it just occured to me i forgot to put up the disclaimer...I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!!!!!!! not even a season one dvd sobs

September 1999

Juliet sighed contently upon realization that Missy's Diner was still in existence. There had been talks that the owners Jonathan and Martha Wilbur could no longer pay the rent that the campus offered, but thankfully it was still there. The elderly couple was so friendly plus, honestly, they had the best coffee ever and after coming from Mister Grumpy-pants-pile-you-up-with-homework-in-your-first-week and just the whole stress of second year, she needed it. Now if only the stupid line would move. What was causing the hold up? Juliet thought to herself.

Five minutes later, when two people in front of her decided to leave, she realized the problem. It was a new employee. He was flirting with the girl now in front of her. You'd think he would have had the word work ethic in his vocabulary. She rolled her eyes as he said whatever it was that made the brunette giggle. She needed that coffee and no one would like to see a coffee deprived Juliet O'Hara.

"Excuse me but there are people here who actually want to buy something."

The lady turned around and looked at Juliet as if to say "who are you?" but Juliet made her way in front of the brunette. "I'd like to place my order now."

The man at the counter seemed to be fighting a smile at the whole scenario as if it were funny but stopped when he earned a glare from Juliet.

"I'll talk to you later then, right?" the brunette asked while about exiting the door.

"Sure." Now looking at Juliet he said, "You know it's very rude to interrupt a person's conversation," a mock smile on his face.

"And it is very rude to keep a customer waiting."

"Fair enough. So what's your order?" he said with a smug grin on his face.

Okay, so she really needed to stop staring at him. Well she was not staring at him, she was doing her work. Sure that's right. A voice said rather sarcastically in her head. Fine, she was staring at him, but it was only because she couldn't understand that stupid grin on his face or figure out what that mischievous look held. Wait, why is he coming over here? Juliet took another swig of her coffee and opened her textbook.

She looked up as he took the seat in front of her. He was still wearing that ridiculous grin as if to say 'I know something you don't know'.

"What?"

"I was just going to say it's very distracting to have someone looking at you when you're supposed to be doing your job."

She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but was met with the same smug grin he had earlier. Really now, it was getting to be annoying…even if it was just the slightest, mildly cute.

"I wasn't staring at you."

"I didn't say that."

Okay so she really didn't like him, him and his stupid spiky hair. "Shouldn't you be at the counter taking orders?"

"Nope."

Why is he so cheery? It wasn't that she had anything against cheery people, in fact she is one…but today went horribly and now she had to start and finish a stupid paper that she had no idea even existed, of course only Mr. Grumpy-Pants would make something like that happened. He enjoyed writing zeroes.

Crap. Speak of the devil. Since when do professors come here? Diner Guy must've noticed her tense up because he looked in that direction also. Then she put the book on front of her face, in hopes that he wouldn't see her. Unfortunately it didn't work.

"O'Hara, aah just the person I wanted to see." There was an evil smirk on his face.

Here it comes. Stupid Diner guy. I would've probably gotten my work done if he never held up the line.

"I've been going around campus and would you believe the students claim that they never got the homework. I specifically told Charlie Humphrey to tell the rest of the class about it."

"Well, with all due respect sir, Charlie isn't a very reliable person."

"Still, they should have taken the initiative to do their work. They know how I work. I trust that you did your work Ms. O'Hara?"

Then he looked at the text book and the empty folder leaf.

"Are you just starting your work? I'm hope you know I'm not collecting it."

"Sir, it's not her fault." Juliet looked at him surprised but quickly wiped it off. If Grumpy-pants saw he'd know something was up. "She had the work with her, but then me and my clumsy self knocked the coffee over and it spilled all over the papers." He told it so well that you wouldn't believe it was a lie but the professor still looked skeptical. "I actually threw the paper away in the garbage back there. We could probably dig it up and show you."

At the latter Mr. Grumpy-pants, whose right name was Smith, crinkled his face and declined the offer. He gave Juliet ample time to 'redo' her paper and left.

"Well, I would say you owe me lunch," he said while leaning back on the chair.

Okay, so she should've probably smacked him at that point, since he was supposedly in her bad book already, but instead she laughed.

"Is that a no or yes?"

She ignored him and got up, then paused and turned around. "Diner guy--"

"Shawn."

"Shawn. Thank you for ..well, you know."

"It was nothing. Coming up with excuses is one of my many gifts." And again he went with the grin. Juliet started to think it was contagious.

"Okay. Well I guess I'll be seeing you around."

"Yeah you will …okay I'm going to need a name to finish the sentence."

"Juliet."

Shawn paused for a moment before saying anything. "Of course you'll see me around, Jules."

She took a final look back, then turned, smiled and shook her head. She was pretty sure he'd hold her to that.