House of Mirrors Chapter 1.2
anonymous
December 15 2010, 00:55:36 UTC
“Another tea, was it?” he asked the girl, a sporty-looking blonde who was a fairly regular customer.
“Yep, perfect!” she chirped and gave him the money. Instead of fixing her her drink by the till like normal, he turned his back to the group of students and did it on the counter by the back wall. In Arthur’s opinion, the art of tea-making was a pure and sacred thing that did not deserve to be tainted by thoughts on whether a certain American was a natural blond or not. The making of the perfect cuppa required finesse.
Arthur turned around to give the girl her tea- and the boy was leaning forward on the counter where the girl had been. He took the cup from Arthur’s outstretched hands and called out “Hey Jen, your coffee’s ready!” The girl, who was now sitting on one of the high stools, hopped off her seat and took her drink.
“Thanks so much!” she trilled. “And it’s tea, Alfred.”
The boy- Alfred- pretended to shudder. “Ewww. How can you drink that stuff? ” She giggled, and they continued to banter.
Arthur, watching covertly behind the till, noticed the way her hands lingered just a little longer than necessary on Alfred’s, how she looked at him like she was starstruck. Arthur felt a little stupid. Of course girls would like him. People like him were always popular.
Arthur scrubbed the counter like it had wronged him personally and his revenge was to rub it raw. He scrubbed it so furiously, in fact, that the cloth flew out of his hand and landed drawn-on smiley face (Feliciano’s idea) down on the linoleum floor, about a metre from him. Wonderful.
Arthur was slumped face down on the counter and was seriously considering going to sleep when a hand tapped lightly on his shoulder. He looked up- and there was the boy, Alfred, holding the cloth out to him.
“Uh, thank you.”
He snatched the cloth up. The boy didn’t leave. Why wouldn’t he leave, and save what was left of Arthur's self-respect? And why on earth was he still smiling?
“Is there a problem sir?”
He smiled wider, like a cat. “Sir, I like it. Don’t get called that very often.”
The corner of Arthur’s eye twitched. “Was there something you wanted?” The customer waited expectantly. “Sir?”
The boy beamed, as though Arthur’s reluctant attempt at politeness had personally made his night. “Not really, it’s just that...has anyone ever told you that you’re really pretty? ‘Cause you are, I mean, especially your eyes, that’s a really nice type of green and-“
Arthur cut him off with a wave of his hand. “No, they haven’t, and I have to say that coming from a virtual stranger it’s a bit creepy.”
The boy deflated. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to creep you out. I just wanted to talk to you...” He looked so forlorn that Arthur felt bad. Being mean to this boy sort of felt like kicking Bambi.
“Er, alright, we can talk if you want. What do you want to talk about?”
The boy returned to his former perky self instantly. “Great! So, what’s your name?”
“Arthur. You?”
“Arthur. That’s a real pretty name you got there. Like King Arthur, right?”
“Er, yes. What was your name again?”
“Alfred.”
Arthur awkwardly stuck out his hand. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Alfred.”
Alfred blinked. Then a slow smile spread across his face as he shook Arthur’s hand. Arthur tried very hard not to think about the way his heart pounded like a drummer at the touch.
“Haven’t seen you around here, you new?”
“Yeah kinda, I moved here with my brother a few weeks ago. This is my first time here.” He looked him up and down slowly. “I think I’ll come here more often.”
Arthur coughed to hide his embarrassment. “Yes, well, I’m sure my manager will be delighted. Do you, um, go to university here?”
“Sometimes.”
Arthur frowned and was about to ask him what he meant when the group of college students started packing up. The girl from earlier - Jen, was it? - called over to Alfred. “Come on, Al, we’re going!”
Alfred nodded briefly and turned back to Arthur. Then the damn boy had the nerve to wink - and no, it wasn’t attractive at all, Arthur told himself frantically. “See you around!”
And with that he was gone, leaving Arthur with a not unpleasant swooping sensation in his gut and plenty of material for daydreaming.
“Yep, perfect!” she chirped and gave him the money. Instead of fixing her her drink by the till like normal, he turned his back to the group of students and did it on the counter by the back wall. In Arthur’s opinion, the art of tea-making was a pure and sacred thing that did not deserve to be tainted by thoughts on whether a certain American was a natural blond or not. The making of the perfect cuppa required finesse.
Arthur turned around to give the girl her tea- and the boy was leaning forward on the counter where the girl had been. He took the cup from Arthur’s outstretched hands and called out “Hey Jen, your coffee’s ready!”
The girl, who was now sitting on one of the high stools, hopped off her seat and took her drink.
“Thanks so much!” she trilled. “And it’s tea, Alfred.”
The boy- Alfred- pretended to shudder. “Ewww. How can you drink that stuff? ” She giggled, and they continued to banter.
Arthur, watching covertly behind the till, noticed the way her hands lingered just a little longer than necessary on Alfred’s, how she looked at him like she was starstruck. Arthur felt a little stupid. Of course girls would like him. People like him were always popular.
Arthur scrubbed the counter like it had wronged him personally and his revenge was to rub it raw. He scrubbed it so furiously, in fact, that the cloth flew out of his hand and landed drawn-on smiley face (Feliciano’s idea) down on the linoleum floor, about a metre from him. Wonderful.
Arthur was slumped face down on the counter and was seriously considering going to sleep when a hand tapped lightly on his shoulder. He looked up- and there was the boy, Alfred, holding the cloth out to him.
“Uh, thank you.”
He snatched the cloth up. The boy didn’t leave. Why wouldn’t he leave, and save what was left of Arthur's self-respect? And why on earth was he still smiling?
“Is there a problem sir?”
He smiled wider, like a cat. “Sir, I like it. Don’t get called that very often.”
The corner of Arthur’s eye twitched. “Was there something you wanted?” The customer waited expectantly. “Sir?”
The boy beamed, as though Arthur’s reluctant attempt at politeness had personally made his night. “Not really, it’s just that...has anyone ever told you that you’re really pretty? ‘Cause you are, I mean, especially your eyes, that’s a really nice type of green and-“
Arthur cut him off with a wave of his hand. “No, they haven’t, and I have to say that coming from a virtual stranger it’s a bit creepy.”
The boy deflated. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to creep you out. I just wanted to talk to you...” He looked so forlorn that Arthur felt bad. Being mean to this boy sort of felt like kicking Bambi.
“Er, alright, we can talk if you want. What do you want to talk about?”
The boy returned to his former perky self instantly. “Great! So, what’s your name?”
“Arthur. You?”
“Arthur. That’s a real pretty name you got there. Like King Arthur, right?”
“Er, yes. What was your name again?”
“Alfred.”
Arthur awkwardly stuck out his hand. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Alfred.”
Alfred blinked. Then a slow smile spread across his face as he shook Arthur’s hand. Arthur tried very hard not to think about the way his heart pounded like a drummer at the touch.
“Haven’t seen you around here, you new?”
“Yeah kinda, I moved here with my brother a few weeks ago. This is my first time here.” He looked him up and down slowly. “I think I’ll come here more often.”
Arthur coughed to hide his embarrassment. “Yes, well, I’m sure my manager will be delighted. Do you, um, go to university here?”
“Sometimes.”
Arthur frowned and was about to ask him what he meant when the group of college students started packing up. The girl from earlier - Jen, was it? - called over to Alfred. “Come on, Al, we’re going!”
Alfred nodded briefly and turned back to Arthur. Then the damn boy had the nerve to wink - and no, it wasn’t attractive at all, Arthur told himself frantically. “See you around!”
And with that he was gone, leaving Arthur with a not unpleasant swooping sensation in his gut and plenty of material for daydreaming.
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