{ the awkward moment when..., *OPEN!

[myka fox]

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee. That was what was on his mind when he woke up at seven in the morning. His best friend still asleep, snoring away, Myka had to get away, had to clear his head, so he decided that he'd venture out to get some coffee, so when his best friend woke up he would be surprised. However the closest coffee shop was about a block and a half away from the school, and it would take him a bit of time to get there, get the coffee, and make it back, he was hoping it would take him less than an hour, give his friend enough time to sleep in at least a little bit, before he woke him up. Myka enjoyed being alone, but he also enjoyed being with his best friend, even though sometimes he got annoyed, but it wasn't Buddy's fault, it was his own, he had this pride thing going on, and when he wanted to do something on his own, he wanted to do it on his own, and there was no stopping him, and when Buddy interfered with his alone time, it sometimes put Myka in a mood, one that wasn't to be stopped, but afterwards always made him feel shitty. He hated lashing out towards his best friend, he knew it would push them apart, and he didn't want that at all, but they were both a little messed up, especially after the accident.

Entering the cafe with a sigh, he wheeled himself up to the counter, waiting in the short line, catching his breath from a slightly long journey to the cafe. He looked up, reading the menu, determining what to get, humming softly to himself as he reached into his shirt pocket to pull out some money. As he sat there, he got lost in his own thoughts, thinking about his best friend, school, and what the hell he was gonna get here at this little cafê.

[tessa gallagher]

give your heart a break!

there's just so much you can take

tessa, quite frankly, was bored. not even whipping out her lighter and flicking the flame on and off could satisfy her need for something she couldn't quite pinpoint. she was sick of being stagnant, of sitting in her room and daydreaming. nothing was coming of it and she was feeling adventurous. there really weren't many adventurous things to do at st. jude's. especially since she didn't know many people yet and she had no troublemaker friends to get into shenanigans with. she took off her pajamas and pulled on some jeans and a tee shirt. it was warm enough where she didn't need a jacket, so she just pulled on her converse and left. she wandered around campus for a while, trying to find something to do. being alone was new to her, honestly, as the middle child in a big family. she kind of liked it, but it was getting old real fast. she needed something to do. digging deep in her jeans pocket, she found a few stray dollars she could use to buy a drink. thank god, she thought. she was positively parched and a coffee sounded like heaven right now. she made her way to the cafe for a drink and maybe a snack if she could afford it. she got into line behind a boy that she was pretty sure went to st. jude's. just then, some asshole behind her in line shoved her, making her collide with the boy in front of her. "shit, sorry."

[myka fox]

Myka instantly grabbed the arms of his chair as he was pushed slightly forward. He blinked and looked back, seeing bright red and he blinked again when the girl said she was sorry. "It's okay, don't worry about it." He said with a small smile and sighed. He was kind of used to it, people running into him, not paying attention, then again it was better then the counter, always being stared at, he knew what went through the minds of the people who watched him. They wondered what had happened, what tragic past that he must have went through, when really he had only had the chair for about two years. But it seemed longer. Myka thought quietly to himself for a second before shifting again and looked at the girl. "You go to St. Jude's right?" He asked. He was trying, he really was, he was told he needed to talk to more people, not just the ones he was comfortable with... buddy. Or his glee friends, since he had to talk to them, but this girl he had seen maybe once or twice or enough times to know that she did go to st. judes. She looked nice, he just hoped that his first impression was right.

[tessa gallagher]

give your heart a break!

there's just so much you can take

tessa looked down at him, recognition coloring his face. he definitely went to st. jude's - she'd seen him around somewhere. people usually thought she was a bitch, but she wasn't. she was just honest when people asked her questions and, you know, sometimes when they didn't. if she ever insulted someone, it was because it was 100% factual. she offered him an apologetic smile, sort of a peace offering. "no, some asshole" she turned her head when she said it, hoping he would hear her, "shoved me from behind and i collided with you. it wasn't intentional or anything." she nodded, brushing her bright red hair out of her face. "yup, i go to st. jude's. you do too." it wasn't a question, because she was pretty much certain that she'd seen him before. "i know i've seen you around." she decided to be a bit bold and sit across from him. pulling out the chair, she sat down, motioning for a waiter to come over. he did and she ordered a simple black coffee and a scone, praying to any god she knew that she could gather a few meager dollars to pay for this. "so what's up?"

[myka fox]

Myka looked at the guy that the girl talked about and gave him a look. Right, assholes. He shrugged slightly, then blinked when the girl sat down in the chair next to him. "Oh um, well yeah I do, it's kind of hard not to notice a guy in a wheelchair, especially since he's the only one." He chuckled and then made a face. "Don't know why i just referred to myself in third person." Chuckling he breathed in deeply and then looked around, not really seeing anyone else that he recognized. He always got nervous around people, mostly people he didn't socialize with, but even his friends he tended to get nervous about certain subjects or even talking in general. He was really only ever completely comfortable with his best friend Buddy. He hadn't always been this way, he used to be known at his old school, for his dancing, for his music, he had friends that he spent time with other than Buddy, but Buddy was his safety net, the one person he loved more than anything in the world, however now things were changing between them since the accident, and now he tried as much as he could to make things normal between them. "Uh, I was just gonna stop and get myself and my best friend some coffee before he woke up, you know to coax him out of hiding." He chuckled and rolled his eyes at the image of his best friend sprawled out on his bed, snoring loudly. "How about you?" He asked and ordered two coffees to go in a holder so it'd be easier for him.

[tessa gallagher]

give your heart a break!

there's just so much you can take

Tessa tilted her head at him. “I didn’t recognize you by the chair,” she retaliated, her eyes right on his. “I recognized your face. That’s usually where I look when I see people, anyway.” She shrugged a shoulder, breaking the stare when the waiter delivered her drink and her food. She shot him a quick smile before ripping off a piece of the scone and putting it in her mouth. It was absolutely divine and she had to resist the urge to actually moan. Thank God she did, though. She nodded at his explanation, taking a sip of her drink to wash down the scone. “It’s really cool that you’d do that for your best friend. I don’t think anyone I know would do that for me.” It wasn’t something bit. Getting coffee for a friend wasn’t like giving them a kidney – it was a menial task and something that was basically just a kind gesture. But she still didn’t have anyone at St. Jude’s that would even consider doing that for her. It made her a little sad, but she brushed it off, pulling her lighter out of her pocket and setting it on the table. She liked just having it in plain view. It reminded her of fire and it calmed her somehow. She just shrugged a shoulder, taking another bite of her scone. “I mostly just got bored and started wandering to see what I could discover in this campus of ours. I found a few dollars in my pocket and ended up here and then I was shoved into you and you know the rest of the story.” She smiled.

[myka fox]

Oh. Myka stared at her. This girl was different, he liked her, which was weird since he really rarely got along with anyone outside his little circle of friends, however this girl carried an attitude with her that he liked a lot. It was as if the girl didn't give a fuck, and well he liked that. Smiling he shrugged his shoulders. "Well thank you, I mean usually people are like, oh the kid in the wheelchair, yeah i've seen him around, then they mention something about glee club, and my best friend and thats it. " He chuckled and reached up to move his hair out of his eyes. He watched the girl as she received her scone and coffee, smiling he chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "Good?" He asked softly, he could just tell by the expression on the girls face she was holding back her reaction towards the pastry.

When the girl spoke about how cool it was for him to do what he did for his best friend, he shrugged and blushed softly. "Oh, well we've been friends forever, and well coffee is one of those things that'll get him out of bed really quickly." He chuckled and bit his lip. He knew his best friend inside and out, the boy had been made fun of when they were little, but Myka had looked past his little imperfections, and now as a teenager, the boy was still a bit awkward, but he had changed in a good way, but myka hadn't ever really pushed him to change, the boy had discovered it on his own, for which Myka was very glad. "Well, that sucks, i mean Buddy does a lot for me too, I just return the favor, and this is the only way i really know how." He said and frowned slightly. Buddy did do a lot for him. He helped him, he got him from A to B, and he helped when it came to his problems that had developed over the past two years after the accident.

Myka laughed and nodded his head. "Well, I can say, I'm glad that it was you who was shoved into me, and not someone who would have been rude about things, usually i get that it was my fault, it's always the guy in the wheelchairs fault, i must take up too much room." He said with a chuckle and sighed. "Hey, once you're done with that scone, would you like to walk...or well you can walk, i'll roll, back to the school with me? " He said with a chuckle, he tried to make light of his situation, even though it tore him up inside, however there was that hope that one day he'd be able to walk again, he was working on that as well.

[tessa gallagher]

give your heart a break!

there's just so much you can take

Tessa nodded, a curl falling in her face. She sighed exasperatedly, blowing it away. Her hair was always falling in her face – it was one of the plights of having curly hair like hers. She didn’t mind most of the time, though, because it made her stand out. Being unique wasn’t something she strove for exactly, but she wasn’t going to shove away easy opportunities to do just that. She grinned. “Well, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t noticed the chair at all. Because I have. But I really did recognize you by your face.” Her smile grew and she lifted up her scone, taking another bite. “God, good doesn’t even begin to describe it. Another adjective like heavenly or divine would only begin to suffice.” She laughed a bit under her breath. “Glee Club, though. Is that fun? I’ve never been in one.” She knew they sang and danced, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was all about and she was curious. She watched him as he spoke about his best friend, whom he referred to as Buddy. She wondered for a second if that was his real name or a fabricated one, but she quickly pushed the thought out of her mind to focus on him. When he talked about him, he sort of got a far off look in his eyes. He bit his bottom lip and he had a small smile on his face. She knew something was up and she made a note to ask him about it when he was done. Her face broke out in a smile yet again. “Yeah, I’m glad I bumped into you, too. I don’t know many people here at St. Jude’s yet and it’s nice to meet someone who’s not totally batshit crazy and who’s willing to make some cordial conversation with a stranger.” She scoffed. “Those people are just rude. I don’t see how they could even begin to try to think that it’d be your fault. They’re dumb.” She finished off her scone, sad that it was gone but satisfied that she’d gotten to eat it at all. Her plate was covered in crumbs, so she licked her finger and picked some up with it, tasting them. She nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, God, yes. I’d totally love to roll with you back to campus.” She laughed. “You don’t even have to ask.” She thought now would be a good a time as any to bring up what she’d thought earlier. “Hey,” she started, swallowing and growing suddenly serious. “I’m really sorry if I’m stepping over any boundaries here or if you’re not gay, but…” she paused. She was too far in to turn back now. “Are you in love with your best friend? This Buddy guy? I don’t know, it’s just the way you talk about him.”

[myka fox]

Myka simply chuckled at the girls words, his head shaking as he listened. He knew it was impossible not to see his chair, he was just happy that he wasn't only known for his chair, by someone. The girl had brightened his mood tremendously with her words, it was no wonder he hadn't suddenly got up and hugged her. Myka simply chuckled when the girl spoke about her scone, shrugging his shoulders. Though when she mentioned glee club, Myka wrinkled his nose and gave her a look. “It's alright.” He said with a shrug and then continued. “It was the only thing that I could do here that is close to what I like to do. Dancing, that's what I loved, but...” He gestured to himself. “Can't do that anymore.” He smiled sadly. “I can still play instruments though, like the guitar or piano.” He said softly and nodded, at least there was still that. “Not very good at singing though.” He said with a chuckle. “Which is the whole point huh? I try though.” He said with a nod. That was it really.

He hadn't even realized how he had been speaking about Buddy, he simply just did it. The boy was his other half, he has been since second grade. Now that things were falling apart slightly between the two of them, it scared the shit out of him. However, he didn't really think about what he was saying, or how he was saying it, he just did. He always did. He didn't realize how obvious he was, about the fact that he was in love with Buddy. He even had a hard time admitting it to himself.

He smiled as the girl said she was glad that they had run into each other too. He chuckled and shook his head. “Buddy and I are here because well we went through some stuff together, now we're both kind of having a hard time getting over it, he's quiet a lot, and i'm sad a lot, we're kind of pathetic. “ He chuckled and shook his head. “But not crazy.” He laughed and shrugged. “It always is though, weird how things work huh.” He said with a nod before yawning and watching as the girl cleaned her plate. His smile widened as the girl told him she'd love to walk back to campus with him. “Great, thank you.” He said happily.

As he went to wheel himself outwards a bit, he blinked when she suddenly called for his attention again. Furrowing his eyebrows he tilted his head. “yeah?' He questioned before listening to the girl, blinking and blushing as the girl spoke about his best friend, and whether or not he was in love with him. “Oh um... He bit his lip and his head lowered slightly, his mind racing with thoughts, should he tell her? Could he even be honest? “I'm sorry, I didn't...” He bit his lip again and shook his head. “The way I talk about him?” He asked and furrowed his eyebrows. “It doesn't matter if I am.” He said softly and lowered his eyes again, a sadness taking over him.

[tessa gallagher]

give your heart a break!

there's just so much you can take

Tessa laughed, shaking her head. There was something oddly ironic and humorous about a kid in a wheelchair in Glee Club that couldn’t sing and, obviously, couldn’t dance. She wasn’t quite sure what it was exactly that he did or what he contributed to the club, but it was nice that he had a club to go to. She didn’t have anything like that and she was slightly envious. It must have sucked, though. To have to watch everyone dance when you can’t anymore, that is. Tessa nodded as he spoke, curious as to why he and his best friend, Buddy, she remembered, were actually at St. Jude’s. He didn’t go into specific detail and she wasn’t sure if it would be going too far to ask – even though she’d probably already broken any social rules already by asking if he was in love with his best friend. Now that she sort of reflected on what she’d asked, she was mentally slapping herself. She was finally making a new friend at this school and she was already pushing him away. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t a conscious decision, but she’d definitely have to pay more attention to what she said and who she said it to in the future. “You’re welcome,” she added, her grin returning in full force. She noted the effect her question had had on him and immediately felt a sense of guilt growing in her gut. She felt bad that she’d upset him. Especially since that hadn’t been her goal at all. She wasn’t sure if she should backtrack and forget the question or if she should pursue it further. There were obviously some hidden feelings there and it would do him good to admit them and bring them to life, but it wasn’t exactly her place to do that. “Oh, you don’t have to apologize,” she said quickly, running a hand through her hair. It was a nervous habit, something she did when she knew she had messed up the conversation. “My fault.” She laughed without humor. She moved on to answer his question. “Yeah, you just get this sort of…” she hesitated, unsure of how to put it into words. “This sort of far-off look?” It came out as more of a question than a statement. “Sorry, it’s hard to explain. I think it’s just more of a feeling than an actual, concrete observation.” She frowned, her brow furrowing. “What do you mean it doesn’t matter? It always matters.”