• It was like this every day. A young blue-haired woman about nineteen would come in and sit by another young woman at the small booth in the café. Sometimes the other woman would be reading something, a fairly long fictional book. We always assumed she was waiting for the other, but apparently not. Half the time she would stick around for a little small talk and be gone. “I’m sorry, I have to go. I’ll see you later!” She would say politely as she rushed to get up and out the door.

    Young blue hair just smiled and said “Alright, see you later.” And went back to sipping the Mountain Dew she had ordered from our waitress “Stripes” previously. Her fingers drummed on the table while the other hand supported her chin as it rest on the clean surface. It seemed like she was in deep thought.

    Then one day the other woman, a girl looking a little older with green hair instead of blue came in and sat at the bar. She ordered and paid for a diet coke which I got for her, but then I decided to start a conversation of my own.

    “You seen that other girl ‘round lately? She seems real dependant on you.” I posed. I felt rather defensive of that sensitive blue hair, every time I saw her without the one I’m seeing now, she seemed rather sensitive. But it ain’t my job to judge my customers. I’m just a man trying to do my business and live life.

    Green hair answered me with a sigh. “You mean Teardrop? No, I haven’t. I feel really bad sometimes when she complains we don’t see each other enough, but everything has me tied down tighter than I can sometimes stand.” I nod, she takes a small sip of her Diet Coke and stares off idly at the display behind the counter.

    “Does she know about your busy schedule?” I began to pry a little more, hoping the young lady didn’t think I was trying to be nosy or have another objective.

    “Yes,” She replied. “She understands it, too. But sometimes she gets a little over worried and over dramatic. She threatens to hurt herself and I feel miserable!” As if she got something big off her chest, she took a deep breath and then another sip of her soda. “Why do you care so much anyway?” She asked tilting her head a little suspiciously.

    I just shake my head. “Just wondering is all.” I answer honestly. Its nice to know a little bit about the daily customers. “Anything else I can get ya?”

    Later that day about an hour after greenie had left, “Teardrop” As the other referred to her (I’m guessing they called her this because she cried a lot, but I’m just a Café employee.) came in looking chipper and cheerful. She too decided to seat herself at the bar, only a couple stools down from where greenie had sat just an hour ago before being pulled away by more of her tight schedule. “Well hello there young lady.” I said politely. “What can I get for ya?”

    “Mountain Dew please.” She said getting her money out and sliding it across the counter. I got her drink and gave it to her before taking the payment.

    “So, what brings you around here?” I ask. She normally didn’t come around here at this time. Again, I was just wondering.

    Teardrop shrugged before answering. “Got nothing better to do really. Cam told me she’d be gone all day and back tomorrow, so out of boredom I guess?” In the same way Greenie/Cam took a sip of her Diet Coke earlier, Teardrop went about taking a drink of her Mountain Dew.

    “That same young lady you come to see every day, you mean? She was in here just an hour ago.” I told her. Teardrop stopped mid-sip.

    “She.. She was?” Teardrop asked unsure, I began to feel guilty immediately after seeing that reaction. “She told me this morning that she’d be busy until two o’clock tomorrow. Maybe.. Maybe she just came in because she caught a break?” She sounded like she was reassuring herself before having to choke down a sob or two.

    I quickly nodded to agree. “Yep, probably. She sounded a bit exhausted, mentioned having a lot going on.” But I don’t think what I said helped. And I was about to find out I just made it worse.

    “She always has a lot going on!” Teardrop blurted almost crying. “I know it’s selfish of me to want to see her this much. And I’m probably hurting both of us when I threaten to do things.. But I can’t take it anymore. All I ever see of her these days is a few short words and then she’s off. How am I not supposed to feel avoided? Ugh. It’s all in my head. Isn’t it? She isn’t avoiding me, I’m just coming in at all the wrong times and she actually is busy. She did come in for a break, and I missed her again. My timing is off, that’s all!” She insanely rambled on. I felt bad and wanted to give her a hug. But that would be inappropriate, I work here. Instead I waited until she was done rambling and had her head on the counter trying to hold back tears.

    “Hey, it’s alright.” I tried saying for her to hear between her heavy breaths. “You’re right when you say she’s not avoiding you.” I paused and thought. ‘I hope.’ “But you understand how schedules like that work, right?” She lifted her head up and nodded sadly.

    “I’m sorry for causing a scene here.” She apologized while looking around. There were only two other customers, a man eating a hamburger and another reading the paper at another table. I just shook my head.

    “You’ve got none to worry about. What I’m more worried about is you.” She just shook her head at my words, and got up.

    “The next time you see Cam, could you tell her that I’m sorry? I’m not doing this to hurt her. I just don’t want to hurt her anymore. This will be the last time, and she’ll get over it sooner or later.” There was a depressing cloud that seemed to be in her eyes, a mechanical almost robotic look.

    “Will do miss.” I told her cautiously, afraid of what was going to happen once she left. But she did leave, and a few minutes later came what I was dreading. Bang.

    Cops were soon swarming around a dead body like flies around crap. One came to question me and I told them everything I knew. And then I saw Greenie. She was also being questioned, tears falling down her sweet face like water falling out of a tilted cup. She was trying to hide them and act civilized while being questioned. I knew, she knew. But when they all moved on I went up to her.

    “Cam?” I asked, cautious to take a step back if I needed. She turned her head violently towards me. “Teardrop wanted me to tell you that she’s sorry, that she didn’t want to hurt you anymore.”

    “Yeah? Well she sure as hell failed at that.” She snapped, immediately sorry for sounding so rash. “I’m sorry it’s just, I know I should feel really guilty, and I do. But I..”

    “It wasn’t your fault.” I assured her. “You couldn’t help it.”

    “But I could have! I could have canceled something if I knew it was going to end up like this!” She argued in a saddened rage.

    “But you didn’t know. All you can do now is move on. I’m sorry, Cam.” I patted her on the shoulder and left her there, hoping to the dear lord that it wouldn’t end up like the last time I left a sad person. But it did. Bang.