A Peaceful Afternoon (Open)

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Teeth marks adorned the edge of not only the blue Bic pen that sat at the cafe table, but also the paper coffee cup that was half filled with chai tea. Or was it half emptied? Alyson looked over at the cup and thought about it for a moment. Half empty. Not because she was a pessimist, but because she had been draining the cup and that made the most sense. Had she been filling it with tea then it would be half full, but since she was still sipping it, it was half empty. Thinking about sipping it made her reach out and pick the cup up, sipping the liquid that was now room temperature, when a thought came to her. She grabbed the pen and started scribbling in her book again, the cup dangling from her lips as she held it there with her teeth, an odd habit she had somehow picked up at some point in her life. She wouldn't even know how ridiculous she looked, either. After a moment she realized the cup was still there and reached for it with the hand that wasn't writing, and placed it back on the table.

Dylan's had become her favorite place to do homework or sit and relax, especially on the weekends. The beverages were cheap and the atmosphere was nice. Plus, she could plant there all afternoon and type up a report on her laptop and do free research on their WiFi! Then of course there was the one guy that worked there. Alyson knew he was dating the girl who owned the little cafe, and he seemed like a decent guy, but that didn't mean she couldn't look at him! Though she tried not to, because every time she did, she got a little nervous. The worst was when he came to clean the tables or ask if she needed a refill or something. She always acted a little cold towards him, but not intentionally. Alyson was just sort of used to brushing people off a little, falling somewhere between shy and confident.

But the guy didn't seem to be there at the moment, which was good. She always felt a little awkward when he was. The girl sighed as the stream of thoughts for the paper she was writing came to an end and the pen once again sopped scribbling across the lined paper. She stuck the edge between her lips and chewed lightly on it, blond curls falling into her face as she tried to come up with something more to write. Her eyes wandered to the window as she watched the people move outside. It was odd still to be in a city where so many people lived, even though she had been there for three years already. Scriptor Bay, though it didn't exactly feel like home, was more comforting to her. She didn't stand out in a crowd and there was comfort in that. Not everyone knew her name or lineage, and that especially was nice.

A smile crossed her face as she continued to think about how much better city life was to country. She didn't even bother to look up when she heard the bell jangle on the door.

[milesmaynard]

It was a day just like any other for Miles. He was out and about just going for a stroll in the shopping district. He didn't need to shop for anything but that was where there were usually larger crowds of people during the day. Because everyone loved to shop! He knew he liked shopping sometimes but not as much as everyone else apparently. In fact, sometimes when he went shopping he didn't buy anything. He went shoplifting instead. He'd actually managed to take the fedora that was on his head from a little hat kiosk that was set up on the curb doing business. When the worker was doing business with an older lady trying to by a giant, ugly hat he swiped the fedora off and stuck it right on his head and kept walking by as if nothing happened.

Miles didn't really have anything going on in his life. Ever. He didn't have a goal or anything of the sort planned out for himself. Hell, he didn't even have a job! Although he knew he should start considering one since all the funds his parents had given him were depleting and quickly! He'd been given so much when he'd reached his fortieth birthday but he wasted it on silly things. And of course he had to have a place to live and rent was pretty costly.

The male continued his casual stroll when he spotted the little cafe that he liked. They had some of the best chocolate milk he'd ever had. He remembered the girl who worked there rambling on and on about how it was from Egypt. He thought that was weird but whatever. He still liked it and it went good with a nice club sandwich!

The little bell over the door jingled to let the others know someone else was entering the cafe. Miles stood there for a minute looking around and spotted a couple of people in the cafe. It was never really busy it seemed. An older couple in a booth, two boys sitting close to the front entrance and then a girl sitting by herself. He didn't think much of it and decided the old people probably smelled and the boys were most likely talking about something stupid like sports. So he decided to to take a table that was straight across from the female and planted himself down knowing you could pick your own spot here and waited for the air headed blond owner to bring him a menu and talk his ear off. But while he waited he looked at the curly haired blonde girl that was sitting at the table next to his. He placed his hands on his lap and sat there, watching her with a big smile on his face. There was no reason for it other than he figured at some point she'd look up and probably give him a dirty look.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Alyson looked outside again before staring down at her book. She both loved and hated writing papers. She liked learning, but each one seemed so time consuming, and depending on the course, sometimes they seemed pointless. She sighed and reached for her phone; she still had two hours before she had dinner plans, which meant she had to keep working for at least another hour. She promised herself she would.

The girl reached for her cup and took another sip, her eyes moving upwards as she tilted her head back and landing on the boy at the table across from hers. She stopped when she realized she was smiling at him, and the entire time she sipped her drink she watched him uncomfortably. Why was he just staring like that? It made her a little uncomfortable, and she kept her eyes locked on his for a moment until she was finished sipping her now cold chai, and then placed the cup back down, her eyes going to her paper.

She got the sick feeling deep inside that he would ask her out. Would that be such a horrible thing? Alyson hated getting asked out on dates. Dates meant guys wanted to get to know you, and you had to open up. Then they would realize she was sort of quiet and take it the wrong way and be all down by the time the date ended. Al rarely had successful dates. She dated a guy in high school for a while, but it had strictly been to get her best friend off of her back. The guy was easy enough to hang around; he cared more about football than anything else, so when she was quiet, he didn't take it too personally. He just assumed she was an airhead that didn't know about the sport she cheered for.

Why the hell was she thinking of Bobby Anderson in the cafe!? Her eyes moved up to the smiling boy again, meeting his eyes but looking back down quickly, her elbow sliding onto the table, allowing her face to cradle in it just a little. She looked down at the book, hoping he would just forget her existence and move on.

[milesmaynard]

Miles watched the curly haired girl and when she went to take a sip of her coffee he continued to smile. He got the feeling he was making her uncomfortable though because she seemed to become nervous. At least that's what he figured when he saw the way it seemed she was intentionally trying not to notice him. "Hi." Miles said in a loud, clear voice. He couldn't see the female's face because of the way she had it buried in her book but it didn't stop him. Nobody could ignore someone who is talking directly to you, right?!

Not a moment later, a pretty little blonde thing came up to his table and handed him a menu. He winked at her playfully and listened to her giggle and walk away, apparently forgetting to ask him what he'd want to drink. He wanted him some chocolate milk! Oh well, he could wait until she came back.

He did a quick once over on the menu but he'd come there plenty of times and knew what he'd want, but had to check just to make sure the menu didn't change in the last week since he'd been there. When he spotted the lunch special that he normally got he knew he was good to go and set the menu down, moving it with his fingers on the table for a minute before his eyes moved over towards the girl again.

"What are you hiding from?" He asked in the same voice, knowing it was loud enough to get the attention of some of the other customers and even the staff. "I'm not going to bite you. I'm not THAT hungry!" He gave a playful, almost childish laugh and noticed the waitress coming back over to his little table with a notepad and pen. Probably wanted to get his food so he didn't cause a scene.

"What can I get for you today sir?" The waitress asked in a polite voice.
"Can I get some chocolate milk and the club? And extra french fries and pickles?" He asked with a big grin.
"Sure thing I'll be right back with your chocolate milk." She said and politely took the menu back and walked away to tell the cooks what he wanted to eat.

Miles then looked down at the salt shaker and pulled it over to him and began to unscrew the cap, looking at the loose salt inside the little glass vial before he set the cap on again but not screwing it to fasten it in place. He knew that the next person who used the salt would be in for a big surprise!

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

When he said hi, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she tried to pretend he wasn't talking to her. She kept her head down and let her pen doodle in the margins of her book, pretending like she had something amazing to write, when really her focus was now on the guy trying to talk to her. Why couldn't he leave her alone?

When he continued speaking she had no choice but to look up at him awkwardly. Why did he have to call her out on hiding? Not that she was really hiding, per se. No one could hide in plain sight. Well, some could, she supposed, but she couldn't. Not with the way she was sitting there so out in the open, her book in front of her, with nothing else to truly hide behind.

Her eyes met his as he continued to spout obnoxious things. Her face stayed stoic, though. Not once did she give any indication that she so much as even cared about what he was saying. "Can I help you?" She finally asked, not intentionally attempting to be rude, though she was quite sure she sounded it, but to let him know gently that she was acknowledging his presence, since he had given her no other choice but to, and not being a complete bitch by ignoring him, which is exactly what she wanted to be doing. In fact, four years ago, she very well may have continued to ignore him or had gotten so uncomfortable by his persistence that she would have just up and left. Al was a different girl, now.Mostly. She still had the same weird insecurities, only now she knew how to handle them semi maturely.

[milesmaynard]

Miles was known as a prankster, so the unscrewed salt cap wasn't a big deal to him and it wouldn't be to anyone else who knew him. He eyeballed the salt shaker for a moment and then thought maybe instead of the salt he should have done it to the pepper! Nobody ever suspects the pepper and it makes people sneeze! BRILLIANT! He snatched them both up and started to twist the salt cap back on tight then loosen the pepper cap. Now that was going to be an excellent prank for the next person who sat down there! Maybe he'd move tables and wait to see someone sit there. Or maybe not. That might take all day!

The waitress came back with his glass of chocolate milk and he grinned at her and reached for a straw out of the apron that was tied around her waist. "Thank you very much!" He said and eagerly unwrapped the straw by banging one end against the table until the paper tore and then stripping it off the straw and plopping it into his chocolate milk. All the while, he kept looking over to the curly haired girl and laughing lightly, almost as if there was something funny. A joke inside his own head, maybe?

"Yeah you can say hi back when someone says hi to you. It's polite, you know." He nodded his head in a matter of fact sort of way before sipping the chocolate milk through the straw. "Mmm. Have you ever tried the chocolate milk? Or anything chocolate here? They have the BEST chocolate in the whole city. Believe me I've had lots of chocolate milk." He said and grinned at the girl some more, even if she did seem snooty and like a total bore. Maybe she'd be good fun to pick on though. Who knows?!

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

She instantly disliked him, the nameless stranger with the cocky smirk and ridiculous amount of obnoxious charisma. "Hi." She said a little stiffly when he pretty much called her rude for not returning the greeting. Everyone knew that when a guy greeted a girl like that it wasn't because he was being a friendly fellow civilian. He wanted something. Like the girls number. She had never liked those sorts of guys; the kind that would give her all the time in the world but wouldn't look twice at the fat chick or awkward girl. They were above socializing with anyone who wasn't publicly seen as attractive. Shallow asshole.

She inwardly grumbled when the boy continued to go on about the chocolate milk. What the hell did she care about their chocolate? Sure, chocolate was alright from time to time but she never went out of her way to order chocolate milk. In her experience they never put enough chocolate in it, and besides, too much milk in the summer made her queasy.

"I haven't." She said softly, eyeing his cup and then his face. He didn't seem like the cocky type she was used to, but then again she was used to arrogance coming in football jerseys or suits. This guy was just...not cut from the same narcissistic mold, but certainly held all the same attributes. "I don't care to drink much milk in the summer." She explained, offering more information that she normally would consider, but she had the strong feeling he wasn't going to give up easily and she had plenty of experience dealing with these sorts of people. It was simple. Talk a little, be polite as possible, and then tell them you have another engagement. When they ask for your number? Take theirs instead. Then burn it. "But rumor has it it's the best, so I'll just go with that." She looked back at her book wondering just how long she would have to endure a conversation with him.

[milesmaynard]

Miles kept smiling and watching the curly blonde haired girl, listening to what she had to say. When she finally said hi it made him feel better. At least she wasn't rude.. or mute! If she was a mute then he would have felt like a total jerk. But then.. if that was the case she could have waved! Because she had two hands and she could have used either one to wave. Therefore, there was no way he could have been a jerk!

"Really? Well maybe you could try their hot chocolate when it gets cold outside. It's just as good!" If she didn't like it during the summer he could understand that. Sometimes it made your mouth all phlegmy and that was gross. But he usually finished his chocolate milk before he ate his food anyway and it saved him from the phlegmy part.

Miles shut up for a little bit and started to tap his fingers against the surface of the table, looking around and smiling at the others that were in there. Then, he started to drum against the table with just his index fingers like he was some kind of drummer. "Bum da bum bum dum!" He said quietly, hitting the napkin dispenser, the side of his cup, and anything else in his reach as if he was a rock star. When he was done he took another long sip of his chocolate milk and looked over at the girl again.

"What'cha doing?" He asked, drawing out the two words in a playful way. Miles was genuinely curious, the way a little kid might be. He tipped his head to the side and watched her, the same grin still on his face as he waited for an answer. And his food. Whichever came first would make him happy.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

She looked up at the boy for a moment and forced a thin lipped smile towards him at his suggestion. What the hell did he care what she ordered? Was he advertising for them? Did he get a free hot chocolate for every hot chocolate purchase he pushed? "I'll keep that in mind." She told him softly before going back to her schoolwork which she couldn't possibly concentrate on anymore with this boy there. She was so nervous about him asking more questions, but he grew quiet.

Then the noises starter.

Alyson's nostrils flared with the banging he was doing. What had she possibly done to him to deserve this sort of distraction?! Why was he being such a little ass hat? Hazel eyes darted up to glower at the boy, her teeth gritted behind her tightly closed mouth. Why did boys have to be so obnoxious? Did he realize just how annoying he was being? Was he doing it intentionally? Did he have any idea how much she was despising him with every. Last. Drumbeat?

When she heard him speak to her again, her body stiffened, her shoulders moving up in a tense reaction. With her lips still slightly pursed she looked up at the boy, obviously a little frazzled at this point. "Well, I was attempting to work on this paper, but it's not really easy to do when someone keeps talking to me and drumming on the table." She countered, letting him know just how annoyed she was with him. f he kept this up she would have no choice but to just leave the little cafe. She needed to get her work done even though she did have some time still. Either way, she didn't appreciate him pestering her the way he was and she wanted that point to come across loud and clear.

[milesmaynard]

Miles wasn't at all offended or embarrassed when the girl basically told him it was hard to focus when he was making so much noise and talking. "Well what is it?" Miles asked her ignoring what she said for the most part. "You know if you wanted privacy then maybe you shouldn't be in public. Just saying." He told her and stirred his chocolate milk with his straw making sure the chocolate and the milk didn't separate in the glass, watching it with his eyes and seeing the milk get a little darker by the time he was done.

He looked up just as the waitress was coming to the table with his plate of food. "Here you are. Is there anything else I can get for you?" The waitress asked politely, wiping her hands on a rag that was sticking out of the band of her apron. Miles looked down at the food that was in front of him and then looked back at the waitress and shook his head. "I think that's it for now. Thanks!" He told her happily and she nodded with a little smile of her own to be polite before walking off probably back to the kitchen.

"And you know that there are libraries that are real quiet? Nobody bothers you there. But here you have other people talking and you have the waitresses that ask what you want and then bring you food, then ask how your food is, then you have the check and they hover until you pay your bill... not a lot of privacy if you ask me." He scrunched up his nose a little at her and took a french fry, sticking it into his mouth and began to chew on it.

"Do you know where the library is?" He asked her curiously, still talking to her nicely without any sarcasm in his tone. It was almost as if he couldn't tell that he was irritating her.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

The longer Al sat there, the more she realized she should just get up and leave. She wanted to, nothing was really holding her back, and she knew she would probably be more productive if she just got her ass up and left the cafe that she enjoyed working in. It wasn't any of this boys business why she chose to do her school work there. She enjoyed the cafe. She enjoyed hearing the light chatter of the other patrons, the ability to get a snack or beverage if she chose to, the freedom to answer her cell phone without receiving a dozen glares... Why did she have to explain that to anyone? Why was it his business? Why did he think it was his appropriate to just be rude to whoever he wanted to?

Alyson pursed her lips, feeling annoyed and defeated. Bringing all those points up would simply cause a debate. Plus, she wasn't the biggest fan of the library unless she needed to be there, and she needed to finish up this work for her summer class. She went there when she needed to, but the library was enormous and confusing because of that. There were isles and isles of books, row upon row of computers, and at least 100 people walking around at any given time, usually more. It was by far the most grandeur facility she'd ever stepped foot into, and that alone made her uncomfortable. At least the cafe was cozy.

"What I'm working on isn't your business." She shot back finally, "And I prefer the cafe over the library, which I have been to before." She explained, her tone hot as she glowered slightly at the boy, letting him know just how rude she found him to be. Normally Alyson was cold towards people who didn't know her, but it was usually unintentional. Nothing about this was unintentional, though. Even with, he didn't really seem to be getting it, which in a way drove her even more crazy. The one time she wanted someone to believe she was giving them the cold shoulder, and they had no clue. Maybe she should try being nonchalant like usual. That might work better...

"I think I've made it obvious I didn't want to be bothered because I'm busy. Maybe if you had something worth saying, I'd want to listen, but really you're just pestering me because you can see it's distracting me, and obviously you enjoy being a bother." She started, now focusing on him and changing her tactics. "I have a right to study and work where I please and this is where I like to do it. That doesn't give you permission to bother me because we're in a cafe, not if you dno't have something constructive to say to me. So why don't you just tell me what it is you want and get it off your chest so I can finish my work and you can finish your lunch?" the gentle twang of her Texan accent came through for the first time, now that she was getting fired up. Normally she tried hiding it, but now she was truly upset and it was the most she had said to the boy. Hopefully she had offended him enough to get him to shut up. If not, maybe he would just say whatever it is that's on his mind and she could quit talking to him, or maybe, just maybe, she would have no choice but to leave the cafe and find someplace else to do her work. Maybe at home with the music up.

[milesmaynard]

Miles had just been having a good time! He might have been a little immature, but he was only trying to be funny and witty! Maybe he was doing it wrong though, because he could tell from the blonde lady's attitude that she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Even though it WAS a cafe and they were in public it was obvious that she just didn't like people. Miles' face fell slightly and his eyes slowly moved down towards his food, staring at it for a second just trying to figure out why she had to be so rude.

"Well it was nice to meet you anyway." He said to her and his chair loudly moved against the floor as he got up and picked up his plate and cup. He then walked over towards a table that was closer towards one of the side windows, a little table that was big enough to two people. He set his things down and took a chair, frowning a bit at his sandwich.

He picked up the sandwich and took a small bite although he didn't feel as hungry anymore. He was only trying to make a new friend. But she didn't like him so instead he stared out the window. The old people couldn't hear that well so they were hard to talk to. Miles had seen them a few times and tried but he always had to yell to talk to them and he figured the blonde wouldn't like that much either. So he decided the best thing he could do was sit there and eat quietly and stare out the window. He exhaled a little sigh and took another bite.

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

"........." Alyson stared at the boy slightly dumbstruck. He had done exactly what she wanted him to, leave her alone, but had done it in such a way that she actually suddenly felt guilty for the way she treated him. Had she maybe overreacted a bit? It was possible. He WAS being annoying, though. No matter what way she twisted it he was intentionally trying to get on her nerves.

Or was he?

Maybe that's just how he was. Maybe that's the way he tried to get to know people. Maybe he really was just trying to be friendly.

Was she seriously trying to rationalize this!? Alyson glared down at her book, scolding herself for giving him a second thought. She had told him off for not leaving her along and now he was doing what she wanted. Why on earth would that bother her in any way? She should feel relieved that he moved away and was keeping the really loud mouth of his shut while he ate his dumb sandwich and drank his stupid chocolate milk! Only she wasn't. That obnoxious guilt crept up as it always did when she went farther than she should have, or hurt someone feelings unintentionally. She was known for it. Cold hearted bitch; that's what guys had called her, but in reality it wasn't what she was. She was quiet and kind and often very shy. Sometimes her shyness manifested in comments that could be received as rude, though. But hadn't she meant to be rude to this boy?

She was clearly busy and he wouldn't leave her alone. What did she care what he thought of her? She would never see him again in her life! Probably. The girl grit her teeth and finally came to a decision; she couldn't stand to let this manifest any longer.

Alyson picked up her stuff and marched to the table the boy was sitting at, sitting down abruptly in the seat across from him and practically slamming her book down as if she were angry at him. "Alright, what's the big idea." She demanded in a harsh whisper, her brows low over her hazel eyes and she glowered at him. "You come in here and bug me to the point where I have to tell you off, and now I'm the one that feels bad? I shouldn't feel bad! You were bugging me!" She insisted, sighing and leaning back in the chair so she could put a little distance between them. "Least you could do is tell me what you wanted since I now feel like a total piece of shit, even though you did sort of deserve everything I said to you."

[milesmaynard]

Miles chewed his sandwich slowly and stared out the window, down about the fact that the blonde girl had told him to leave her alone pretty much. He stared out the window and watched the people walking down the street and stopping at the little kiosks that lined the sidewalk selling different items. There was one old lady he was watching in particular though. She had on this funny red hat with purple feathers sticking out of it and what looked like flowers or fake fruit? She was across the street on the sidewalk opposite the cafe so he couldn't see it clearly. But when she walked she had a funny little waddle to her step making the feathers on top of the hat sway and bounce in a funny manner.

He looked away and reached for his chocolate milk and took a sip from the straw when the girl came over and sat down at his table. It surprised him so much that he almost spilled his milk into his lap but luckily he tipped the glass away from him and splashed a little on the table instead. He set the glass down and grabbed a napkin and laid it over the spill knowing it would soak it up eventually and looked at the girl, listening to her explain how he deserved her rude attitude.

When the lady was finally done Miles took the hat off of his head that he had on which he stole from a kiosk before heading into the cafe, and set it down on the table between the two of them. He then moved his glass a little to the left so that it couldn't accidentally get on his brand new stolen hat. His hair was sticking up on the side of his head where the hat clearly sat before, making him look a little goofy as he shrugged his shoulders and tipped his head to the left during the shrug as if it were just an innocent little shrug at something that wasn't too big of a deal.

"I was just trying to make a new friend, that's all." Miles told her simply. That was his reasoning for his annoying mannerisms. He hadn't thought they were annoying at all. He thought he was just acting normal which was exactly what he had been doing. "You can't have too many friends and you looked like a nice person. I thought we could be friends."

He offered a crooked little innocent smile to her, his nose scrunching up a bit and watching her. "My name is Miles. What's yours?"

[ALYSON MONTGOMERY]

Almost immediately Alyson regretted coming over. Why did she feel bad again? Oh, maybe it was that baby face he had pouting as he looked out the window after she cut him down like freaking rotten oak. The girl wanted to slap her forehead with the palm of her hand when he introduced himself, stating he simply wanted to be friends. Alyson didn't need friends, or really want friends. She had enough friends. Sort of... She sort of liked that no one there really knew her, it was such a nice pace from the home town she grew up in where everyone not only knew her name, but where she was practically at all times. Everyone was a potential spy. But here? She could run naked down the street and no one would have a clue who she was, and most people wouldn't even be able to pick her out of a crowd after. Not that Al was the sort to streak, of course.

"Al." She told the boy softly, her voice almost a low grumble as she spoke, a little grumpy with herself for walking into his trap. She couldn't very well get up and leave now since that would be even more rude than telling him off. Alyson didn't like her name. She never thought it suited her. Alyson. Too feminine for her liking and Aly, which most people called her anyway, was way too cutesie. Al seemed to fit her better.

"To be very honest, Miles, I'm not really in the market for new friends." She explained in what she hoped was a semi-kind voice. At this point she wasn't trying to offend him or scare him off, which considering her luck meant that was exactly what she was doing. "I like my solitude, I don't get it very often." It was a true statement but even she had to admit it would be nice on occasion to get out and do something. Then again, that's what visits home meant. Her best friend from high school always dragged her to the parties around town. The bonfires were Al's favorite, because those were easy to hide at. "No offense."