Coffee And Happy Endings (A Johnnyboy AU)

Execution of the *Not* Date

Ponyboy worked at the cafe all week. Johnny came in for none of those days. Ponyboy waited for a very long time and 9 nights after their last visit, Johnny waltzed through the coffee shop's door at quarter to. 5 minutes earlier than normal. Ponyboy made the coffee and handed Johnny his mug.
"So, Johnny," Ponyboy said, leaning on the counter, "I was wondering if you wanted to go on our picnic this weekend, I have both Saturday and Sunday off."
"Okay. Let's go Saturday. Afternoon. Say 3?"
"Okay."
"Okay."
"I can pick you up at your place."
"No. Lets meet here."
"Here?"
"Yes. Here."
"Okay. I can bring the food."
"That sounds good." Johnny sipped his coffee. His cup was half empty.
They stayed there like that. The clock chimed and Johnny handed Ponyboy his mug. Their fingers brushed. Ponyboy felt the light touch through his whole body. Johnny's fingers felt like lightning. All Ponyboy wanted was to hold them. Johnny walked towards the door. 
"Goodbye, Ponyboy."
"Goodbye, Johnny."

Ponyboy was walking through the aisles of a 24 hour grocery mart. He didn't have any food for a picnic and had lied about working tomorrow. He was working from 7am till 1pm and again at 6 til closing. He wouldn't have time to shop for picnic food tomorrow, so here he was, trying to decide if Johnny would like Rye bread or  pumpernickel or white bread or whole wheat bread or pita bread or naan or baguette or subway buns for sandwiches. Ponyboy had never  known there were so many different types of bread. He just thought it was bread, but he was quite wrong. Ponyboy's eyes drifted closed. He snapped them open, grabbed a bag of rye bread and prayed Johnny liked it.

Ponyboy was walking home from his shopping trip with 2 bags full of groceries. He had bought, deli meat, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, butter, rye bread (of course), a tube of Pringles, a small tub of assorted melon and he had some scones at home. He got to his apartment and he opened his door. Ponyboy put away his groceries and had a shower. He climbed into bed thinking about his picnic the next day.

Ponyboy served many customers in the 6 hours he worked at the cafe. He made a few lattes and several dozen iced coffees. He left at 1pm on the nose and walked home. Ponyboy had a shower first. Then put on a t-shirt and jeans. Both were  black. Ponyboy made sandwiches and coffee for thermoses. He put the melon and the sandwiches in a small bag with an ice pack and put everything else in another bag. It was 2:30 by the time Ponyboy had finished. He packed everything up and decided to start the walk over there.

Ponyboy got to the hipster cafe at exactly 3 o'clock. Johnny wasn't there. Ponyboy crossed the street and sat down on a bench. He set his bag down. Ponyboy waited. He crossed his legs. Uncrossed them. Whistled. Hummed. Wiggled his toes. Wiggled his fingers. Counted the red cars. Counted the birds. Looked around. Watching the clouds. He checked his phone. It was 3:12. Johnny was 12 minutes late. Ponyboy started to worry because Johnny was always on time, now, he was 12 minutes late. Ponyboy tried to call Sodapop, but it went to voicemail. He tried again. No answer. Ponyboy checked the time again 3:17. He walked over to the coffee shop and went in. It smelt like coffee. Johnny wasn't in the cafe. Ponyboy exited the shop. He looked around the street. Johnny wasn't there either. Ponyboy stood outside the coffee shop for a while, but Johnny didn't show up. He checked the time again. It was 3:32. Ponyboy entered the hipster cafe and asked to start his shift early.

Ponyboy worked at the cafe until it closed. He made a few coffees, but not as many as he would  in the morning because not many people drink coffee at night, except for Johnny. Johnny was the only person Ponyboy knew who drank black coffee at 9 o'clock at night. Ponyboy wiped the tables and the counter. He moved the chairs and cleaned the coffee machines. He bagged up the leftover pastries and put them in the employee fridge. Ponyboy went to the back and was about to turn off the light when the door opened. He rushed out , thinking Johnny had come. But then Ponyboy saw it wasn't. It was a guy who had come in with another guy that afternoon. They both ordered iced coffees. The guy was standing there.
"Hey." He said
"Hey." Ponyboy said back
"I think I left my phone in here earlier."
"No one turned it in."
"Oh okay. Can you contact me if it turns up?" He handed Ponyboy a business card with a phone number and an email address, "I don't have my phone, so if you could use the email, that would be great!" The guy left. Ponyboy was still holding the business card. According to the card, the man was named "Keith O'Keith." And he was a "professional pamphlet folder", whatever that was. Ponyboy threw the card on the counter and turned off the lights.

A/N: I don't really have anything to say. If you have any comments or suggestions, make sure to contact me with them. That's it. Except, read a book. Read another book. Have a happy day!!

-booksarelife

(P.S. read Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. People say it's a hard read, but it isn't. Amazing book. Definitely go and read it.)