Post by citizenmike on Jan 27, 2010 13:38:13 GMT -5
Stories Worth Telling Her...
Kevin should have seen it coming. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't... Does anyone ever have any foresight when these things happen? They just happen. These things just happen.
No they don't.
Quit making excuses, man.
The train taking him uptown wasn't as packed as it normally was. It was just Kevin and maybe a few others in there, but for some reason, he still insisted on standing. There was something about standing, on the far end of the train, wandering out at the city as it came and went, and thinking. Sometimes, there'd be music to play. Something to hear. Today, after lunchtime on a Friday, it was just thinking. No song he could ever conjure could touch upon what he was thinking about.
That was a lie.
There were songs. Thousands of songs; half of it being played somewhere right now, for all he knew someone else could be playing one of those songs on their mp3 players right now, as Kevin thought to himself; and it wouldn't be just any song. It would be the song. The one song among thousands, among millions, that perfectly matched, musically and lyrically, whatever it was Kevin was feeling.
It was a girl. It's always a girl isn't it?
As for the rest of those songs... Their being written, right now, by people going through the same thing he was. That terrible, awful, and wonderful, and beautiful, and warm, and sweet feeling of starting to like someone.
Kevin had to smile... If it wasn't for the lousy check he was rushing after, he would have spent more time with her.
"I didn't expect to see you here again.", Kevin told her as he walked into the cafe. Truth was, he knew she was going to be there. Kevin was counting on bumping into her. It was on his way to the train station, that little cafe across the street from his place. Kevin figured, earlier that day, if she wasn't going to be there, she wasn't going to be there, but at least he'd have his coffee.
"Neither did I.", She replied as she placed her things away and emptied the extra chair for him.
"That seat taken?", Kevin asked her.
"I'm opening the seat, aren't I?", She scoffed playfully.
Kevin couldn't do anything else but smile as he went to the counter and ordered his coffee. He waited by the counter for what seemed to be an eternity. All he wanted was black coffee, the rest he could throw in himself. He looked away and turned to her. She was steeped into what she was reading, and all Kevin could see was the back of her head, straight auburn hair faced down into that textbook of hers.
Approaching her with his coffee sweetened to his liking, Kevin asked, "Am I interrupting?".
She looked up and smiled, replying, "I'm up for an interruption.".
"You sure?", Kevin asked, hesitantly.
"Please.".
Kevin took the seat across her and lowered himself gently. "So, what're you reading?".
She looked up at Kevin, still smiling, flashing a textbook with a complicated title; something about animals Kevin figured. "Is that as complicated as I think it is?", Kevin asked.
"Read the title.", She replied, pointing to the top of the book.
"I'll take that as a yes.", Kevin replied.
She laughed, replying, "Hell yes!".
"So after all this time I finally figure out what you're doing with your life.".
"You never knew?".
"I never asked.", Kevin replied.
"Well, that's just one of the things I happen to be doing with my life.".
"What else do you do then?".
"Let's be friends first before I tell you.".
"Can I guess then?".
"By all means.".
"You're a spy. A Canadian national working secretly for the government and you're posing as a student taking up whatever it is that's inside that textbook of yours.".
She laughed. "That is nowhere close, but you got the last part, so I'll give you that.".
Kevin grinned. He was making her laugh... That counted for something.
"So Kevin, what do you do?".
"I'm a record store clerk, part time writer, moonlighting as a superhero.".
"I bet you are!".
"I am.". Kevin unbuttoned the top of his shirt to reveal the brown t-shirt underneath. "You see that?".
"Yeah?".
"That's my costume.".
"Oh really? Where's your mask then, mister?".
"It doubles a hoodie.".
"Convenient.".
"Very.".
"Look at this, a spy having coffee with a superhero. Do you think everyone else in here knows?".
"I thought you said you weren't a spy?", Kevin asked.
"Did I?".
"Yeah, I think you did.".
"But, I never said if I was or wasn't, I just said you got part of that theory right.".
"The spy part or the student bit?".
"Take a guess.", She said, almost daring him, as she crossed her arms.
"I don't think I want to.", Kevin shot back, crossing his own arms.
"And why's that?".
"Because I'm going to get something wrong.", Kevin answered chuckling.
"Isn't that the fun part of it?".
"Perhaps.".
"Then why aren't you answering me?".
Kevin smiled at her and said nothing.
Glancing at his watch, Kevin said, "Look, I have to run.".
"Good save.".
"No, its not that.", Kevin said as he rose from his seat. "I'm supposed to pick up a check and I want to cash it in before the bank closes. Will you be here in an hour?".
"Maybe.", She replied with a smile.
"Ok, maybe I'll see you then?".
"Maybe.", She replied with a smile.
Kevin waited as the train slowly approached his station. Kevin didn't know what it was about the train, maybe the tracks were unstable, but for some reason, the train would always slow down, at least a mile and a half away from that one particular stop. Kevin pushed himself off the window and slowly made his way towards the door.
Glancing at his watch, Kevin had an hour to make a run for the office and the bank. It wasn't enough time, damn it. Running was cutting it a bit too close, let alone walking fast.
Walking to the office, Kevin still couldn't get her out of his mind. He just wanted to get back to that coffee shop and continue talking to her. He didn't want to be there, on the street leading to the building, on the stairs that led up to that crammed little accounting office that would hand him check. He still didn't want to be there and he was still thinking about her as he watched the riffle through mounds of unclaimed checks, and even more so when they handed him his. Looking at the clock, he had about fifteen minutes before the bank closed.
He was going to have to run for it. Damn it.
Taking his check, Kevin barely scribbled his name over the appropriate paperwork they gave him. Rushing out of the account office and down the steps that led him outside, Kevin only had two things on his mind: First, obviously, was that girl. And second, it was reaching the bank on time.
It was a couple minutes past closing time when Kevin finally reached the bank. The guards were closing up as Kevin watched the remaining few inside as they finished up their transactions. Looking at the guard, an elderly gentleman who was old enough to be his father, Kevin dropped to his knees and pleased, "You have to let me in!".
"I'm sorry, kid. Come back again tomorrow.".
"Come on, there are still people inside! What's one more?".
Kevin watched as the guard looked into the bank. He was making a scene and he knew it; damn it, it was the only thing he could do at this point and he wasn't exactly keen on commuting a good hour just to come back the next day. Kevin watched as the people inside looked at him, they were probably saying things, but he was hoping that his antics would either come across as youthfully pathetic, in a cute way, or just... Well... Pathetic.
The manager nodded and waved him inside. The guard opened the door and let him in. Kevin nodded and whispered his thanks as he rose from his knees and walked inside.
The walk to the teller was the kind of walk that was pretty short, but on account of all the people looking at him, it just seemed to last forever. Kevin stood in line and waited his turn. The black man ahead of him looked back. Kevin smiled at him, as he chuckled and turned his head.
At least it worked, Kevin shrugged. At least it worked.
The line wasn't long aside from the black guy. It was just the two of them and the woman ahead. Kevin reached the end of the line and incashed his check. A substantial amount that barely did any justice to the work he put in. At least he was getting paid for something. Turning away as he slipped his wallet back into his pocket, Kevin made a run for the train station.
On the train, Kevin finally stumbled onto a song he wanted to share with her and on top of that, he had a story worth telling her. Watching as the day slowly gave way tonight, with the city he passed earlier coming one way and going the other, Kevin imagined running back to the coffee shop.
No, he wouldn't be running. He'd just casually stroll back in, and miraculously, she'd still be there, in the exact same spot where he left her; nursing a coffee and knee-deep into that textbook with the complicated title. And he'd stroll in, and she'd look up at him with those expecting hazel eyes of hers and she'd ask him if he really had to cash a check, and he'd tell her that he did. And from there, over a cup of coffee, his treat, he'd tell her all about how he rushed to the office with the sole intention of catching the bank. Kevin figured, he'd leave out the part about thinking of her the entire time. But yeah, he'd tell her about that, and how he made it to the bank just a couple minutes too late, and how he had to beg, on his knees, to let him in. And she'd laugh and smile, and in turn, he'd just sit there, across from her, smiling for making her laugh and smile, and smiling even more for just being with her.
As luck would have it, she was gone by the time Kevin left. He didn't have as much as her number to call her and tell her about it, and even if he did, would she honestly want to listen to it? It was stupid anyway. Begging to the bank to let him in to in cash his check a couple minutes too late... It was pathetic. Very few twenty one year-old's were in the helpless and pathetic position, and Kevin Gordon was one of them.
Maybe it was a story meant for another time, maybe it wasn't. God only knew when he'd tell it to her again.
Kevin turned his head and headed for the door. Anyway, it was close to his shift.
"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to show up.".
Kevin should have seen it coming. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't... Does anyone ever have any foresight when these things happen? They just happen. These things just happen.
No they don't.
Quit making excuses, man.
The train taking him uptown wasn't as packed as it normally was. It was just Kevin and maybe a few others in there, but for some reason, he still insisted on standing. There was something about standing, on the far end of the train, wandering out at the city as it came and went, and thinking. Sometimes, there'd be music to play. Something to hear. Today, after lunchtime on a Friday, it was just thinking. No song he could ever conjure could touch upon what he was thinking about.
That was a lie.
There were songs. Thousands of songs; half of it being played somewhere right now, for all he knew someone else could be playing one of those songs on their mp3 players right now, as Kevin thought to himself; and it wouldn't be just any song. It would be the song. The one song among thousands, among millions, that perfectly matched, musically and lyrically, whatever it was Kevin was feeling.
It was a girl. It's always a girl isn't it?
As for the rest of those songs... Their being written, right now, by people going through the same thing he was. That terrible, awful, and wonderful, and beautiful, and warm, and sweet feeling of starting to like someone.
Kevin had to smile... If it wasn't for the lousy check he was rushing after, he would have spent more time with her.
"I didn't expect to see you here again.", Kevin told her as he walked into the cafe. Truth was, he knew she was going to be there. Kevin was counting on bumping into her. It was on his way to the train station, that little cafe across the street from his place. Kevin figured, earlier that day, if she wasn't going to be there, she wasn't going to be there, but at least he'd have his coffee.
"Neither did I.", She replied as she placed her things away and emptied the extra chair for him.
"That seat taken?", Kevin asked her.
"I'm opening the seat, aren't I?", She scoffed playfully.
Kevin couldn't do anything else but smile as he went to the counter and ordered his coffee. He waited by the counter for what seemed to be an eternity. All he wanted was black coffee, the rest he could throw in himself. He looked away and turned to her. She was steeped into what she was reading, and all Kevin could see was the back of her head, straight auburn hair faced down into that textbook of hers.
Approaching her with his coffee sweetened to his liking, Kevin asked, "Am I interrupting?".
She looked up and smiled, replying, "I'm up for an interruption.".
"You sure?", Kevin asked, hesitantly.
"Please.".
Kevin took the seat across her and lowered himself gently. "So, what're you reading?".
She looked up at Kevin, still smiling, flashing a textbook with a complicated title; something about animals Kevin figured. "Is that as complicated as I think it is?", Kevin asked.
"Read the title.", She replied, pointing to the top of the book.
"I'll take that as a yes.", Kevin replied.
She laughed, replying, "Hell yes!".
"So after all this time I finally figure out what you're doing with your life.".
"You never knew?".
"I never asked.", Kevin replied.
"Well, that's just one of the things I happen to be doing with my life.".
"What else do you do then?".
"Let's be friends first before I tell you.".
"Can I guess then?".
"By all means.".
"You're a spy. A Canadian national working secretly for the government and you're posing as a student taking up whatever it is that's inside that textbook of yours.".
She laughed. "That is nowhere close, but you got the last part, so I'll give you that.".
Kevin grinned. He was making her laugh... That counted for something.
"So Kevin, what do you do?".
"I'm a record store clerk, part time writer, moonlighting as a superhero.".
"I bet you are!".
"I am.". Kevin unbuttoned the top of his shirt to reveal the brown t-shirt underneath. "You see that?".
"Yeah?".
"That's my costume.".
"Oh really? Where's your mask then, mister?".
"It doubles a hoodie.".
"Convenient.".
"Very.".
"Look at this, a spy having coffee with a superhero. Do you think everyone else in here knows?".
"I thought you said you weren't a spy?", Kevin asked.
"Did I?".
"Yeah, I think you did.".
"But, I never said if I was or wasn't, I just said you got part of that theory right.".
"The spy part or the student bit?".
"Take a guess.", She said, almost daring him, as she crossed her arms.
"I don't think I want to.", Kevin shot back, crossing his own arms.
"And why's that?".
"Because I'm going to get something wrong.", Kevin answered chuckling.
"Isn't that the fun part of it?".
"Perhaps.".
"Then why aren't you answering me?".
Kevin smiled at her and said nothing.
Glancing at his watch, Kevin said, "Look, I have to run.".
"Good save.".
"No, its not that.", Kevin said as he rose from his seat. "I'm supposed to pick up a check and I want to cash it in before the bank closes. Will you be here in an hour?".
"Maybe.", She replied with a smile.
"Ok, maybe I'll see you then?".
"Maybe.", She replied with a smile.
Kevin waited as the train slowly approached his station. Kevin didn't know what it was about the train, maybe the tracks were unstable, but for some reason, the train would always slow down, at least a mile and a half away from that one particular stop. Kevin pushed himself off the window and slowly made his way towards the door.
Glancing at his watch, Kevin had an hour to make a run for the office and the bank. It wasn't enough time, damn it. Running was cutting it a bit too close, let alone walking fast.
Walking to the office, Kevin still couldn't get her out of his mind. He just wanted to get back to that coffee shop and continue talking to her. He didn't want to be there, on the street leading to the building, on the stairs that led up to that crammed little accounting office that would hand him check. He still didn't want to be there and he was still thinking about her as he watched the riffle through mounds of unclaimed checks, and even more so when they handed him his. Looking at the clock, he had about fifteen minutes before the bank closed.
He was going to have to run for it. Damn it.
Taking his check, Kevin barely scribbled his name over the appropriate paperwork they gave him. Rushing out of the account office and down the steps that led him outside, Kevin only had two things on his mind: First, obviously, was that girl. And second, it was reaching the bank on time.
It was a couple minutes past closing time when Kevin finally reached the bank. The guards were closing up as Kevin watched the remaining few inside as they finished up their transactions. Looking at the guard, an elderly gentleman who was old enough to be his father, Kevin dropped to his knees and pleased, "You have to let me in!".
"I'm sorry, kid. Come back again tomorrow.".
"Come on, there are still people inside! What's one more?".
Kevin watched as the guard looked into the bank. He was making a scene and he knew it; damn it, it was the only thing he could do at this point and he wasn't exactly keen on commuting a good hour just to come back the next day. Kevin watched as the people inside looked at him, they were probably saying things, but he was hoping that his antics would either come across as youthfully pathetic, in a cute way, or just... Well... Pathetic.
The manager nodded and waved him inside. The guard opened the door and let him in. Kevin nodded and whispered his thanks as he rose from his knees and walked inside.
The walk to the teller was the kind of walk that was pretty short, but on account of all the people looking at him, it just seemed to last forever. Kevin stood in line and waited his turn. The black man ahead of him looked back. Kevin smiled at him, as he chuckled and turned his head.
At least it worked, Kevin shrugged. At least it worked.
The line wasn't long aside from the black guy. It was just the two of them and the woman ahead. Kevin reached the end of the line and incashed his check. A substantial amount that barely did any justice to the work he put in. At least he was getting paid for something. Turning away as he slipped his wallet back into his pocket, Kevin made a run for the train station.
On the train, Kevin finally stumbled onto a song he wanted to share with her and on top of that, he had a story worth telling her. Watching as the day slowly gave way tonight, with the city he passed earlier coming one way and going the other, Kevin imagined running back to the coffee shop.
No, he wouldn't be running. He'd just casually stroll back in, and miraculously, she'd still be there, in the exact same spot where he left her; nursing a coffee and knee-deep into that textbook with the complicated title. And he'd stroll in, and she'd look up at him with those expecting hazel eyes of hers and she'd ask him if he really had to cash a check, and he'd tell her that he did. And from there, over a cup of coffee, his treat, he'd tell her all about how he rushed to the office with the sole intention of catching the bank. Kevin figured, he'd leave out the part about thinking of her the entire time. But yeah, he'd tell her about that, and how he made it to the bank just a couple minutes too late, and how he had to beg, on his knees, to let him in. And she'd laugh and smile, and in turn, he'd just sit there, across from her, smiling for making her laugh and smile, and smiling even more for just being with her.
As luck would have it, she was gone by the time Kevin left. He didn't have as much as her number to call her and tell her about it, and even if he did, would she honestly want to listen to it? It was stupid anyway. Begging to the bank to let him in to in cash his check a couple minutes too late... It was pathetic. Very few twenty one year-old's were in the helpless and pathetic position, and Kevin Gordon was one of them.
Maybe it was a story meant for another time, maybe it wasn't. God only knew when he'd tell it to her again.
Kevin turned his head and headed for the door. Anyway, it was close to his shift.
"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to show up.".
