Coffee and Cigarettes

Monday

'I guess I should look for another job.'

Hitomi walked slowly down the street filled with puddles, heading downtown.

'I can stay with my parents until I get my life back together. They'll understand...at some point, of course, I'll have to go back to the apartment to get my things. I hope amino hasn't thrown them out. I can't really picture him doing that, but I never really pictured he and my best friend Yukari going out behind my back....so who knows...at least I have a cell phone for employers to call me at...'

She continued on her way, not looking forward to filling out all the applications for jobs at places she swore she'd never work at again after college.

'But it will take me time to get a higher paying job. I guess I understand why the school laid me off, what with the budget being so low, but surely I'm more qualified to teach English than Mrs. Trussel...just because she has seniority, doesn't mean she is a better teacher...stupid world.'

Hitomi entered Dairy Queen, grabbed an application and a pen, and began to fill it out at a nearby table until an employee came and told her she couldn't sit there without ordering something. Hitomi left and continued on to the movie rental store, to grab another application, throwing the Dairy Queen one in the trash as she left.

'If nothing else I can get hired at Hy-Vee, I'm sure. At least until I can get a teaching position again.'

"I hate Mondays."

"I can't believe this Van!"

"I'm sorry Celena, but you can't tell me you haven't been hanging around with Dilandau. I've seen you! So to put us both out of our misery, I'm ending this."

"So what, I'm not allowed to have other male friends? Is that it? Are you that jealous?"

"When I catch you making out, I think I have a right to be!"

Celena paled and shut her mouth. "Fine," she said icily. "I'll leave."

"Do you need help carrying anything to your car?"

Celena turned back to Van, stalked up to him and slapped him stingingly across the face. Van's smug smile vanished instantly from his lips.

"What the hell was that for?" Van's eyes flashed angrily.

Celena stood proudly before him. "Maybe Van, just maybe, if you weren't such an arrogant bastard I might not have turned to Dilandau for a friend!" She dashed angry tears from her eyes. "What happened to you anyway?"

Van narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What do you mean 'what happened to me?' I'm better than I've ever been."

Celena smiled almost sadly at him. "No, Van, no you're not, and I guess I can't help you, but maybe you'll eventually meet someone who'll show you what you have become and you will want to change for them." Celena turned and left the apartment, calling over her shoulder, "I'll pick up my things later." The door slammed shut and the silence after it was even more pronounced from the doors loudness.

Van ran his hand through his thick, unruly hair.

'Show me what I've become....?'

He looked around the room at his expensive apartment with all it's furnishings and gadgets. He caught site of himself in the mirror; dark eyes and hair with a handsome face.

'What is wrong with the way I am? I worked hard for this. What does SHE know anyway?'

'I think I'll go for a walk. Clear my head.'

"And what can I get for you, Miss?"

Hitomi had given up on picking up applications at about 11:00 due to the rumbling of her stomach. She blamed the places she picked up applications from for her discomfort. 'I would be hungry going around to all these restaurants...'

"Miss?"

"Oh, sorry. I'll take a coffee and the never-ending stack of pancakes please." She smiled quickly at the woman taking her order who just rolled her eyes and asked, "Anything else for you today?"

Hitomi's smile vanished. "No thanks."

The waitress left in a rustle of black skirt and the echoing pop chewing gum stuck in her cheek.

Hitomi contented herself to people watching while she waited for her food. At a window seat was a couple enjoying a quiet brunch, conversing over eggs and hash browns. To her left was a group of teenagers discussing who owed what for the bill. In an obscure corner of the restaurant was a man sitting by himself with his head down. His longish black hair obscuring his face. It was this person that Hitomi looked at most often. She wanted to see his face. She thought he must be quite young, her age at least, judging from his physique; but his face was a mystery.

Just as she thought he would look up, the waitress brought her food and she dug in, forgetting about the odd man in the corner. Pancakes that never ended demanded her full attention.

'I guess my walk has turned into a rather early lunch. Brunch rather.'

He ordered coffee and a Belgian waffle; the usual. As he was waiting with his head down, still tired from waking up so early with the sun, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prick. As though he were being watched. He lifted his head up but saw only a group of annoying teenage brats, a young woman receiving far too many pancakes for her own good, and a couple sitting happily together. He turned his gaze from the couple bitterly. 'I hate Mondays.'

When his food arrived he dug in gratefully. Belgian waffles demanded his FULL attention. No time to worry about couples or lack thereof.

When he started to feel his hair prick on his neck again he glanced up quickly and was started to see large green eyes staring back at him from the pancake girl. She was really quite pretty. Honey colored hair falling gently to her shoulders, those intelligent and lively, emerald eyes..rosy lips....a curving figure...

He shook his head when she blushed and he realized that he had been staring.

She blushed when he stared at her and then she realized that she had been doing the exact same thing....
'Why was she staring at me?'

Oh, come now, Van, what girl wouldn't stare at you, right?

'I guess... she WAS really pretty. Maybe I should ask her out....but so soon after Celena...ah, screw it, I'll ask her!'

Van looked up and towards the girl....or rather, where the girl had been. There now resided a rather overlarge man that barely fit in the booth and was giving off a rank odor.

'Great. Where did she go?'

Van looked around frantically and then saw her out the window, walking across the street...and then out of sight...

'Out of sight forever. Damnit!'

Van didn't even bother getting up. He still had to pay, and he knew she would be well gone by the time he got outside.

Hitomi kept walking, trying to cool her cheeks.

'What is wrong with me? He was just a very nice looking young man who stared at me. Okay...he was gorgeous...but what makes me think he'd like me? Amano picked another girl over me....why shouldn't this dark stranger?'

(sigh)

"I'd better pick up more applications."

Author's Notes: Well, here is the first half of Monday. There will be two chapters for every day of one week. Morning to afternoon and afternoon to evening for each day. Enjoy and please review!