A troubled - soon to be - college girl is ravaged by uncontrollable hallucinations that she can't explain. Making an unexpected friendship with a stranger she met on the street but, he has secrets of his own.
"Seriously, you've got me worried." His...
You pulled your car into a free parking spot in the lot beside the building you sought after. A twist of the key and the life of the engine died out. Your hands dropped to your lap, head falling back against the headrest one more time as you finally took a moment to yourself, but you didn't sit long in your suffrage before you quickly grabbed your bag and phone as you pushed open the driver's side door and stepped out into the rain.
You didn't feel like being in a vehicle right now, not after that little incident - sorry Manny. You weren't sure what you were rattled by more, the almost wreck just now or the fact that when you had closed your eyes for that split second back there an image flashed into your mind that you couldn't place.
It seemed like a similar image to the situation you had once been in. However, your view was from the back seat. That familiar smell of burnt rubber and heated metal was apparently in both your reality and fantasy. It felt like deja-vu, was that an image from one of your nightmares last night? Must be.
You raised a hand to push back your feathered bangs from your forehead and with the motion brush thoughts to the back of your mind. Quickly, you let your boots tap into the small water puddles littering the pavement as you headed quickly to the coffee shop to seek shelter from the rain.
Pushing the door open you stepped inside. The sound of the bell above you chimed as you opened the door, ringing out in the small cafe and alerting people to your entrance. A shake of your head freed the droplets of water from your dark brown locks that almost seemed black when dampened with water.
You were greeted by the sounds of espresso machines hissing and the strong smell of coffee. It was a quiet little coffee shop, a small hole in the wall place that a lot of college kids and seniors visited frequently between or after classes. The color scheme of the coffee shop was made of two tones, deep blacks mixed into light wood countertops that matched the tables.
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Low hanging light fixtures illuminated the tables as the dim light from the clouds outside was not enough to light up the area many had claimed as their workspace. A black fishnet hung from the ceiling, pooling and dipping in different spots in an attempt to hide the unappealing interior roof the owners had been given.
A counter stretched along the back wall of the shop and served as a large workspace for the employees to prepare requests as well as a small enclosed glass dome that housed some of the tastiest baked goods you had ever had.
A few people were scattered about, but it seemed the turn out was thin compared to what it could be on a weekend. Perhaps it was the rain that deterred some people, but still, there were students tucked away in corners with their laptops, the clicking of their fingers on the keys echoed over the sound of the coffee machines that worked diligently to prepare orders.
Your shoes clicked against the soft brown wood floors as you neared the check out counter. Turning slightly, you began to rummage in your bag for your leather clutch wallet to have it ready as you approached the barista. Your fingers desperately fumbled through the chaos that was your purse to find the slick hide of your wallet, unaware that in your search, someone had stepped in front of you at the once empty check out counter.
Your body bumped into the back of a broad-shouldered man and you quickly stumbled back.
"Ah! Sorry!" You said in a softly raised voice, bowing your head in apology to the person you had so rudely collided with. Surely your clumsy nature was going to be the death of you.
The man turned to you as you raised your head to offer him your remorseful gaze, but instead, he was met with a surprised one in its place.
"You.." You uttered under your breath as you gazed upon a familiar face towering in front of you.
"Taehyung." He corrected, his deep voice dripping off his lips so effortlessly and light despite its low pitch.
"Right. Ha, sorry." You said as you wrapped your hand around the strap of your bag, gripping it in your embarrassment for referring to him so vaguely. "And... sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." And another one for your habits, once again. Three apologies in less than a minute, you should really get that under control.
"It's fine." He said lazily as he waved his hand as if dismissing your agony. There was a thick silence that fell over the two of you like a blanket as Taehyung looked to you with knitted brows, once again searching your expression as if he was looking for a road map to some unseen question. "How are you?" He questioned, his head tilting to side -his bangs fell askew with his tilt - reflecting that sense of innocence you had seen once before as well as that familiar concerned tone he offered you the first time you met.
You huffed out a nervous chuckle from under your breath. "I'm fine." Was that the truth? That was the common response though, and you offered a nod of your head in thanks for his compassion. You were attempting to be as social as your introverted body would allow, though clear to you at least, it seemed awkward and forced. You were terrible at this, but it wouldn't be the first thing you didn't excel at. "How... are you?" Feeling a bit obligated to ask the question in return.
"Perplexed." He said, his brows dipping once again as he ripped his gaze from you and looked to the chalk writing on the blackboard that hung above the counter, listing the large variety in drink mixes and dishes.
"Uh... perplexed about what?" You questioned the peculiar use of words but, okay.
"I'm not sure what to order. I've been ordering the same drink for weeks now, but I'm tired of it." He exhaled as his shoulders slumped down. His head twirled back around to the side where you stood. "What would you recommend?"
"Oh... I don't know." You said, laughing nervously. "Coffee is all about someone's preferred tastes." You added with an apprehensive shrug.
"Well, what is your favorite drink?" He questioned as that tilt of his head returned. His deep brown hair - that seemed a few shades lighter than you had last seen - shifted back to the side, the ends tickling against his eyelashes.
"Uh... I like the white hot chocolate they have, though that's not really coffee." You said with a heavy shrug of your shoulders as that uneasy smile got a bit wider.
"What does it taste like?" He rebutted quickly.
"Melted white chocolate?" Not sure what other answers he expected to get. Laughing softly under your breath you tried to offer a better explanation. "Some people say it kind of tastes like a hot milkshake."
"Really?" He questioned, as if in disbelief of your statement. Did you have cause to lie to him?
"Yes..?" You deepened your chuckle slightly, the awkwardness you felt in your bones become denser.
He nodded his head softly, staring back up to the blackboard for a long moment before the barista's voice caught his attention.
"What can I get you, sir?" She asked, her customer service voice rather upbeat and cheery as the biggest smile stretched her painted pink lips. Maybe she was new, you didn't recognize her.
How optimistic people were when starting a new part-time job. It never lasted though, most people turned as bitter as your father's brew after a few months. You wondered how forced her personality was.
"Two white hot chocolates, please." Taehyung requested.
Two? Well, maybe one large cup was not enough for him. You shifted your bag to the front of your body as you returned to your search for your wallet.
