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Always serving up its special Midnight servings... |
| [Introduction]
Working for Simon Spector at Midnight Pie Coffee Shop, Records & Books is, to say the least, interesting. An eccentric man, he hired a tightly-knitted group of recently graduated friends to work for him. This was a year ago; since then, Midnight Pie has grown as one of the most known hang-out places in all New York. The original group of friends still holds strong and have taken the humorous nickname of "The Midnight Pie Society". This is the Society's chronicle of friendship, inside jokes, broken and mended hearts, inane discussions, lessons on how life works and, of course, midnight pie servings. CAST OF CHARACTERS Lynn Watson (Cammy is free!  )Alec Meyers (Aiken4LOTR )Avi Anarado (Professor Q  )Troy Gervais (Tenea )Susan Barkman (love_is_sacred) Derryk Coupland (In Your Dirtiest Pants )--> So, everyone already knows the rules. Bio-blocks on the first turn, pick a color to write your additions with, the whole she-bang. Any doubts, concerns or suggestions, just e-mail me. Have fun! :) Oh, and I'm going back to the 4-day period for additions - but if you need more time, just let me know! |
| Name: Lynn Watson Age: 18 Appearance: Lynn stands at 5'11'' and weighs 136 lbs. She has straight, chin-lenght jet black hair and oval-shaped sea blue eyes framed by long eyelashes. Her skin is tanned and she has a fit, slender body from swimming practice. Her lips are of a light pinkish and she wears little make-up. She also keeps her hands and nails impeccable. Clothing-wise, Lynn has her own style: she will wear anything she finds comfortable, be it a new pair of jeans or a flower-patterned dress she bought at a vintage store; she doesn't really mind WHERE she's getting her clothes, as long as she found an article of clothing that is of her taste. Also, she wears glasses (thin, black rectangular plastic framework) and only silver jewelry. She looks - and is - very spunky. Personality: Lynn's a very friendly, loyal, kind, and compassionate person. She will always make sure that there's someone sober to get everyone home when her friends is out - most of the time it's herself. She's very intelligent too, which means she's a bit strange and eccentric. She's open-minded and doesn't really care to what other people think of her; also, she thinks that there is a silver lining to every dark cloud. She can be stubborn at times, but never cruel or snobbish. Lynn also gets very attached to people in short amounts of time, which sometimes leaves her heartbroken or hurt. Likes: Chocolate, reading, writing, singing, swimming, rock 'n' roll of any kind, art, movies, the sound of laughter, her friends Dislikes: Racism, narrow-minded people, war, drunkards, annoying boys, people who care too much about their looks and what people think of them and forget to have fun Habits: Often calling people "mate" Relationship Status: Single Other: Lynn's Australian (from Melbourne). Her family has been living in New York since she was ten and have returned there recently; she currently lives with Avi and Alec and plans to get into college soon. She plays the drums and the piano and also is a great painter. |
Name: Alec Meyers Gender: Male Age: 18 Appearance: Alec is tall and lanky looking, standing at 6’1”, but is rather adorable. He has a silky, southern accent, somewhat spiky, blondish-brown hair, gorgeous blue-green eyes, and a heart-melting smile. He is not the type of guy you necessarily fall for because he is good-looking. He is more attractive in the sense that he is the kind of guy that you can easily approach. He has a very friendly and welcoming quality about his entire look. He doesn’t really care if he’s not wearing designer clothes, or even if he is, he just likes to be comfortable. Personality: Alec is very accepting of others; he’s laid back and also has a charming demeanor. He is sometimes sort of silly, but altogether, he is a really sweet guy. He can be somewhat reserved at times, because he is fairly shy, but when he knows you need him, he is there for you. He is truly a kind person and caring friend to others. He is great at holding a meaningful conversation, because he is a good listener, and if you just want to joke around, he is good at that too! He likes to have a good time, but don’t push him too far because he is very religious, which limits a lot of the things he will and will not do. For instance, whenever they all go out, he is never the one to wind up in trouble; actually, he’s usually the one getting everyone out of trouble! History: Alec was raised in a Baptist household, with his parents, and a younger brother in the South. After middle-school, his family moved to New York, and he entered a new high school, where he met his future friends. Now he lives with some of his "Midnight Pie Society" friends: Lynn and Avi. Likes: Alec enjoys laughter, music (singing too), reading and writing. All four are his outlet to get away from the stress and hardships of everyday life. He likes to read inspirational stories, and has recently started to read the Bible, though he has yet to get very far. And as far as writing goes, he doesn’t share what he writes about with anyone. He writes for himself. Dislikes: Alec likes pretty much any kind of music, except for heavy metal and rap where every other word is a swear word. He also is against homosexuality, racism, and prejudice, though he is not against any of the people related to these things, only the fact that they are involved with these things. Plus, he sometimes doesn’t see the point of swearing or crude jokes, and prefers that none of it be said. Habits: He has the tendency to drive Aveline (Avi) crazy because he doesn’t like that she is Wiccan. Sometimes bugs the others with his religious talk, or his lectures on swearing and crude jokes. Relationship Status: Single Other: He has an amazing, deep and soothing voice, but has never shared his talent with others. He mostly works at the register. |
| Name: Aveline "Avi" Anarado Age: 18 Appearance: Avi stands at 5'8 and fills that height in. She isn't a skinny person, but she isn't fat, either. Avi is just... voluptuous. She has a rather large chest and then the body to support it. But she can still wear a bikini without having rolls of fat falling out all over the place, if you catch my drift. Tanned skin with a spray of freckles across her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose, as well as her shoulders. Long, dark brown hair falls, straight, to the middle of her back and she usually puts it up with two small braids from the front tied together in the back- she puts flowers in the braids, too. Her eyes are large, green, and they sparkle really pretty-like. She has full lips and proportionate features and is rather strinking. Usually, she wears...whatever she wants and covers her boobs. A lot of the time, to work, she wears one of her many "Renaissance-y" out-fits and she wears something more modern if she's going out. Personality: Avi is one of those people whose openness is refreshing bordering on frightening. She has shame, but she isn't afraid to go all out on something or do something stupid. Very blunt, she is direct and to the point, whether it's an embarrassing comment, or not. Surprisingly enough, she is very in-tune with what people want and takes care not to embarrass someone else. Friendly and funny, she is a bit of a partier, though she doesn't generally get drunk. The Mistress of Bellydancing amongst the group, she is just a very open person and great to hang out with if you want to have a good time. Likes: Music, the Renaissance Festival, the Renaissance... period, Bellydancing, Partying, Writing, Anime, Reading, FOOTBALL!!! (American), Baseball, and a buncha other stuff. Dislikes: Stupid people, arrogance, people who're too afraid to have a good time, racism, prejudice in general, and prejudice in religion (mostly Alec's since he never leaves her be about being Wiccan). Habits: She's always whistling while she makes coffee (she works in the cafe section) and always puts her left sock on first. Don't ask. Relationship Status: Single Other: She's Wiccan. And she plays the sitar... and the cello. And she's just cool like that. |
| Name: Troy Gervais Age: 19 Appearance: Tousled mahogany brown hair, long and always looking like it could stand to be cut, sits atop a square face. Round hazel eyes, a striking color which contrasts with the extremely pale skin tone. He stands at about 6'5", tall even for the group of friends he moves in, and has some muscle on him, weighing 240 pounds and looking like an athlete. He's fond of turtleneck sweaters, which gets him teased by the others relentlessly. Personality: Troy is one of those guys who seems to excel under pressure. He keeps a calm head no matter what happens, which is why he thinks he'd make a good emergency room doctor. The others often joke that he's "thick like ox" because he isn't always quick on the uptake. He's the most frequent target of jokes and pranks. Troy tends to be better at listening than talking, but can express his feelings well in a few words. Likes: Crime and hospital TV shows, turtleneck sweaters, cooking, swing dancing, crime novels, jazz music Dislikes: Fast food (never eats at McDonald's), racism, prejudice, extreme silliness, having jokes played on him (which doesn't go very far), cruelty, teasing, bullying Habits: Greets everyone that comes into the store, says "Have a nice day" when they leave. Relationship Status: He's been dating Patricia Exeter for a month. She's a medical student. Other: Has won swing-dancing competitions. |
| Name: Susan Barkman Gender: Female Age: 18 Appearance: Susan is fairly average height 5'4 and is a really sweet girl. She has brown hair and hazel green eyes and is often frowning a lot. A bit thin and scrawny not exactly the kind of girl that anyone would give a second look to. Personality: Susan is very understanding about other people, she accepts others easily for their differences and cares about a lot of people. People find themselves telling her things that they never thought they would just because she is there. She has a real love of dogs and all creatures really and is deeply into meditation and other alternative styles of life. Is very loud when you first get to know her but calms down after a while, she keeps to the corner when she is uncomfortable but when she's in a new surrounding will be loud and somewhat annoying until she calms down a little bit. She is extremely loyal to her friends and those she cares about. She listens to people around her and tries to help them in any way she can. She has self reservations but has been going through some serious mental problems of late which may cause her to act strangely at times. For instance once she embarrassed her friends by standing on the table and singing "I'm a little teacup" until one of her friends joined in! History: Susan lived with her mother and her father until about three months ago when her father FINALLY left. She had been beaten badly by her father in the past (once she hit teenagedhood he started in on her) and often had to climb out of the window and run off down the street when he started getting too close to her. Her friends discovered what was happening and helped get her out of that situation and when her mother finally believed her of what was happening she threw her father out and has now got a restraining order against him..that however doesn't mean that he doesn't show up occasionally and Susan runs the second she sees him. She's fast and he is relatively slower than she is so running is the best ulternative because he is stronger than her. Her friends knew of her violent treatment but not of her father following her. Likes: Susan loves being around her friends and just having a good time, laughing, singing, trying to play a musical instrument and failing miserably because she can't work out how to read notes. She reads when she has time (mostly scifi) but prefers to write. Dislikes: Susan really hates techno music, is allergic to seafood and doesn't like anyone who is not open minded and understanding like she tries to be every day. Habits: When she loses it because she is scared, because she can't cope with what's going on in her life, she can become quite an embarrassment to her friends... but somehow they still stick by her. Relationship Status: Single Other: She works sometimes out the back and sometimes at the register depending on where they need help. |
| Name: Derryk Coupland Gender: Male Age: 20 Appearance: Most people don't know how describe his look. He wears tight thirft store T-shirts that show off his tattooed arms. He has no piercings, except his ears, which are stretched out. His jeans are fitted and always rolled up at the bottom. He has messy brown hair and sideburns. He has a retro look. His Buddy Holly glasses just add to this. He's thin, but has strong arms. He's 6'0. Even behind his glasses, it hard not to notice his feminine looking brown eyes. Girls have been known to swoon over them. Personality: Derryk's a musical elitist. Sometimes he comes off as snobby, but he's just shy. Not a lot of people like him [it's been like this since grade school] so he uses his 'snobbiness' as a defense against getting left behind. When it comes down to it, he's extremely caring about those he gets close to and would do anything to make sure they're happy and okay. History: Derryk's dad was put in prison for things Derryk wants to know nothing about. He tries to forget about that man and have a better life. Derryk's mother is an artist, just like Derryk, but of a different sort. His mother does theatrical plays, and reads poetry at the local coffee houses. Derryk has always been a big part of that life, which is what inspired him to take up guitar and piano. He and his mother have always lived with a decent amount of money downtown. Not just family, they're best friends. Likes: indie-rock music, cult-like authors [such as: Palahniuk and Ellis], going to clubs, playing with his band, dancing like a crazy man, and most of all art. Dislikes: hypocrites, bad grammar, trends, people that think the world is all "bunnies and sun flowers". Habits: smoking, random dancing, plus, he always eats the red Smarties last. Relationship Status: single, but not really looking. Other: Derryk is bisexual, but it shouldn't and doesn't matter. Derryk is mostly stalking shelves and cleaning up around the place. They don't let him too near customers because of his sarcastic and bitter comments on everything. |
| Lynn was bored. That was the only reason for her to be sitting with head on the floor and legs on the seat. Midnight Pie was in a low morning, and in that cold Autumn morning she had gotten to stay behind the counter and play cashier for a day. "Lynn?" "What, mate?" Her voice croaked a little, probably the work of the blood rushing to her head. She looked up, sort of, and saw an upside-down Troy with what looked like a box. Lynn smiled. Yeah, it was a box, a dark brown cardboard box, she decided after five seconds. The blood was really doing something to her head. "You bored?" "What does it look like?" "Want to help me out here?" "Do I have to get out of the counter? I mean, Simon might arrive here at any moment and he's nice and all, but you know how how he reacts sometimes when we aren't working properly." The box's top was open for a moment, then closed back. "I think not. I might just have to get a chair to sit there, more help, and, well, you'll have to sit like a normal person for a while, if you don't mind." "Why should I mind? My head was about to explode anyways. Hang in there." Lynn spoke, probably for the walls, as when she brought herself back up again, Troy and the box were both already gone after the chair and the help. Avi, in turn, was making coffee by herself. Lynn could hear the whistling over the voices of two friends who had just entered the store blabbering. She watched on as the two shuffled around a few records under Alec's stare and took straight off for the book section, where Susan was standing and Derryk was stacking the shelves. Everything seemed normal, but experience taught Lynn that things weren't always what they seemed, especially when you work for an eccentric man with a group of friends with varying degrees of madness and quirk, herself included. "Watson." The voice was unmistakeable; Lynn didn't even have to look back to know Simon Spector was in, calling her by her surname as he usually did with his employees. She was sure the man would never stop ceasing to amaze her. "Oy, good morning, Mr. Spector." Lynn said, a little too refreshing. "What's up?" "So far, nothing." He paused. "But I might have some news soon. Is my room open?" By "room", he meant "storage room"; Simon's headquarters, where all business were conducted, were located there; he preferred being there rather than having a room of his own. Another of the man's quirks. "Yeah, I think so, Troy went there a little while ago." Lynn paused to lean her elbows on the counter. "You didn't lose your keys again, did you?" "No, no, I just seem to have misplaced them at home. I'm sure I'll find them later. See you later, Watson!" He said, nearly running into the two friends walking out of the store, still blabbering but taking no record, book or coffee. It sort of made sense, Lynn thought. They didn't quite look like the kind of person who'd buy something, even coffee, from Midnight Pie. "See you later, boss!" Lynn answered, leaning back. When Simon was out of view, Alec approached, carrying two steaming mugs of hot cocoa. "There you go." He smiled, handing one of them to his friend. "Thanks, Alec." She smiled. "What did I do to deserve this, though?" |
Alec stood next to a listening center in the music section of the store. With his elbow resting on a rickety stack of CDs, his blue-green gaze followed a pair of teenagers chatting as they carelessly strutted through the aisles. He sighed, unsure of what to do with himself on this chilly, Autumn morning. He had seen the pair teenage girls come in before, but usually there was another with them. Fortunately, she must’ve been too preoccupied to come and visit today. Alec had become quite tired of being teased by Derryk and his other friends, all of whom insisted the third teenage girl had a crush on him. Looking around, he saw Susan manning the book section, while Derryk stocked the shelves. Troy had taken off with a box, and Avi was making the morning’s first round of coffee. Coffee wasn’t really Alec’s cup of tea, but hot chocolate sounded like a good way to start the work day. While waiting for his hot chocolate, Alec watched as Simon strolled through the store, stopping momentarily to speak with Lynn. He then whisked by the two teens and sought refuge in his storage room office as he often did. Alec nodded in thanks as Avi slid two steaming cups of hot cocoa towards him. He then picked up the mugs and headed towards the cash registers. “There you go,” Alec said as he handed a mug to Lynn. Every once in a while, Alec was known to show spontaneous acts of kindness. Yesterday had been Troy’s lucky day, and today, Alec chose to bestow his kindness on his dear friend, Lynn. Lynn had a surprised look upon her face as she accepted the early morning treat. “Thanks Alec. What did I do to deserve this, though?” Alec smiled that warm, quirky grin of his. He merely shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his cocoa. When he pulled his lips away, a whipped cream mustache lined his upper lip. “Not exactly the best look for you, Alec,” Lynn retorted with a snort. “Facial hair doesn’t really look that flattering on you.” “If you insist,” he joked back as he licked the whipped cream off his lip. As the two stood there, he heard a ringing sound. It was his cue, for some new customers had entered the store. “Well, I must be off,” he said. “The battle is beginning.” “Fight the good fight,” Lynn chuckled as she saluted her friend’s return back to the music section. The afternoon wore on like any usual day aside for the strange disappearance of Troy. But no one questioned it, they just continued the routine that had become so normal for them. Come in a 7 am, man your station, please the customers, and never look back. That was the day of a Midnight Pie Society member. It was a Thursday afternoon, and it was particularly busy for such a day. Weekends were when business generally picked up. College students looking for the next Indie favorite, teenage girls seeking out the hottest boy band, and kids hunting for the next hit fantasy book series all made their way into Midnight Pie Coffee Shop, Records & Books. Finally evening at the store arrived, and it was now the café section that was swamped. Derryk went to help Avi take orders, giving Susan, Alec, and Lynn some time to breathe. “Strange for a Thursday,” Alec said as the three flopped themselves onto one of the couches in the book section. “But hey, it works. How busy do you think tomorrow is going to be?” “I don’t even want to think about it,” Lynn replied warily. “It’s going to be packed.” “Yeah, not only are we going to hold more random midnight pie servings,” Susan began, “Simon also suggested we start having romantic Friday nights.” “What?” Alec asked, a little uneasy at the word “Romantic”. “All it means is that we’re going to set a more romantic setting in the store,” Susan said, noticing the sudden discomfort in Alec’s tone. “We’ll dim the lights, have some coffee and dessert specials, and play soft music.” “And when is this supposed to start?” Alec inquired, wondering why he had never heard of this before. Alec was known to be quite responsible and helpful, so he found it odd that Simon hadn’t clued him in on these new plans. “This Friday,” Susan answered matter-of-factly. “As in tomorrow?” “Oh yeah,” Lynn spoke up, quickly realizing her mistake. “Sorry Alec, I forget to tell you. Simon told us girls so we could plan it all. You know, pick the music, think of good specials on pies and such.” “Wait a minute, is Simon implying that Troy, Derryk and myself don’t know how to plan a romantic setting?” Alec asked, trying to sound offended. In reality, he was quite glad that his help hadn’t been required. He was indeed not romantic, and he doubted Troy was either. Derryk was probably the only one of them that would’ve been of any help. “Actually…” Susan started hesitantly, “Derryk did help a bit. So really, Simon was only implying that you and Troy don’t know how to be romantic.” “Oh, well thanks for clearing that up,” Alec huffed. “Look, it really doesn’t matter,” Lynn insisted. “You and Troy will be helping out tomorrow. Besides, if Miss Teen America shows up, you can show her your romantic side!” |
| Avi sighed and wiped her arm across her forehead, sweeping away the beads of sweat that had popped up from working the latte machine. The contraption was ancient- the only manual brewing machine that Avi had seen anywhere- but Simon wouldn't slap down the cash needed to purchase an automatic one. Simon considered the machine a "relic of the good ol' days of coffee shops", and loved the noise of the milk steamer. In his mind, it also justified Avi's almost ridiculously high wage and tip rate. However, sometimes Avi wished for that automatic machine simply to make things go by faster. "For a Thursday, it's swamped," she whispered to Derryk, who shrugged and continued to methodically swirl whipped cream and chocolate syrup on mocha drinks. Avi sighed and smiled at the next customer. "Howdy. What can I get for ya?" The man before her had to be somewhere around fifty and spent more time staring at Avi's breasts than searching for a drink to order. Derryk frowned and glared at the man, but his admonishing looks went unnoticed. This man licked his lips and stuck his hands into his suit pockets. "I'll...uh...take a medium mocha latte." "Alright, sir, that'll be three dollars and nineteen cents. Derryk will get your latte for you." Derryk tapped out the cappuccino and pressed the excess out before sticking it into the brewer and waiting for the shots. As the mixture brewed, he steamed the milk and poured it into the cup just as the cappuccino finished brewing. Pouring the mixture into the cup and stirring it, he put on a fake smile and handed it to the man. "Here you go, sir. Enjoy your coffee." The man took one look at Derryk's eyes and ran, leaving the store without stopping to look at any of the books or music. "Aww, Derryk, I could've gotten a huge tip outta that guy," Avi joked, pushing her breasts up and almost popping them out of the corset she was wearing. Derryk smiled and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Well then, don't have me make them their coffee and you will get some." "Fine." Avi turned to the next guy- a man in his early twenties who was as clearly enamored of Avi's breasts as the elder man had been. He insisted on sticking Avi's tip into her cleavage and, laughing, Avi allowed him to do so. "Here's your mocha freezer," Derryk said, handing it to the man and turning to laugh at Avi as she took the five out of her breasts and stuck it into the tip jar. "You suck." "Why?" Avi was cleaning up after the end of the rush. The store would be closing in ten minutes and she needed to clean everything up before closing the register and taking off for the evening. And Lynn and Alec had ridden with her that day, so they couldn't leave until everything was clean and ready for the following day. "Because you get twice as much as the rest of us because of your tips!" Derryk cleaned out the pots and restocked the cups, lips, and coasters. In the island, he restocked the sugars, straws, and other condiments. Avi soaked, cleaned, and sanitized all the dishes, and wiped down all the machines. Grinding the coffee for the next day, she set it up and then closed out the register. "Thirty bucks in tips," she told Derryk, tucking the small roll into her purse and turning off the lights in the cafe. He shook his head and followed her as she met up with the others in the middle of the store. They had finished closing their respective sections, but Troy was missing. "Where'd Troy go?" "He took the afternoon off," Simon said, coming out of his office and walking toward them. "He said he had an emergency to take care of and the day was slow enough that I let him go." Simon stopped and looked Avi up and down. "Miss Aveline, you really must dress more appropriately. A peasant blouse and corset are hardly coffee-making attire." "Oh, but Simon, it helps her make excellent tips," Lynn joked, elbowing Avi gently in the stomach. "She makes more than the rest of us." Simon nodded, smiling. "I see. Well, Miss Aveline, let the coffee do the talking and wear more modest clothing from now on. Have a nice night, everyone, and see you tomorrow." Donning a hat and scarf, he walked out the back door and headed to his car. Avi rolled her eyes. "He keeps saying that, and he never enforces it. Personally, I think he likes the business my boobs bring in." Alec cleared his throat. "That was hardly appropriate, Avi." "Well, nothing I do is appropriate, Alec, so let's just not bring it up, ok? Every time you start something with me, it always ends up with you slamming by Bible into my chest and trying to get me to believe the same stuff you do. Quit being so bigotted and let's just go home." Lynn nodded. "Right. Let's go. I get shotgun. Susan, Derryk, we'll see you tomorrow!" |
| Everyone had barely made about three steps away from the situation when they noticed Susan getting that funny look in her eye. "Oh come on Susan, let's take you home... please?" Alec suggested gently. "Yeah, I know..." Susan tried to shake her head a little, "we should go and have a good evening or something." The next thing they knew, Susan had started singing Yellow Submarine at the top of her lungs. "WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE, YELLOW SUBMARINE, YELLOW SUBMARINE, WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE, YELLOW SUBMARINE, YELLOW SUBMARINE!" "Ah oh," Alec said as he noticed his friends turning around and returning to the scene. He wondered what had tipped her off. Susan was a good little worker, if not at least a little bit eccentric. But they all liked her anyway... Calming her down from a mood like this, though, was something that not even Satan himself could successfully manage. They just had to wait until the end of the song and try to get her attention fast before she started up again. |
| "So, Alec, any suggestions you'd like to give for tomorrow's romantic night?" Lynn asked, half joking, half serious, as the three made their way back to their apartment. "Wasn't I supposed not to be romantic?" Alec wondered. "We never said that, silly." Avi piped up. "Simon was the one implying it!" "And even if you don't suggest anything, you'll still work tomorrow night, there's no escape... You're still part of the Society, and the Society always stands strong, no matter what!" Lynn finished her phrase with a certain drama added to it. "Mmm. I'll go away and take my cheesy clichés away with me." "Is there even anything left to suggest?" "Now that you mentioned it... no, I don't think there is." Lynn turned around and winked at Alec. "We're just pestering you, that's it." "It's a pastime for you and Avi, isn't it?" He said, coming off snappier than he wanted to. "Aww, you know you're our favorite guy, Alec." Lynn said, turning around again to face him. "Are you alright?" "I- yeah, I'm ok. I'm just tired." "Hmm. Sure. Right." Lynn said, nodding, but not entirely believing her friend - Alec usually got even quieter if he was tired, and he hardly snapped at people - like he just did. It couldn't have anything to do with tomorrow night, could it? ----------*---------- Fridays were usually a busy day at Midnight Pie - and as if the very first Midnight Pie Coffee Shop, Records & Books Romantic Friday Night was to happen on that Friday, Lynn could swear she'd never seen the store so swamped before. "Well, we can only hope this is a good sign, right, Watson?" Simon said, as he breezed along the counter where Lynn again was the cashier. Lynn could only nod, as a customer had just paid for a couple of CDs and the next person, a girl, carrying books and CDs, was coming up. It was almost 6 p.m., and, as expected, business was winding down, which was good - they'd have time to set everything up for the romantic night. All of a sudden, she heard the noise of something falling to the wooden floor, and Avi and Alec shouting at each other. Lynn sighed. Alec had been unusually clumsy and jumpy all day long, even back at their apartment. Sometimes he was even shaking, which was quite probably the reason for the increasing loud shouts coming from the coffee shop. It had surely been the reason, earlier on, for the fall of two rickety CD stands and the coffee shop's beloved tip jar. His odd behavior only seemed to be getting worse as night came close. Lynn was beginning to suspect it was all the romantic night's "fault", so to say - which was quite odd in itself. There was nothing wrong with a little romantic night, right? "Derryk!" Lynn called out after the girl left the store. "Yes?" Derryk's head popped up around the corner. "Please tell me Avi and Alec are not screaming at each other again." "Avi and Alec aren't screaming at each other again." He paused. "Except for the part where they definetly are." "Oh, God." Lynn ran a hand through her hair. "Do you guys need help cleaning up?" "Not really, although it would really help if certain people stopped bickering for a moment." Derryk said, emphasizing the last words with a glare towards Avi and Alec. The two immediately calmed down. Lynn leaned back against her chair and stretched, after checking her watch - 6:15 p.m. Time to start hanging the romantic night's decoration on the walls and check if everything else was in place. After all, the first Midnight Pie Coffee Shop, Records & Books Romantic Friday Night was to begin in two hours. |
Falling to his knees, Alec began what had become routine for the day, and would mostly likely continue on into the evening. It seemed that every fifteen minutes, he had yet another mess to clean up. Earlier he had to collect a smattering of CDs he sent flying across the floor. He had also swept up the remains of some coffee cups from the café and sadly, the society’s unforgettable tip jar. Fortunately, books were not so easily breakable. And for that, Alec was very grateful as he finished picking up the stack he had so gracefully toppled. “Sorry Avi,” Alec finally said after neatly stacking the books, which had been assembled on a coffee table for customers to enjoy. “I know I am being a bit of a nuisance. I’m really trying not to be. It’s just the more I try to not mess things up….” “The more you do mess up everything,” Avi finished for him as she sauntered over with a rag in hand to clean off the tables. A tinge of red could still be seen on her cheeks from when she had been fuming and screaming, but she had slowly begun to calm down. “I know how that goes.” She paused to look at him, curving her lips into a small smile. And then, with a chuckle she added, “I mean, I’ve been witnessing it all night!” “Hey!” Alec said as he punched Avi gently in the arm. She responded by tossing her rag at his face. It had been sopping wet, so Alec had to use his shirt to dry his face off. “Well, it’s good to see you two have worked things out. I’m here to fill you two children in,” Troy said with a smirk as he emerged from the book section. “Derryk is going through the music to see what we should play on the sound system tonight. Simon told me to have you, Avi, begin getting the dessert foods ready. I’m putting together a table of romantic novels to sit in the center of the book area.” “Sounds like a plan,” Alec replied noticing how his name and duties were left unmentioned. “Anything I can do?” As he asked that question, a sense of unease crept into his stomach. He paused for a moment, hoping the shakes wouldn’t return. Although he didn’t fully understand why the concept of a romantic evening was bothering him so much, Alec could tell he was definitely apprehensive about it. “Oh yeah,” Troy answered. “Lynn said you could help her set up decorations.” “Decorations?” Alec asked. “Yeah, I don’t know either,” Troy replied with a snort. “Who knows? It’s probably some girly stuff. Anyway, like I said, Lynn said she could use your help.” Alec shrugged his shoulders before heading over to the registers to see Lynn. ***** “It looks like cupid puked or something,” Alec commented, trying his best to muffle his laughter as he approached the registers. “Yep, Mr. Meyers, you are one romantic guy,” Lynn said as she pulled more decorations out from a box overflowing with tissue papers, wall hangings, and streamers. Although Lynn may have thought Alec was just trying to kill the mood, his remarks weren’t too far from the truth. Lynn was sitting on the ground, next to the registers, in a circle of vomit. Love vomit. Alec had never seen so much red and pink in his life. Hearts and cupid shapes abounded. “You do realize it isn’t Valentine’s Day, right?” Alec asked carefully, as he nervously ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, I know,” Lynn sighed, slightly frustrated. She had been biting down on her lip, apparently already aware of the information Alec had provided her with so far. “I don’t know what other decorations to use, though. They’ll have to work for now. Simon will have to give us some money to get better ones later.” “Well, if this is what we have to work with,” Alec said as he kneeled down to join her, “we might as well get started.” “Glad you feel that way,” Lynn chirped back with a grin. She then grabbed some rolls of pink and white heart streamers and shoved them into Alec’s hands. “Because we’re gonna need to use your height. If you will, please hang these around. They need to be up high.” “Alright, if you insist,” Alec said, attempting to act irritated and used. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hide the smile forming on his lips. “Great, I am going to add some pizzazz to the registers, then I’ll probably put some decorations on the tables in the café.” Lynn explained. Out of habit, every few seconds she would adjust the rims of her black, rectangular glasses as she spoke. “You can help me there when you’re done with the streamers. Is that okay?” “Yeah. Streamers than the café. Got it,” he replied with a wink. As Alec watched Lynn begin to adorn the registers in love vomit, he began to feel a bit better. Tonight wouldn’t be so bad if the others kept him busy. He’d just have to make sure he remained working the entire shift. Hopefully that would make the evening’s romantic theme pass by much faster. |
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