Diary Of An Introvert

Chapter 17 | Errands for him

Joanne arrived at the small white building with a huge Starbucks logo on the front. Swarms of people flooded in and out of the coffee shop. She made her way through the crowd and placed her order. The second waiter taking orders for the bakery faction looked familiar even though Joanne hadn't seen his face. His back was turned to her.

To confirm her suspicion, Joanne called "Jim?"

The waiter turned to her. Joanne was right. It was him. "Joanne?" He said in disbelief. "What are you uh... doing here?"

Joanne raised a cup of coffee and the box of doughnut in her right hand.

"Right, what a silly question." Jim chuckled. He rubbed his palms together and exhaled. "Why don't you sit down? I'm almost done for my morning shift."

Joanne nodded. She shuffled to the last unoccupied seat for two at the back. Once in a while, Jim flashed her a warm smile reassuringly over the counter which she always reciprocated. Finally Jim untied his Starbucks apron. He joined her and sat opposite the table.

"Hey,"

"Hmm." Joanne took her last gulp as she placed the coffee down. It was bad enough that Jim was staring at the cup. "Yeah it's not mine."

Jim raised a brow. "Cory's got you buying his coffee?"

"I know it sounds weird." Joanne said. "But it's a thing we do in our relationship. I buy food for him all the time."

"Hey." Jim raised his hand in surrender but Joanne could tell he was trying not to laugh. "Everyone's got weird things going on in their relationships I won't judge."

Joanne laughed. She still couldn't tell people that she and Cory had broken up - if that was even the term for it. "What are you doing here by the way?"

Jim looked back at the dashboard. He said, "I work here. Well part time. I'm trying to save up money for something I really want to buy."

Joanne smiled. Afterall Jim wasn't a spoilt brat like Cory. At least he had the mind to get something for himself unlike someone that always had people get it for him. Was this really the guy that broke Patricia's heart?

"Cory. You know I drive him right?"

Joanne groaned. "He's here then, isn't he?"

Jim looked at her with a bit of sadness. "Yeah and so is Amanda."

Could the day get any worse? Jim had caught her being a slave for Cory and now he was here. So was his first girlfriend. It was fun while it lasted. Joanne said. "I better get going."

Jim grabbed her hand. He said. "Where's your ride?"

Joanne jerked back. She said. "I walk. I mean I don't have a ride so I walk."

Jim looked at her like she was crazy. "You're gonna walk from here to school?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds. All I'll have are sore joints and a severe migraine but I'll be fine." Add the fact that Cory made her branch extra twenty minutes to a shop to get him food, she would also have sore legs.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you come with us and we'll drop you off?"

Joanne shuddered at the thought alone. What type of car ride would that make? "No thank you. I'm fine, I really am." 

Even though Joanne had said this, somehow she was now looking at the blue Bugatti la Voire in the parking lot. She noted how Jim always had things his way. Similar to Cory.

"Well don't just stand there. In you go." Jim winked at her as he opened the driver's door.

Joanne reluctantly got in. She looked back at Amanda and Cory in the backseat. At that moment, it occurred to her that Jim had been in the front seat alone.

"Snow White?"

Joanne shoved the box of snacks and the cup of double Expresso coffee in Cory's hands. "Here."

"Disrespectful. Try to greet at least." Amanda scoffed. She wore a pink mini skirt that revealed her thighs and a black polka dots crop top. She looked like a Barbie doll. It appeared she was chewing gum too.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Morning." Joanne said. If it wasn't because she was being sarcastic Amanda would have thought she really meant it but she didn't. That didn't stop Jim nor Cory from laughing though.

"Whatever." Amanda said.

Talk about disrespectful, Joanne mumbled.

"Hey what gives?" Cory wailed after opening the box of doughnut only to find both half eaten. Even the coffee was half empty.

"Don't blame me. I got hungry." Joanne eyed him.

"You even spelt my name wrong!" Cory said. He pointed to the letters on the cup that spelt C-o-r-e-y.

"Now see that, I did on purpose."

Jim stifled a laugh. He was staring at Joanne with a huge grin on his face. It irritated her.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just... you're so-"

"Weird." Joanne said. "I'm so weird."

"Not what I would have said but it works too."

Cory coughed from behind. He couldn't hide the fact that Jim and Joanne constantly talking pissed him off. "Won't you guys just shut up? Jim keep your eyes on the road. And snow white keep doing whatever weirdos do."

"Weirdos distract drivers from the road. And have conversations with them." Joanne reiterated. It then occurred to her that the only time Cory said things like that was when he was jealous. "Way to be a jealous freak."

"I am not a jealous freak!" Cory yelled.

"Yes you are! Considering the fact that we broke up!"

Amanda gasped and Jim slammed the brake. Cory was taken aback from her confession. He wasn't expecting Joanne to just blurt something like that out. But she did anyways and even though she looked sorry it couldn't fix the damage already caused.

"Yeah we did break up. But. I. Am. Not. A. Jealous. Freak." Cory got down and shut the door with a loud thud.

The only person who derived happiness from the kerfuffle was Amanda. A wide grin laid across her plump maroon lips. She clapped happily and followed after Cory. She turned around to stick her tongue out at Joanne. "Now the score is one-one."

The two were gone and Jim stood awkwardly with Joanne at the parking lot. He discovered if he didn't talk now, there would be no better time to do so. "Gee, I don't know what just happened. But that took a pretty quick turn huh?"

Joanne nodded sullenly. She would prefer that the ground open up and swallow her than have this conversation. Nevertheless, there was no escaping this thickheaded man. Sooner or later she would have to explain to him. "I'll tell you about it later, I mean wayyy later from now."

Jim said. "Got it. Let's make it two pm Saturday. I bet you don't want to see the guys yet so it'll be just me. That alright?"

"Yeah," Joanne brinked tears away. "It's perfect."

With that Jim left her alone, running after Cory and Amanda before he eventually caught up to them. Joanne wiped her tears away. She headed for her classroom.

There was no reason for her to cry. Cory and her hadn't even been dating, they were incognito. But it still hurt. The look in Cory's eyes when she had blurted out 'they had broken up' scarred her.

Then Joanne realized she may have made the biggest mistake of her life and needed to talk to someone, an expert, someone who had been around the block a good number of times - Patricia.

But before that, Joanne had one or two things to say to the restroom. Turns out eating a doughnut with milk in it and a coffee with whipped cream was not the way to go. Especially when you're lactose intolerant.