Chapter 2
It was days later when I was passing a corkboard in the student union on the way home from classes. A really neat sketch on a bright orange advertizement caught my eye. It was just a guy leaning on a wall with a smirk on his face, but the lines of the drawing were sharp and coarse. It kind of reminded me of a piece I saw of "Piano Man II". The text to the left of sketch advertized amatuer artwork on display at a coffee shop downtown. I've never heard of this place before. But, considering that I have been at this school for only one semester, it is not that surprizing. Upon deciding this would be a good place to chill and procrastinate for a while, I went to my dorm to grab some textbooks before heading out. I needed to do at least a little bit of homework so I didn't waste the whole evening. I saw my sketchbook on my bed and grabbed that, too. It would give me something to do while I people-watched.
I was walking down a street filled with bars, clubs, and ethnic restaurants. According to the printed out directions from mapquest, the coffee shop called 'The UnderGrounds' should be two blocks ahead and on the left. It took an hour to walk here, and I spent half of that time looking behind my shoulder for axe murderers wishing to kill me. It always seems that whenever one is reminded that they are a 'poor defenseless girl', one is also reminded of all the forensic science shows of derranged men hacking those defenseless girls into tiny pieces.
The slightest sound would make me jump, and the loud motor noise to my right was no exception. I turned my head to see a shuttle bus run by the university across the street. Damn. I walked all this way when I could have taken a quick 10 minute bus ride. I gave myself a mental slap in the forehead. I knew that the shuttle's end destination was the mall and that it would stop at random restuarants and movie theaters along the way, but I didn't know this was one of the stops. Well, on the bright side, I gave my neck a workout by looking over my shoulder every 5 minutes...
I found the door to The UnderGrounds a block later and walked in. Hefting my bag more securely over my shoulder, I headed toward the counter. There, stood a young man with dark hair. He looked like the typical computer science major at my school due to a semi-scruffy appearance and long hair. He wore a black t-shirt of some tv show or movie I had never heard of, and he had two piercings - a ring through the side of his lip, and a spiky stud through the indented skin where his lower lip and chin met. He could definitely pass as a computer geek. Or, maybe a scary science geek that spends his time in the research labs figuring out how to grow giant cherries or make snow in the summer... Except, he wasn't pasty enough. He looked like he spent too much time outside to belong to that lot. "May I help you?" he aked.
"Ummm..." I realized I was staring at him like an exotic zoo animal. I quickly looked up at the menu above the counter for choices, but did not recognize any drinks up there except for 'coffee' and 'tea'. "I'll have a small coffee, please. Umm, by the way, do you guys have an art exhibit here often?"
"Yeah, about every month or so. The themes change each time. This month's is charcoal sketches, last month's was photography, and the month's before that was watercolors." He handed me the cup of coffee.
"Neat!" I went riggid. Did I just say 'neat'? I said thanks while nodding to the cup, and abruptly turned from the counter, heading toward an empty couch with my face to the floor. What was I thinking? Who says 'neat' anymore? I sounded like a kid from 'Leave it to Beaver'.
I took a deep breath to push back my akwardness, and opened my bag to do some homework. The mellow music playing over the loud speaker mixed with the white noise of the gigantic coffee machine was actually comforting to hear as I went through my Geology problems. The music actually kept me entertained and lowered my stress levels from where they would normally be if I was working in my room. I would have to come back here more often for study sessions...
After Geology was complete, I started on English and dug out the ethnography assignment and handouts. I skimmed down the assignment sheet, reading the directions for conducting a subcultural case study. Apparently, I would need to find new people to hang around with (spy on). They have to be some part of a group, whether they are part of a team, work at the same place, or are all friends in some click. I will have to take notes on what they do and say, and will have to write a paper on one aspect of their 'culture', most preferably something behavioral. Fair enough. I like this place. Maybe I can find some interesting people to spy on around here. I looked around the cafe, and saw three young girls gossiping quite loudly while jumping in and out of their seats as if their bodies would not let them sit still for more than a minute at a time lest they implode. They looked like they just started high school. What would they be doing at this shop at 4 in the afternoon? I started looking out the window for a school.
"Looking for something?" The deep voice bemused at my actions startled me out of my wits. Like in all situations when caught off guard, my whole body jumped, causing my shin to bash into the coffee table near the sofa. I immediately fell onto the cushions clutching my leg. I looked up at the man who caused me so much pain (or maybe that was my clumsiness, but it made me feel slightly better to blame him for the shooting pang traveling up my shin bone).
He was wearing a short white bussing apron around his waist. "Is something interesting out there?" he asked as he leaned over the back of the couch and looked out the glass.
"Oh, ummm, I was just looking for a nearby school." I was staring at the back of his head. His dark hair was barely long enough to put in a tie and the inch-long stub at the base of his hairline was sticking straight out horizontally.
He turned and stood. My attention was caught by the metal in his ears - two in one ear and one in the other. Piercings must be pretty popular around here. "That's an interesting thing to do. Is this a hobby of yours?" His face scrunched playfully.
I forced a laugh. "Not usually. I just saw some schoolgirls over there and thought maybe one would be around."
He nodded and pointed towards the back corner of the shop. "There's one over there that's about a 15 minute walk from here. They come in every day when school is out. Like clockwork. I just wish they would either become mute... or drink more mochas. At least the increased cash flow would make it worth my while to hear them squeal. You know, one time when the first started coming here, I heard one of them scream like she fractured her arm. So, I raced over to assist as any red-blooded man would do. Turns out her nail polish was scratched. I stopped wooing them after that. Crazy girls aren't worth it. I have standards. They are low, but they do exist."
I nodded in comprehension. Maybe making them the subject of my ethnography was not brilliant after all. I would have to befriend them, and I don't think my stomach could take it. This was a great place for schoolwork, though. It would be great to have a solid excuse to come here every week. I sat down and started looking around for more subjects.
"Oh yeah, are you finished with your coffee?" I nodded.
"By the way, ummm, what is your favorite drink? I'll make it my next order." I'm so clever. I'll know what's good to buy without looking like an idiot. Instead, I would be a quircky girl.
"A hot chai latte with soy." My face scrunched up in confusion.
"You like soy milk better thank cow's milk?"
"I wouldn't know. I've always been a vegan."
"Oh. Nevermind." Moving on, new topic. Ummm... "Well," Uhhh.. "I think I'll go try that drink..."
He smiled warmly and nodded to the couner. "Sango over there can take your order. In fact, SANGO! GET THIS GIRL A SOY CHAI!"