Coffee Shop Soundtrack
First Flight Home
Alex's POV
It was precisely 8 in the morning when I flipped the Closed sign to say Open on the other side in the window. Within a few minutes, customers had already started pouring into the cafe to get their coffee before they get to the office; orders being shouted at all over the place at my coworkers and I. This was my life now: a dead-end job in a small coffee shop trying to pay college tuition.
A little bit before 11, business finally slowed down to about one or two people every five minutes or so. I was absent-mindedly trying to take inventory in the back room when John, some guy I can't stand but have to work with, shouted "Alex! Your girlfriend is here!"
I quickly put down my clipboard and pen, returning to the counter where people place orders to see my girlfriend of two years, Lisa Ruocco, standing and smiling at me. She claims that we were friends in high school before the incident, and we ended up meeting again because we both have some of the same classes at the same university. Go figure.
Honestly, I'm not even sure how I ended up dating Lisa. I never really wanted to, and now I'm pretty much stuck in this relationship. Somehow I agreed to go on that first date, and it's basically all gone downhill from there. She's nothing compared to Jack.
Speaking of Jack Barakat, my eyes quickly darted to the calendar on the wall to remind me that today is December 3rd: the day the love of my life was dragged away from me in a silver SUV and brought to Ohio four years ago. I still regret breaking up with Jack every single day. I'm now 21 years old, and we could be living a happy life together by now. But no, I just had to go and mess it up.
"Hey babe," I said sweetly to Lisa. I had to keep up the act of the 'perfect boyfriend' to keep her happy. Why was I still in this relationship again? I mean, Lisa is a sweet girl, but she can be kind of demanding/bitchy at times. "We're going shopping tonight," she said, looking at me with folded arms. "Fine," I agreed, turning to make her a cup of coffee and sliding it her way when it was done. "I never ordered this?" she said, and in return I took my wallet and put a few dollars in the register. "On the house," I replied, and she walked away with a smile on her face.
I should really break up with her.
Jack's POV
My plane landed in Maryland at 2:45 pm, and by 4 pm I was checked into my hotel with all of my things. I finally had saved up enough money to get myself back to Baltimore, and if all went well I would be buying myself an apartment soon. I discussed prices with landlords before I even flew in here, and everything was just falling into place perfectly. There was only one piece missing: Alexander William Gaskarth.
After I got settled in, I decided that if I was going to stay in Baltimore that having a rental car would be important until I was able to bring my own car here with the rest of my belongings back in Ohio. Upon getting myself a car, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and drove myself to Alex's old house, hoping that him or his mother still lived there.
After knocking, the door opened up with a very surprised Isobel Gaskarth standing on the other side. "Jack?!" she said happily, and I smiled and nodded in response. "Jack, oh my god, it's really you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me for a tight hug that I gladly returned. She was the best woman ever, okay?
"Honey, please, please come inside," she said, ushering me into the familiar living room area that hadn't changed a bit in the past four years. "How have you been?" she asked, sitting on the couch and motioning for me to sit with her. "I've been okay," I said, "how have you been?" "Same old," she replied, dismissing the question with her hand.
Then, I decided to take a leap of faith. "How's Alex?" I asked quietly. "Is he home?" Isobel shook her head. "He doesn't live with me anymore, he has an apartment in downtown Baltimore. Remember how he used to get flashbacks sometimes when he was with you? Now he doesn't; his amnesia hasn't gotten any better. He's been really depressed, too, Jack. He regrets breaking up with you every day of his life."
I let that sink in for a few moments before talking. "Where can I find him?" I asked.
"Well, he's working now until about seven, but I'm sure he would do more than appreciate it if you went to visit him. The poor kid does nothing but work and go to school, he has barely any time for me or his girlfriend."
"H-his girlfriend?" I choked out, disappointment filling my whole body. "Oh, Jack, honey, I'm so sorry. On the bright side, Alex keeps telling me that he plans to break up with her soon. He still really misses you...you're all he talks about still." she insured me. "Where does Alex work?" I asked. "Remember the coffee shop on Thames Street you two used to spend a lot of time in? He got a job there because of all the memories, you'll be able to find him there now."
"Thank you, Isobel. I'd love to stay longer but-" "No, no, I understand. You need to see Alex. Feel free to drop by anytime you're around though, I missed seeing your face around here." "I missed you too," I replied, heading for the door.
"Oh, and Jack?" she said before I left. "Yes?" I spun around to face her. "You look good, you've definitely aged well. Now go get your boyfriend back," she smiled, sending me on my way.
Alex's POV
The shop was almost empty and it was about 5 pm when I was sitting behind the counter, aimlessly doodling on a clean napkin. I didn't even hear the door open, and I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard a customer clear their throat. I almost choked on my own spit when I looked up to see a tall man with dark almost black hair and a big nose, sporting a purple v-neck and black skinny jeans with some kind of tattoo poking out from behind the neckline of his shirt.
"J-jack?" I choked out, and his smile grew wide. "I wasn't sure if you'd recognize me.." he said quietly, and I relized that he really has changed and grown up. "Of course I recognized you, you've changed but wow, you look great." I said, shamelessly checking out my ex boyfriend. Oops.
"You look great, too, Lex," he said, causing me to blush at the use of the old nickname. "I missed you, so, so much," I exclaimed, coming out from behind the counter to give the still-older boy a hug. "I missed you too," he replied, and we stayed like this for a few minutes until we reluctantly untangled ourselves from each other.
"So, what brings you back to boring old Baltimore?" I asked, returning to my place behind the counter as a customer walked in. "Can I have a large mocha iced coffee please?" they asked politely, and I listened to Jack tell me about how he saved all of his money to be able to come back here and continue his life here and see me. I was in shock as I handed the customer her coffee and collected the required money.
"You can stay at my apartment," I told him, sitting myself down on a stool behind the counter. "The only thing is, I have a girlfriend who comes over uninvited all the time that I'm trying to get rid of..." I quietly informed him. "No, it's okay," Jack told me, causing me to look at him with what was probably a confused expression. "I don't want to ruin your sex life or anything," he laughed.
"You really wouldn't be, I'm trying to get rid of her. She won't take no for an answer though, it's so frustrating!" I exclaimed, running my fingers through my hair. "I don't even know if you want it or not, Jack, but if I didn't have Lisa, my girlfriend, I would take you back as my boyfriend in a heartbeat." It's true. I wanted Jack more than anything, and I'm assuming he wanted me back too?
"I have a plan to get rid of her!" Jack exclaimed after having a thoughtful look on his face for a few moments.
I knew how Jack Barakat master plans usually were. This was definitey going to be interesting.
It was precisely 8 in the morning when I flipped the Closed sign to say Open on the other side in the window. Within a few minutes, customers had already started pouring into the cafe to get their coffee before they get to the office; orders being shouted at all over the place at my coworkers and I. This was my life now: a dead-end job in a small coffee shop trying to pay college tuition.
A little bit before 11, business finally slowed down to about one or two people every five minutes or so. I was absent-mindedly trying to take inventory in the back room when John, some guy I can't stand but have to work with, shouted "Alex! Your girlfriend is here!"
I quickly put down my clipboard and pen, returning to the counter where people place orders to see my girlfriend of two years, Lisa Ruocco, standing and smiling at me. She claims that we were friends in high school before the incident, and we ended up meeting again because we both have some of the same classes at the same university. Go figure.
Honestly, I'm not even sure how I ended up dating Lisa. I never really wanted to, and now I'm pretty much stuck in this relationship. Somehow I agreed to go on that first date, and it's basically all gone downhill from there. She's nothing compared to Jack.
Speaking of Jack Barakat, my eyes quickly darted to the calendar on the wall to remind me that today is December 3rd: the day the love of my life was dragged away from me in a silver SUV and brought to Ohio four years ago. I still regret breaking up with Jack every single day. I'm now 21 years old, and we could be living a happy life together by now. But no, I just had to go and mess it up.
"Hey babe," I said sweetly to Lisa. I had to keep up the act of the 'perfect boyfriend' to keep her happy. Why was I still in this relationship again? I mean, Lisa is a sweet girl, but she can be kind of demanding/bitchy at times. "We're going shopping tonight," she said, looking at me with folded arms. "Fine," I agreed, turning to make her a cup of coffee and sliding it her way when it was done. "I never ordered this?" she said, and in return I took my wallet and put a few dollars in the register. "On the house," I replied, and she walked away with a smile on her face.
I should really break up with her.
Jack's POV
My plane landed in Maryland at 2:45 pm, and by 4 pm I was checked into my hotel with all of my things. I finally had saved up enough money to get myself back to Baltimore, and if all went well I would be buying myself an apartment soon. I discussed prices with landlords before I even flew in here, and everything was just falling into place perfectly. There was only one piece missing: Alexander William Gaskarth.
After I got settled in, I decided that if I was going to stay in Baltimore that having a rental car would be important until I was able to bring my own car here with the rest of my belongings back in Ohio. Upon getting myself a car, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and drove myself to Alex's old house, hoping that him or his mother still lived there.
After knocking, the door opened up with a very surprised Isobel Gaskarth standing on the other side. "Jack?!" she said happily, and I smiled and nodded in response. "Jack, oh my god, it's really you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me for a tight hug that I gladly returned. She was the best woman ever, okay?
"Honey, please, please come inside," she said, ushering me into the familiar living room area that hadn't changed a bit in the past four years. "How have you been?" she asked, sitting on the couch and motioning for me to sit with her. "I've been okay," I said, "how have you been?" "Same old," she replied, dismissing the question with her hand.
Then, I decided to take a leap of faith. "How's Alex?" I asked quietly. "Is he home?" Isobel shook her head. "He doesn't live with me anymore, he has an apartment in downtown Baltimore. Remember how he used to get flashbacks sometimes when he was with you? Now he doesn't; his amnesia hasn't gotten any better. He's been really depressed, too, Jack. He regrets breaking up with you every day of his life."
I let that sink in for a few moments before talking. "Where can I find him?" I asked.
"Well, he's working now until about seven, but I'm sure he would do more than appreciate it if you went to visit him. The poor kid does nothing but work and go to school, he has barely any time for me or his girlfriend."
"H-his girlfriend?" I choked out, disappointment filling my whole body. "Oh, Jack, honey, I'm so sorry. On the bright side, Alex keeps telling me that he plans to break up with her soon. He still really misses you...you're all he talks about still." she insured me. "Where does Alex work?" I asked. "Remember the coffee shop on Thames Street you two used to spend a lot of time in? He got a job there because of all the memories, you'll be able to find him there now."
"Thank you, Isobel. I'd love to stay longer but-" "No, no, I understand. You need to see Alex. Feel free to drop by anytime you're around though, I missed seeing your face around here." "I missed you too," I replied, heading for the door.
"Oh, and Jack?" she said before I left. "Yes?" I spun around to face her. "You look good, you've definitely aged well. Now go get your boyfriend back," she smiled, sending me on my way.
Alex's POV
The shop was almost empty and it was about 5 pm when I was sitting behind the counter, aimlessly doodling on a clean napkin. I didn't even hear the door open, and I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard a customer clear their throat. I almost choked on my own spit when I looked up to see a tall man with dark almost black hair and a big nose, sporting a purple v-neck and black skinny jeans with some kind of tattoo poking out from behind the neckline of his shirt.
"J-jack?" I choked out, and his smile grew wide. "I wasn't sure if you'd recognize me.." he said quietly, and I relized that he really has changed and grown up. "Of course I recognized you, you've changed but wow, you look great." I said, shamelessly checking out my ex boyfriend. Oops.
"You look great, too, Lex," he said, causing me to blush at the use of the old nickname. "I missed you, so, so much," I exclaimed, coming out from behind the counter to give the still-older boy a hug. "I missed you too," he replied, and we stayed like this for a few minutes until we reluctantly untangled ourselves from each other.
"So, what brings you back to boring old Baltimore?" I asked, returning to my place behind the counter as a customer walked in. "Can I have a large mocha iced coffee please?" they asked politely, and I listened to Jack tell me about how he saved all of his money to be able to come back here and continue his life here and see me. I was in shock as I handed the customer her coffee and collected the required money.
"You can stay at my apartment," I told him, sitting myself down on a stool behind the counter. "The only thing is, I have a girlfriend who comes over uninvited all the time that I'm trying to get rid of..." I quietly informed him. "No, it's okay," Jack told me, causing me to look at him with what was probably a confused expression. "I don't want to ruin your sex life or anything," he laughed.
"You really wouldn't be, I'm trying to get rid of her. She won't take no for an answer though, it's so frustrating!" I exclaimed, running my fingers through my hair. "I don't even know if you want it or not, Jack, but if I didn't have Lisa, my girlfriend, I would take you back as my boyfriend in a heartbeat." It's true. I wanted Jack more than anything, and I'm assuming he wanted me back too?
"I have a plan to get rid of her!" Jack exclaimed after having a thoughtful look on his face for a few moments.
I knew how Jack Barakat master plans usually were. This was definitey going to be interesting.
Notes
Yay first chapter!Let me know what you think?
Also, since Alex and Jack are more grown-up now, imagine them more as how they look now (but Jack didn't have the blonde patch around when they were 20/21 I don't think) instead of when they were like 'fetuses' in high school.
Well I hope you enjoyed the reunition of Jack Barakat and Alexander Gaskarth
Until next time,
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(PS: I plan on making a new header because I hate the one that I added for this now and I made it quickly so yeah uhm sorry it's so unattractive)
aaaaaawn gay couple <3
12/27/13