Count Down discussion
Los Angeles
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Starbucks
Sage half-ran into the the Starbucks, late for her shift. She quickly put on her uniform and joined the other workers, ignoring their dirty looks. Most of them hadn't had to bike there in the rain, like she had.
((Remember four-five sentences:) ))Kegan had gone home to shower briefly and toss on his Starbucks clothes. He thought they were the most hideous things, an he always refused to wear the visor as well as the apron. The black polo with the logo was enough. Kegan spritzed some of his colgne on his shirt, ignoring lilys voice in his head. After all, she had made out or who knew what in her car with some guy he'd never seen before this morning. He had to get even, right? Kegan drove relaxed in the light drizzle towards the Starbucks he worked at, near the college. With ten minutes o spare before his shift, he began making preperstions and helping the other workers. He knew for a fact his employer came around occasionally during his shift to watch him especially to ensure kegan wasn't the trouble child many claims him to be. And kegan didn't disappoint. He and one other girl were left as the previous shift left, and he noticed that the guy who ha always been there earlier for his shift was no longer here. They'd be having a new employee. Perfect, kegan thought. When she entered the doorway, he smirked. "You're wet," he said plainly, amused as he stacked cups.
River walks into Starbucks, her long brown hair was curled softly, with small braids running through it. She was wearing her favorite varsity jacket, and some jeans. She wasn't dressed to impress, but she didn't look bad either. She walked right up to the counter, seeing as there wasn't anyone in line, and made her order. "Hello, I'd like a cream late, low fat, and some whip cream please." She asked the guy. Her strong, thick British accent made it hard to understand her sometimes. Hopefully he did. River wasn't sure what she would do if he didn't. Repeat herself?
"I sort of noticed." Sage said with a laugh, pulling her hair over her shoulder. She was for once grateful for her ugly uniform, it meant she wasn't wearing transparent clothes anymore, at the very least. "I'm sorry for being late!" She called to the girl leaving, who had the shift before her own.
Kegan snorted, shaking his head. "Don't be late, Sage" he said with a glance at her name tag. He reached for a cup and the sharpie laying on the counter, and stepped over To the counter. A gorgeous British chick ordered her drink, but kegan was too busy staring to hear anything. "Come again?" He knitted his eyebrows in mock confusion to cover up for his staring. The sharpie was poised in his hand, and he saw that he had another customer after the Brit.
River rolled her eyes. "Idiot." She muttered under her breath. But she was glad she had the chance to change her order. She decided she wanted some tea instead of coffee. "I'll have a London Fog. I'll repeat that in case you didn't hear me again. London Fog. It's a tea...just so you know." She added. Her accent seemed to get thicker the more she got annoyed. A.K.A. When she was talking to the opposite sex. They annoyed her more than anything. Ever. She pulled out her wallet, and looked through her dollar bills. Trying to find the money. She had been lazy that morning and forgotten to cover up her scars, so there they were, fresh as ever. Three long ones down the sides of her neck. She hoped no one would notice.
Sage sighed and leaned against the counter, waiting for Kegan to stop ogling the girl in front of him and write the order on the cup so she could make it. She didn't even need that though, she remembered the order by now. Her brother would comment that she was too attentive, but when her job was mixing drinks and she spent half the time waiting, it was hard to do anything but pay attention. It was better, too, no one ever got fired for paying too much attention.
Kegan put the cup down, peering over at the irritated girl with an amused smirk on his face. Alrighty then. "Women take their Starbucls too seriously," he muttered, picking the cup and sharpie up. "Name?" He asked, his sharpie ready to write. He hoped sage was watching, cause he wasn't demonstrating how to take an order correctly. The one other barista was off scrubbing tables and sweeping a spilled mess up, so it was only him and sage. "You'll take the next order," he nudged sage.
River put the correct amount of money on the counter. "River Parker." She flashed her award winning River Parker smile at him, before frowning again. "Keep the change." She turned on her heels and walked over to a table, where she sat down, stretching her long legs out in front of her. River couldn't believe that kid. She was obviously older than him, and so out of his league. At least she hoped she was. She was a professional story teller, British, and Cheerleader for UCLA. She didn't know if he could top that...hopefully, he couldn't. She prayed that he couldn't actually.
Sage sighed, "okay, you know that means you make the tea, right?" She said, raising an eyebrow. " do you know how to make tea?" She was irritated and knew she was being a bit rude, but she didn't really care. She took his place at the cash register; "what can I get you?" She asked the next customer, forcing a smile.
Kegan scrawled a messy "Parker" on the side of the white cup, stepping aside to slip the money ino the cash register. "Thanks, River, your order is coming up," he said enthusiastically. "Yes, Sage, I can make tea. It's my job," he snorted incredulous. "Do you know how to be on time?" he muttered under his breath as she began to talk to themext customer. She was the late one. He clattered noisily aroun the kitchen, just to piss everyone off, his moves exaggerated as he blended the tea. He poured it into the cup without spilling, popping a lid on top of the cup. "Parker," he called out towards the British girl in te corner as he slid a cup holder onto the hot cup. "It's hot," he winked, sliding the cup to the edge of the counter. She seemed much older than him, but what did he care? Flirting was fun.
River looked up from her phone. Did he really just call her Parker? She went by River..not Parker. You know what Parker spells backwards? Recrap. And she was not Recrap. Not at all. She walked up to the counter, and took the cup cautiously, almost as if he had posiened it, or spit in it. She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't do anything to it, did you?" She asked secpticaly. If he did she would kill him. She would. She would give him three warning cuts in the neck, just like Zach had done to her. She would make him hate girls, just like Zach had done to her. Except it wasnt girls she hated. It was guys.
Kegan wiped his hands on his jeans, raising a single eyebrow. "Me? No, why would I do that?" He feigned horror, leaning on his elbows on the counter. She seemed surprisingly hostile, for something he didn't even know about. Maybe she deserved something done to her tea. Typical British people, he thought to himself. "I'm not one to poison food or drinks, trust me," he rolled his eyes, turning to wash his hands at the sink. Sage was busy taking an order, and he watched for any flaws in her execution.
River felt bad. Sure, Zach had ruined her entire outlook on guys..but that didn't mean she had to be mean...did it? She sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry. Just had a stressful day." She apologized. Yes, she was spunky, outspoken, stubborn, and an over exagerater, but that didn't give her any excuse to be mean to this poor kid. She room a drink of her tea, and nodded. Yup. It was good.
Kegan gave her an "I told you so" look, relaxing into the counter. "What happened to your neck?" He asked boldly, cringing at the ugly lines down her neck, cleverly hidden by her clothing. But he could still see it. He began to imagine everybpossibile thing that could have happened to this River Parker character.
River's eyes went wide. "How did you-" She looked down at her neck and muttered a curse. No wonder he saw. "Look...its a long story, and I don't even know your name. How can I trust you?" She asked, feeling like crying. She hated hated Zach. A lot...for the things he had done to her, and what he made her feel towards people. She didn't even know his name. Why would she trust him to keep her secret. She tugged the collar of her shirt more, covering them up. She felt so ugly, and stared at...she hated it.
Kegan recoiled, pretending to be stung by her distrust. "Relax, I was just asking. Besides-" he tilted his chin down to his name tag- "my names Kegan," he offered with a soft sigh. This girl seemed like she would be a handful, but that's what kept him interested. "You don't have to trust me," he shook his head. He wouldn't. Did she get attacked by a dog? Or worse, a person? Is that why she had been so protective? Or had she scratched herself? Was it fake, for attention?
River bit her lip. No doubt he was making up stories about her that weren't even true. She sighed. She would have to tell him to prevent rumors from spreading. As long as he promised to keep his trap shut. "Alright. I'll tell you because all the stories you are making up in your head arent true, and I don't want you thinking lies about me. But you have to promise to keep your mouth shut." She said softly. She wouldn't let lies be spread around about her. No way. That want going to happen.
Kegan noticed her tough girl shell break down, a sense of vulnerability about her. He leaned forward with interest, pleased she would resort to telling him. Could it be that big of a deal? He signaled River to come sit at a corner table with him to share er great story. "I'm listening," he said a tad eagerly, his fingers laced neatly on the table. He had enjoyed fantasizing about her scratches, his eyes constantly wandering to her neck.
River followed him to the table, and sat down. She really really didn't want to say anything. At all. But, she couldn't risk lies. "I was a senior when I met Zach. He was a rebel, bad boy, slacker. I don't know why or how I fell for him, but I did. We dated for aa while, and I just fell deeper into his trance. After a couple weeks, things got serious. He took me on a date, and on the way home he took me into an alley and told the truth. He was a fugitiive, robber. And he had this bank he was planning to rob, and they needed a get a way car. Me. I defused and threatened to tell. So he pushed me up against the wall and pulled out his knife. I froze, terrified as he brought the knife to my neck." River paused and pulled the collar down, showing him her scars. "He gave me three warning cuts. They werent deep enough to kill me, but were floss enough. The pain made me snap out of it. I screamed and some passersby helped me. I spent three weeks in a hospital. They let Zach go with a warning, him using his charm to get out of it. I didn't feel safe anymore. So I moved here." She finished, taking a drink of her tea, not meeting his eyes. There. No more worrying about lies...just worrying about him telling.
Kegan listened intently, his facial expressions changing constantly. He sat speechless by the end of her explanation, his jaw slightly hung open. "What... They let him go? That's so f ing dumb," he swore, instinctively looking for some creepy guy outside the Starbucks window. "Damn. I'm glad you're okay, does he know you moved?" Kegan cringed, shoving his hands into his pockets. He felt afraid for her, his blue eyes falling constantly on her neck.
River nodded. "Yeah It is." She said, agreeing. She hated that Judge. "No...I don't think so. Unless anyone talked. That's why I don't talk about it." She said softly, pulling her collar back up to cover it. She felt so hideous, and weak. And she wasn't any of those things. At all. Not even close. River was strong, and she didn't need anyone...right?
Kegan sighed sympathetically, shaking his head. "When was this? Did you get it looked at? He could of seriously injured you," he shuddered, his imagination of what the guy looked like getting worse by the second."Your secrets safe with me," kegan promised earnestly. He was surprised with the way he was acting towards this stranger, when normally, he would have been rude. Perhaps it was the awful back story.
((In going to bed! Want to end this rp so you're not stuck?))
"Okay, that it?" Sage asked the girl, quickly writing the order on the cup. "Can I get your name, please? The drink'll come up over there." She said. still forcing a smile. Fake it until you make it, she supposed, at least at her job. She felt her stomach growl, and heard it as well, she hadn't really eaten any dinner.
River leaned forward. "Good. Because if you tell anybody, and I find out, what I will do to you will be ten times worse than what anyone did to me." She said softly, her voice dangerously low. She knew how to be scary when she wanted to be, and this was scary. She stood, grabbed her ice tea, and walked out of the shop, Leaving the teenage boy behind. He had better not tell.
Kegan starred after River, left a bit shaken from her threat. "Well!" He stood up abruptly, his hands in the table. He made his way back toward the counter, nodding politely at another customer. "Manage to not blow the place up?" He asked in mock kindness to sage, kicking open the door to go behind the counter. He wanted to tell someone about this crazy River woman.
Sage smiled a little bit at the tip, but the girl had already walked to the other side and she couldn't exactly yell her thanks. "Well, it is my job." Sage said, using Kegan's earlier words against him. He hadn't technically introduced himself yet, but it looked like she had the name committed to memory anyways.
Kegan snorted, spraying out one of the blenders in the sink. "What, blowing up the kitchen?" He teased, rivers angry threat ringing in his ears. But he couldn't not tell anyone, it was just how kegan rolled. He stepped up to the counter sooner than sage could turn her head, taking an old mans order. " A muffin, with a dark roast," kegan repeatedafter the man had grunted his order. His wrinkly saggy face made kegan look younger by ages. He scooped the muffin into a bag, blending the coffee while watching sage with mild interest out of the corner of his eye.((Can he spill the order on her??))
Sage went and put the old man's money- Roger, the name had been- into the cash. "Thank you." She said with a smile, the girl's generosity with the tip had actually cheered her up, and she planned on making herself a coffee after her shift. She tapped her fingers on her leg, waiting for the next customer, a group of people who were seeming to have trouble making a decision.
Kegan spun around with the hot drink in his hand, muffin in the other. He passed by the sink, when his brand new white vans got caught on the rubber mat in front of the sink, sending him in sages direction. "SH**!" He swore loudly as e lost his balance, landing himself into sages chest. The hot coffee sloshed inside the cup, the top flying to the ground. Steaming dark coffee spilled all over sages front, as well as some flying into kegans face. He shrieked from the heat, running blindly to the sink to spray his face with the cold water. He couldn't care less about his mess or sage at the moment, when his face felt like it was on fire.
Sage shrieked both from the hot coffee- way too hot, and she was sensitive enough that she couldn't even hold their coffee cups without one of the coverings- and also from the sudden impact of all of Kegan's body weight. It was enough to send her falling to the ground, in the puddle of coffee. "Um...Ow." She said slowly, a little bit in shock, she thought, because the pain hit her a moment later. She got up unsteadily and made her way over to the sink. "Get out of the way." She said forcefully, splashing the cold water onto her chest and face. She could already feel the bright red burn rising on her skin, feeling like fire, not to exaggerate.
Kegan spit into the sink, cringing miserably at the stinging still on his face. He yielded to sage, allowing her to wash herself while he shook his wet hair to get the water out. He took a deep breath, murmuring an apology to the shocked and worried customers. The other girl on shift cringed, rushing to mop uk the mess while sinultaiuoulsy making the old man a new order. Kegan rested his hands on the edge of the sink, leaning over it. He felt the burning spots, and he panicked. What if his flawless complexion was ruined? No girl would date- oh wait. He had lily. He turned to a sputtering sage, feeling guilty. "Hot coffee, eh? How' bad is it?"
Sage sighed and shut her eyes, trying to ignore the overwhelming urge to cry. "Painful. And everywhere." She said quietly, and although she really didn't want to be considerate, she asked, "How about for you?" While she washed up she noted her injuries- Burn across her chest and neck, bruise on her butt and soaked uniform.
Kegan frowned sympathetically, reaching over fotos per towels to get the two dried off. He ripped off a piece, gently dabbing sage's face and careful no to scratch her burns. "I'm sorry," he cringed, noting that she had more bright red than he did. "Want ice?" He suggested, drying her neck and chest above her shirt line where the buttons in the soaked black polo were. "You should go home," he noted, reaching into the cooler case for ice to put on his cheek. He tucked sages hair behind her ear, his flirtatious side immediately returning.
"Some ice would be amazing." Sage said, smiling a little and taking over the job of drying off, wincing from the paper towel. "And the problem is, I have a shift to finish, so, going home isn't really an option for me, I rather like being paid."
Kegn reached back into the cooler, handing her a few more ice cubes wrapped in a fresh paper towel. "Il work double," he suggested, a coy smile on his lips. He had learned to get a girl to like him, all he would need to do is please her as well as have his good looks handy. It wouldn't be so bad to have some to play around with, he thought carefully, scoffing mentally at lilian. He still couldn't get over her scene from this morning. Was this revenge?
"There's really no need, but thanks." She said smiling, he was actually pretty likable when he wasn't being rude or annoying. She took the ice from him and pressed it against her chest, almost sighing in relief as it took the edge and majority of the pain off the burn.
Kegan shrugged, rolling his eyes. "Whatever," he murmured, stooping to help the other girl clean the coffee. The other barista had quickly and efficiently served all the remaining customers, the Starbucks empty except the old man reading his paper in the corner. "So, Sage-" he hoisted himself up to sit on the serving counter, legs dangling. "I've never seen you before?" He said pointedly.
Mod
Sage shrugged. "I just started working here about last week, and my shifts have been kind of uneven and weird." She explained, setting about to make herself a white chocolate mocha, one of her comfort drinks for a few years now. She had gotten into the habit of ordering one after something bad had happened, and she felt to hot coffee situation was bad enough. Once that was done, she sat on the counter as well.
Kegan watched Sage work with interest, her hands working slowly to make herself some sort of drink. "And I don't get one?" He raised an eyebrow, his face solemn. Hopefully she was the kind who could detect sarcasm, like his lily did. He slid on the smooth counter towards Sage, leaning on his hand, which was strategically placed behind Sage. But she wouldn't know unless she turned. He smirked, kicking his legs back and forth. "No, silly, I meant around around. Do you live in this half or the other half of the city?" He asked, as if she were the dumbest person in the world and had to be explained to.
She smiled and didn't respond to the first comment- there was no point, she knew he didn't mean it. She took a long sip of her drink before answering, "I live in this half, and how would I know what you meant? I'm not a mind reader. And maybe you're just not observant enough." She responded, ignoring his tone. She knew she wasn't being stupid, and him treating her like she was wasn't going to change the truth.
Mod
Kegan shrugged, not even flinching at her semi harsh tone. "Maybe I'm not," he agreed with her, although he knew he'd never actually seen her before. "Do you go to LAHS?" He asked casually, hoping she didn't. He liked to flirt with girls he didn't know, and would never see at school, or in public. The girl had sass, and he had to be careful around what he said to her.
"Yeah, I do. Do you?" She asked, maybe they'd have a few classes together, or a lunch period. That might be cool, if he was normally a nice person. She honestly didn't really know what to think of him so far. She tapped her fingers on the side of her coffee cup, unused to sitting still. She was almost always standing, or doing something.
Kegan froze, his mouth open in forming his words. "Yes, he said slowly, "I'm a junior there. I'm number eight on the fields," he winked, dusting his shoulders in mock vainness. "Did you just move here? Or no? I don't think you were in any of my classes today," he said slowly. Abort mission, an alarm said quietly in his head. Lily couldn't find out, and if sage went to the same school as them... Thins could get ugly.
Mod
"I moved here at the start of the summer with the rest of my family. I'm a junior too, actually, and I managed to not go to school today. I was a bit nervous when I woke up this morning, you see." She said, a little bit weirded out by how he had just basically frozen up and then seemingly forced himself to pretend nothing was wrong. "But I doubt I'm in many, if any of your classes anyways, I went for a lot of arts stuff in my electives." She finished talking as another customer walked in, and she lowered herself off the counter to turn around and face the new girl. "Hello, how can I help you?" She asked cheerily, setting down her own coffee.
Kegan opened his mouth to reply, when he heard the door open and footsteps quickly approach. He slid off the counter, refusing to face the voice he knew so well. Lily. "Hey.... Babe..." He said slowly, drawing out his words while busying himself in tidying the already neat kitchen. This was bad. He kept his eyes down, feeling guilty. "How are you? I've made a new friend," he spoke quickly, making the mistake to move his blue eyes up to lilys. This was bad.
Some kid's like to come here to study after school. They can get coffee and then sit to read a good book afterwords.
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