"I need space." Those were the words Jacky said to Ryan the night before they both left for separate colleges. Now, each of them will try to learn who they are without the other. Will their paths lead them back together?
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Ryan's roommates, including Pete, were all still asleep on Saturday morning when he loaded all his laundry into his duffel bag, added his laptop and earbuds on top, and hauled everything down to the laundromat a block away.
The Somerville streets were fairly quiet at this hour, but still busier than Ryan had expected. Cafes were open and the sidewalks were filled with students grabbing coffee before a study session and lithe women carrying yoga mats. Ryan passed an older couple strolling along hand in hand and smiled.
The laundromat wasn't as empty as he had hoped. A woman spoke rapid Spanish at the two children chasing each other around the bank of washers, and Ryan managed to get out of their way before they plowed him down. After sorting his clothes and starting the two washers, he considered the café next door. He'd been worried about leaving his stuff here unattended, but he could take his bag with him, and he'd be back before the cycle ended.
Ryan got in line, thankful for having a three people ahead of him so he could decide what to order. The menu was extensive and eclectic, and Ryan had to hunt for anything familiar-sounding. "Can I get the Plain Jane egg sandwich and the Classic Coffee-to-Go?" he asked, still gazing up at the menu.
"Somehow, that order doesn't surprise me at all," the cashier said, and Ryan immediately recognized her voice. After all, he'd listened to Marina talk for about three hours the other day. He'd managed to avoid going on another "date" with her, but she was in several of his classes and made sure to sit beside him in all of them.
"Why is that?" he asked.
She smirked. "You're kinda vanilla."
Vaguely he knew that was meant to be an insult. "But I like vanilla."
"Sure you do. So does everyone. Don't you ever want to switch it up? Try something new?"
Ryan glanced at the line behind him, sensing them growing restless.
"Come on," Marina drawled. "How about instead of the Plain Jane, you try the Salt-n-Pepa Sando? It has bacon! And this great maple mustard sauce!"
Ryan found the item she was talking about on the menu. "But it's two dollars more."
Marina leaned in and lowered her voice. "I'll lend you the two bucks just to see you try something new."
"O-okay," Ryan said. He could feel his face warming, not because he was flattered by Marina's obvious flirting, but because he could feel himself getting stuck deeper and deeper in a situation he didn't want. He didn't want this weird sandwich. He just wanted to get out of the café and go back to his laundry.
Marina's flirting actually helped Ryan escape once his food was ready, because she now had a line about ten deep to contend with. He snatched up the bag with his sandwich and his coffee and gave her a wave as he hurried out.
When he got back to the laundromat, the kids were still running wild, and there were no longer any seats to sit in. An older woman in a muumuu and slippers was watching the timer on Ryan's two machines, which were down to under five minutes. Ryan set his bag down on top of one of his machines, then used his other machine as a table while he unwrapped his sandwich. It smelled good, he supposed. He was nervous about the sauce, though. Maple mustard? But when he bit in, the mixture of flavors combined to a savory sweetness that really hit the spot.
