Everyday Invisible
Emily first noticed her around the base.
It was hard not to. Lena Oxton zoomed everywhere, flitting through time, her giggle struggling to keep up with her.
Moments where she saw Lena were infrequent, and when she did, the woman's speed allowed no time to look.
Emily sighed behind the counter. The coffee machine beeped, signaling her to return to work.
As if Lena Oxton would come to the café for coffee.
X
Emily forced her blush down as she served Lena coffee. Goddamn was that woman a ten out of ten.
"Cheers, luv. Be a dear and put some espresso in, yeah?"
"I wouldn't think someone with that much energy would want caffeine."
"Ha! No such thing as going too fast in my book. I'm tryin' to see if caffeine works through time."
"You keep me updated then."
"Bet on it."
Lena walked off…or rather blinked away.
Emily treasured the memory of Lena smiling.
X
"Did it work?"
"Hm?"
"The caffeine. Did you feel faster?"
"Ha, only when I had to run to the bathroom. Still, it was certainly a good drink. My compliments to the barista."
"Haha! Should I bow?"
Lena cocked a smile. "I wouldn't complain."
She took her drink and left.
X
Lena smiled at her and said her thanks, taking the drink.
"Zoom on back sometime."
Lena winked and departed.
A sigh before serving the next in line.
X
Lena dropped her tip into the jar. Her smile saying any words for her.
"If time traveling gets tiring, you come back now."
Lena nodded.
Emily smiled, the happiness eroding before it reached her eyes. She watched Lena leave.
Had she done something wrong?
X
Emily locked the cash register. With a flick of the light switch, the coffee shop was closed.
She walked out, the base nearly empty. Her eyes caught Lena sitting against a wall, head down.
"Hey stranger."
"Hey, Emily."
"You alright?"
"No, not really. Just stressed."
"Wanna tell me about it?"
"…"
"That's fine. Let…let me know if you need anything?"
"…Okay."
X
She didn't meet her eyes. Her gestures were automatic.
Emily fought for eye contact, but Lena evaded. With a clink in the tip jar, she was gone.
A hand on the counter was the support that kept Emily from collapsing.
Days, weeks, more.
She didn't matter. Not to Lena, clearly.
X
Emily coughed, sitting at one of the back tables on a break.
The stress had gotten to her. Her body needed a break.
She watched Lena ghost up to the counter and order her drink. There was some sort of confusion and Lena looked up surprised.
Her head swiveled across the café until it locked eyes with Emily's. An unfamiliar emotion lingered in them.
Lena left.
X
Emily delivered a hacking cough as she powered down the coffee machine. And another.
And another.
Her own rasping breathing accompanied her as she left the café.
"How are you feeling?"
She stood, looking like she had been waiting for her.
"Terrible."
"Let's go get you something for that cough."
"…Okay."
X
She hadn't said anything for a week. Emily didn't remember that night, but it seemed Lena did.
Sickness gone, Emily felt cheer in her voice as she greeted customers.
"Do you want to get coffee sometime?"
It was her.
Emily looked at Lena, making eye contact for the first time in a while.
"Yes. I'd like that."
Lena smiled.
Author Notes: I wrote an entire paper last semester about the idea of being 'Everyday Invisible'. Of how the people we see and who see us everyday come to take it for granted or even stop acknowledging them/us. After all, we'll just see them tomorrow, yeah?
It can do a lot to help someone out struggling with problems if you offer a smile, a wave, a hug. I think feeling ignored can be something we feel that can really hurt, even if its unintentional.
Just a little food for thought. It can make someone's life special if you always remind them they aren't invisible.