Chapter 13: Coffee Shop

They ignored the stares they received from various people as they entered the small coffee shop on the corner, each ordering a small black take out cup. They were getting strange looks, the two of them, because they didn't look like the other college students at the poetry reading that was taking place that night. Their hair wasn't dyed black and neither were their clothes. They wore no leather or make up, and they didn't have scraps of paper to look through or a cigarette to hang loosely from their mouths, or a beret the place sloppily on their greasy dyed heads. They looked flushed and elated as they walked out, leaving the depressed performers with scarred wrists and marijuana eyes with their pauses in strange places in the speech of their equally depressed and depressing poetry.

"So," Zephyr, said, leaning against the brick wall on the side of the coffee shop, watching cars and people walk busily by. Odd swallowed his coffee. It seemed very strong and bitter, but that's they way he liked it, "What've you been up to for the last five years?"

"Well, I managed to graduate from Kadic and went directly to Lyon University. That's where I'm going now but I just finished my freshman classes. Ulrich's been getting on my nerves about dating."

"Really?" Zephyr raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Earlier today he set me up on a blind date with a fifteen year old."

"How'd it go."

"She licked my face while trying to seduce me," He grumbled.

"Did it work?" Odd stared at her as she smiled impishly. He narrowed his eyes playfully, kicking her shin lightly with his foot."

"Of course not."

"It didn't turn you on the slightest bit?" Her teasing went on, and Odd was beginning to regret telling her.

"Shut up."

"I think there's only one way to find out." And she put her hand on his shoulder, licking the side of his face.

"Ewwww!" Odd shouted, scrubbing the slobber off his cheek with her sleeve.

"Hey, it wasn't exactly pleasant for me, either. Normal people aren't supposed to taste like coffee."

"How do you know what normal people taste like?" Odd asked, turning the tables on her.

"You just taste weird. Not bad, just weird." She shrugged. He leaned over and licked her face. It was almost like watching two little kids.

"That was gross. I did NOT slobber that much on you," She protested, rubbing the drool off of her face and onto the short sleeve of his t-shirt. It was Odd's turn to shrug.

"Well, it's not like I'm not glad I have this coffee to wash it down with," He held up his styrofoam cup and took a sip to prove his point, "You taste weird, too."

"Well, it's not like we ever were normal."

"Yeah. We were quite a pair back in school, weren't we?" Odd said nostalgically.

"We sure were…are. Look at us!" She laughed, "Here we are licking each other's faces over cups of black coffee!" He laughter faded and she cleared her throat, changing the subject abruptly.

"So, how're the others?" She asked, taking a drink out of her cup.

Odd shrugged. "Jeremie and Aelita graduated a year ahead of Yumi, with honors, of course. They're going to some high rated college in Canada. Yumi also graduated with honors and went back to Japan. It pretty much broke Ulrich's heart when she left, even though they're still in a long-distance relationship. He dropped out his senior year and started his journey to 'find himself.' Yumi wasn't too happy with that so he went back to school, graduated, and now is going to some community college in Germany. After he left Kadic he went to live with his parents in Berlin, and that's where he graduated and is now."

"Wow. Things sure have changed," She almost laughed, repositioning herself just a little closer to Odd.

"What happened to you in Belgium?" Odd asked, swinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, my family sucked. I have no idea why the stupid agency decided I would be compatible with some ale brewer." She took another drink. "Their biological kids were annoying. They taunted me constantly and got me in trouble for stuff they did. Their only girl was pretty nice, but the three boys were horrible. Well, Patrick was cool, but he was only two. My foster parents didn't let me date or have friends. They hit me once or twice but not that hard. Then when I was about sixteen my adopted sister got her period," She laughed, this time hollowly. It made Odd shiver, because that was how she laughed when she'd been beaten up almost daily.

"When I didn't know what to do she convinced her parents to take me to a fertility clinic. They did a biopsy or something along those lines and it was discovered that I'm 'sterile,' which basically means I'm barren. I can't have children. So now I'm trying to find a college that will accept me for my grades, not just give me a pity interview 'cause I'm a foster kid." She finished, anger edging her voice. Zephyr controlled herself enough not to throw her coffee cup down. Odd kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry," Was all he could find in all the world to say.

"It's fine," She assured, "I'm mainly mad about the college thing.

The reunited friends sat there, finishing their coffee and finding their eyes wandering from the stars to each other. Odd gathered up all his courage and kissed her on the cheek, grinning nervously in offering of a meek apology when she slowly faced him.

"You missed," She said through a smile.

"Huh?"

"Here," She said, once again putting a hand on his shoulder. She turned his face towards hers with the index and middle fingers of her other hand and kissed him, softly, on the lips. Both felt some strange feeling and let go of each other, embarrassed, looking anywhere but each other. But, as love often does, it dragged them together like magnets of opposite poles.

"Y'know, I think my aim's still off," Odd joked, looking at his hands. The blond got no response except for a smile.

"Well?"

Odd laughed, "Well what?"

"Well practice, of course!" She punched him lightly in the arm. Odd kissed her again, this time longer. They'd separate for a few minutes to regain their breath, then kiss again, passionately.

So they sat here, Zephyr's hands on Odd's shoulders, his hand on the side of her face, fingers in her hair, and other hand on her waist. They didn't notice the stares of passing people on foot and in cars or even the depressed poetry readers as the slam ended. They didn't notice how late it was, and they didn't even notice the stars. All they had was each other. They'd lost each other once, and they weren't about to lose each other again.

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I'm not good at make-out scenes. I'm going to need your help for a sequal, since you all seem interested. Just a simple plotline is all I need.

It's not quite over yet!