed a small amount of light off in the distance and he made his way towards it, smiling at the Starbucks sign. He could use a drink. As he reached the front door, he frowned in disappointment. Closed? He'd traveled all the way here, and now what? He didn't even know where to go. He peeked in through one of the slits through the shades and saw something on the couch. Oh good, maybe someone would let him in. Even if they didn't serve him anything, he could just sit for a bit. He rasped on the door and waited patiently.
Alexis woke with a start. Had she overslept? She groggily looked towards the clock. It was only 5:20. Who was here at this time? She climbed off the couch and moved over to the front door, pulling up the shades, and peering out. She saw the shadow of a man, maybe a bit older than herself. "What do you want?" She asked, her voice would be able to be heard through the thin glass.
"I just arrived here in the city…" The man spoke, his voice muffled. "Everywhere else is closed. Can I just come in and rest?" He asked.
She tensed. She'd be in a lot of trouble…but he was new here, if he was telling the truth. If anything, he was just making an excuse for coffee. If that was it, she wouldn't mind. More money on her paycheck, as far as she was concerned. She fumbled around with her keys and, finally, unlocked the door and held it open. Her breath caught in her throat as the light from the room lit up the man. He was big. Not fat big, but tall big. He looked about ready to fall asleep, and even then, he was gorgeous. She let her eyes quickly look him over, knowing the shadows would hide her eyes. He was at least six feet, with broad shoulders and a flat stomach and slim hips. He wore jeans and a green shirt, holding tightly to his chest. He had a tattoo of a heart on his left forearm. He had muscular legs. Great quads. And he was tan…everywhere. His black hair gave him a rugged look, some hair covering his eyes. It was his eyes that got her. They were the most unique eyes she'd ever seen. They were such a pale blue, she could've sworn that they were silver.
He raised his brows at her. "Um…are you going to let me in?" He asked her, waiting impatiently.
She let her eyes go back to his and she blushed, immediately thankful for the light. "Yeah. Sorry." She said, moving aside to let him in. She watched as he moved past her and made his way into the room. She shook her head. Think straight! She reminded herself as she shut the door behind him. "Can I get you anything? We're not open yet, but I'm actually thirsty myself." She said, moving towards the counter.
He nodded. "Yeah, I'd love a drink. Can I have-" He cut off as he turned, seeing her for the first time in the light. She was beautiful. Her natural red hair was up in a pony tail, stray strands falling around her face. Her eyes were a luminescent emerald green, seeming to pierce straight through him. Her apron was tied tight around her, showing off her form. She was skinny, but seemed to be in shape too. Muscles lined her body. She definitely wasn't fragile like the girls at home. He gulped and shook his head. "Uh…can I have a mocha? Grande?" He asked, his voice quivering.
"Sure." She said, moving towards the many machines. She grabbed two cups and started to get out the things needed to make the drinks. "Two mochas, coming up." She added.
He moved towards the register and started digging through his wallet. "How much?" He asked.
She shrugged. "It's on the house." She said. She'd like to think it was because she found him attractive, and was willing to give up money for his attention, but that wasn't it. "Anyone who is up at this hour deserves a free drink." She said. After a few moments she moved around the counter and handed him one of the cups after slipping on one of the holders so he wouldn't burn his hand.
"Thanks." He said, taking it from her. He took a sip and shut his eyes, happy. "That's really good. You've been making these a while?" He asked, moving towards the chairs.
She followed him and sat down in the chair across from him. She pulled her feet up onto the chair and rested her chin on her knees, letting her drink cool for the moment. It had been forever since she'd spoken to anyone besides Mel and her mom. It felt weird, especially to a guy like him. She laughed softly. "Hardly. I just started working here 6 days ago." She said. "I've never even had a Starbucks until my first day here." She added.
"Never?" He asked. Living in a place like this, infested with Starbucks, he found that impossible. "There's hundreds of these places here." He said, sounding amazed.
She laughed. "That's true. But I just moved here 6 days go. I am staying with my mom for this school year." She said. Why was she talking so openly? As odd as it was, she was proud of herself. She had a hard time talking to strangers. "How long have you been here?" She asked.
"About…" He glanced down at his watch, "fifteen minutes." He said, grinning. "I'm kinda…on my own right now. Seemed like a nice place to visit." He said, motioning out towards the city.
She nodded in agreement. "A lot different from where I'm from." She said. She watched as he nodded too, happy to have someone else that was new. She thought she'd be alone. "How long are you staying?" She asked.
"Not sure. Probably a while though." He said. He'd decided that when she'd first opened the door. Anyplace that opened doors to strangers was a home to him, he thought with a sneer. He held out his hand. "I'm Liam." He said.
She smiled and reached out her own and took his hand in hers. "Alexis. I go by Alex." She said. His fingers felt soft but strong in his grip. She let her hand linger a moment too long and she quickly pulled away. She stood up reluctantly. "I need to start getting ready. We open up in about 15 minutes." She said. No one besides business men and women were ever here this early, and work was always slow. "You can stay if you want." She said, motioning towards the newspapers and then the computers.
"Sounds fun. Since I'm new, I might as well stay and people watch." He said, getting up and moving towards the couch she'd been laying on earlier.
She smiled and moved to clean up the mess she'd made making his drinks. She grumbled. Where was Melina? She should've been here by now. Just then, she heard the back door open.
"Alex?" She heard Melina calling to her from the back.
"I'm out here, Mel." She called back. She heard footsteps as Melina ran into the main room.
"I am so sorry. My brother is sick and he threw up all over the living room. Since my mom is sick too, I had to clean it up." She noticed Liam and her eyes widened. "Oh my god, have we opened already?" She began to move around frantically. "Lucas is going to kill me!" She said, fear filling her face. Lucas was their boss, and his appearance was enough to scare off anyone.
Alexis smiled as she watched Mel grow more and more panicked. "Relax Mel. We still have 8 minutes left before we open." She said, giggling softly at how easily her new friend seemed to get frustrated.
"Then what's he doing here?" She asked.
"Um…not deaf over here…" Liam's voice broke through their conversation.
Alexis pointed over at Liam. "Liam, this is Melina. Melina, this is Liam. I left the door open and he came in thinking we were open." She lied. "I figured I'd let him stay anyways." She added. If Lucas found out she'd let in a stranger, she'd be in so much trouble. It could've been a robber or something else. Not a chance she was particularly fond of having made.
Liam smirked as Melina pranced around nervously. After Alex's introduction, he waved over. "Hi." He said, his eyes glancing over her. Instead of resting on her, as he usually would to a friend, his eyes returned to Alex. She had to be the most beautiful and sweetest girl in the world. I mean, come on, she'd let in a stranger and given them a free drink!
"Hey." Melina replied, still looking uncertain of him.
"Liam, we have to get to work now." She said kindly, moving back to the front door. It was lighter outside now, and she squinted as she opened up the rest of the shades. Liam watched as she gracefully pulled on the cords, the shades lifting up and showing the sun's bright light. She unlocked the door and made her way to the counter. She flipped on the machines as Melina began to turn on the registers, logging onto her employee account.
"Will anyone even come this early?" He asked. Just then, the bell wired to the front door went off, signifying their first customer. A man in his thirties came in, looking all proper in his black suit and briefcase. He made his way towards the counter and ordered a coffee. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. And so the day begins…
Please R&R!