Disclaimer: I own nada. And I have work in the morning so stop hitting me with your big disclaimer bat!
A/N: I'm a terrible, terrible person who has no right to update and expect anyone to read it. If you don't, I understand and I apologize. Then again, if you don't, you won't be reading this so typing this is pointless. My brain hurts. Sorry I've been really busy lately…and when I haven't been busy I've been resting from the evil that is my workplace and not writing. I can't guarantee that I'll be updating often but I do hope to finish this…eventually. Shameful procrastinator that I am.
Onto reviewer replies! If I have already replied to you forgive my forgetfulness for I am replying to you again! It means so much to me that you guys enjoy what I write!
Jackie Mastro: The coffee date has finally arrived. I hope you like! It's pretty long in comparison too! And no cliffies! YaaaaaaaAAAAAaaaay!
NiaRitter: Thanks. My grandma went out peacefully and she left me tons of booze so I know she's probably shaking her head and laughing somewhere. I'm glad you like Melanie she holds a place very dear to my heart…like all the characters I make up…well most of the characters.
mary-alice-malice: I'm so glad you loved it. I liked it too. I kind of have to. Melanie's crazy, gotta love her. I hope. This chapter is longer…I think. I can't even tell anymore.
Onto the plot!
About 15 or so minutes later, Melanie stood outside of the Starbucks, just as planned. She half hoped that William wouldn't show…only half hoped. A few minutes later, she saw a tall figure walking leisurely toward her.
"You're early." He stated when he got to her.
"So are you." She countered. "I feel old."
"What?" He asked, giving her a quizzical look.
"Sorry. Random. There's just something about getting to places early that makes me feel like an old person who has nothing better to do."
"Um…I'm not quite sure how to counter that statement. Are we still playing that game?" He asked guardedly.
"No I'm just having one of those days where my brain isn't filtering the things I SHOULD say from the things I DO say. I'm not always like this…it happens more often than I'd LIKE, but not every day."
He looked at her for a minute as if trying to size her up and make sure he wasn't having coffee with some future crazy bag-lady. She just looked up at him innocently and expectantly.
"You're a very interesting person. I'm not sure if this is good or bad yet but I shall soon find out. Anyway, shall we?" Said William, starting to push the door open for her.
"I thank you good sir!" Responded Melanie in a posh English accent.
"Tut, tut." He countered trying his best at an English accent as well.
"Well, we're not stereotypical at all are we?" Melanie said sarcastically, smiling. She stepped inside Starbucks and dropped the accent.
"Don't look at me you started it!" William said like a little kid and stuck out his tongue at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Come little Billy it's time for mother to feed you coffee so that you have a crazy caffeine overdose." She said as she walked up to the counter.
"Sometimes you take things a little too far." He stated, following her with his hands in his pockets.
She had already ordered. "I'm an actor, it's improv! Leave me alone! What do you want fool? Order!"
"Oh, ok." William ordered and then she paid and they walked over to wait for their drinks. Soon their drinks were called and they went to find a seat.
"So…um…I really didn't think you'd call me. I figured you'd think I was too much of a dunce to have coffee with."
"Really? You give me too much credit on the quality of people I have coffee with. I will not renege on a deal where free caffeine is concerned."
"Oh so I really am a dunce and you're just in it for the free coffee? Fine! I see how it is! Not that I blame you entirely. But I swear I'm not that stupid…just forgetful. Though why I should be concerned with whether you think I'm intelligent or not is beyond me." Melanie said, knowing right away that that sounded completely bitchy and not how she intended it.
"Ouch. Jesus thanks for letting me know that my opinion is so beneath you." He said, scowling.
"No no no! I mean…I'm sorry that came out completely wrong. I think your opinion might mean a great deal, it might also mean nothing simply because I don't really know you and that being the case, I don't know you're character yet! You could be a crazy-ass rapist! And the opinions of crazy-ass rapists don't count for a hill of beans."
"Now I'm a rapist?! What the hell?!"
"Argh! I…*whimper*..I…I'm sorry…I…it was just an example?" Melanie said blushing, pouting, and hanging her head all at one time.
"That was too easy." He said smirking.
"What the fuck dude?! For serious?! How long did you know I didn't mean that in a bad way?!" She glared at him.
"Well yeah at first I really was kind of offended but when you started to explain I got it. You're not the only one who doesn't say the right thing sometimes. I understand."
She gave him a slightly less angry glare and an eye twitch and he just beamed back. Like a kid expecting to be praised by how clever he was for pulling a fast one. She twitched her eye more dramatically this time.
"You look strange when you intentionally twitch your eye." He stated.
She stared him down for a few moments, semi-confused. She opened her mouth a few times and shook her finger as if to make a point before the words finally came.
"You get me far too much. How is this possible?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's a performer thing. Didn't you say a little while ago that you're an actor?" He asked, remembering what she said before and intrigued.
"Hm…I guess that makes sense…in another world…a special artsy world; maybe. Anyway, I minored in theatre in college. Mainly acting since I didn't get into the music department. They were kinda hoity toity and I hadn't had enough training at the time of the audition."
Their drinks were called and after grabbing them, they walked to a table to sit and imbibe their caffeinated treats.
"So, wait, you're musically inclined as well?" He asked, even more intrigued.
She smiled, blushing. "I can sing a bit, mainly because I've gotten more training now. Not that I'll ever need it, but still it made me feel as if I accomplished something."
"What do you mean accomplished something?! You have a degree don't you?!"
"Yeah but college was torture. I'm glad I made it through! The main thing I'm thankful for that I got from college was all of the good friends that I made…to leave behind and move at least a thousand miles away from. Now that I think about it not the smartest move, but it's done. So…yeah."
He just stared at her, trying to read her again. "You have an interesting story I think."
"Dude, I'm not that interesting…I'm just like any other person." She said smirking and raising an eyebrow.
She thought about if for a moment. "I mean look at you! You did something not many people can do! You have a band that actually seems to be doing rather well for itself! I'd kill for that! I don't want a desk job, I don't want to live a normal boring life with no adventure or travel or interesting stories to tell when I get old and wrinkly. You can do that! You can have amazing stories from travel and stage shenanigans!...Sorry, my spotlight envy is showing."
He furrowed his brow slightly. "But I never went to college. I never took a class simply to learn random historical facts or study ancient literature or psychology or anything like that. I've lived in this state my entire life. The most education I've had is high school! That doesn't make me feel like the smartest person in the world. To actually complete college and just decide out of nowhere to move completely out of state to try something new, like you seem to have done, is something I never could have! I mean don't get me wrong I LOVE what I do, but either way you look at it, we both have our own unique stories. Lives that can never exactly be anyone else's…that kind of thing is interesting to me. We can all live similar lives, and even very different lives, but no matter what, your story will always be uniquely your own."
"Ok that whole tangent made me feel like I'm not taking advantage of every day I live. You ever think of becoming a motivational speaker?" She asked. He gave her a frustrated look. "Just kidding! Geeze. I was just trying to get us out of this existentialist mood. It gets me down man!" She said the last bit as if a hippie.
"Sorry, I get like that sometimes." He replied.
"Hey, no problem! We all have our quirks! You know some of mine by now, namely being random and silly at inopportune moments; and I know some of yours, like thinking about all of the different humongous concepts that makes the universe the way it is. That's ok. I sympathize."
"Well I'm glad we're on the same page. You have no idea how many of my friends just try to change the subject when I get in those moods. Not that I blame them, but it's nice to have someone who can just listen."
"I like being the person someone can go to. I very rarely am that person since I'm the one who normally starts ranting about something or other. Maybe we can be each others' ranting partners. By the way, I never got to tell you but you guys did great at the concert! You can really sing! I wasn't prepared for that." Melanie responded truthfully.
"Thanks that means a lot. But, do I really seem that much like I wouldn't be a singer?" He responded, curious.
"I mean if I saw you walking down the street I wouldn't just all of a sudden think in my head 'That man's a singer!' but it's not completely unbelievable, no."
He smirked, again feeling impish. "Oh really, what would you have me pegged as?"
She studied him for a minute; squinting her eyes and stroking her chin humorously. "Failed actor turned coffee barista?"
"What?!"
"I'm just kidding, god! I honestly don't know."
"Well, I think that you should make it your mission to figure out what you'd peg me as if I were a random person on the street."
"Alright captain." She said saluting. "Anything else you'd like? A tribble perhaps? Should I attack the klingons? Would you like phasers on kill, stun, or techno dance party?"
"…Really? Did you really just go Star Trek on me?"
"I really did. Get used to random references from me. Now what do you choose?"
"You seriously want an answer? Ok, I would like a spayed tribble and yes send the klingons into a techno dance party. That would be amazingly entertaining. Also, might I have more coffee?" He said shaking his empty cup at her tauntingly.
She grabbed his cup. "Live long and prosper!" She said, flashing the weird Trekkie hand signal at him before throwing away his cup and marching up to get him a second coffee. After all, one coffee is not equivalent to two beers…sadly.
He stared at her as she went and thought to himself "I believe this is the start of yet another strange, but beautiful friendship."
Tribbles: furry little beings that do nothing but eat, purr, and procreate (hence why a spayed tribble would be most benefiting to all)