Another One Bites The Dust (Open)

[Caleb Xue]

Caleb finished tying his sneakers. He slipped into his florescent yellow sweatshirt. He went through his quick warm ups and went out for his run. Compared to all the wacky weather today’s weather wasn’t bad. Everything had pretty much melted in the past two days. The sidewalks were with clear with the exception of the left over grim from treating the sidewalks and the random puddles here and there. It was still cool, but bearable.

Caleb started out with a slow pace. Gradually, Caleb quickened his pace. He was going at pretty good speed. He was falling into a trance. The rhythm of his feet, his heartbeat, and breathing was making him to zone out. The runner was going on autopilot. He was totally unaware of the puddle he just ran through. Caleb saw someone step out from around the corner looking at their cell phone. Caleb didn’t register the situation until…

THUD!

Between his speed and delayed reflexes Caleb knocked both himself and the person to the grimy sidewalk. Back in the world of reality, Caleb grasped the situation. He got back on his feet. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?” He offered his hand to the help the person up. Caleb noticed that he had scraped his palm.

[Cera Lamprey]

Cera was busy texting Wren about her new boyfriend, replying to her sister's exasperation with gentle insistence that this one was definitely going to turn out better than the last time. Sure,  she and Graham were still best friends, but the fact remained that he had broken up with her for someone else. 

But Sam wouldn't. She felt confident in this despite having known him for less time than she had known Graham when dating him. 

Just as she pressed enter on a message that simply read "c: he's cute tho" someone slammed into her. She yelped in surprise, losing her grip on her phone and sending it skittering across the sidewalk. The impact of the cement ripped a hole in her bright pink tights, and although she definitely had a scraped knee she shook her head at the question. 

"I'm..I'm fine!" She gasped, looking up at the other person. She noticed his sweatshirt before she even got to his face. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I should've been looking instead of texting." 

At least she had the grace to be sheepish about it.

[Caleb Xue]

Caleb was glad that the girl wasn’t seriously injured. They were both fine with a little scratches. “I’m fine.” Caleb helped the girl back on her feet. “I’m really sorry,” Caleb spoke as he picked up the girl’s cell phone to give it back to her. “I need to stop zoning out when I’m out running.”

Since Caleb blamed himself for the collision he wanted to offer buying a coffee or something for her. Unfortunately, he was in his running clothes. So no wallet. There goes that’s idea.

“The good thing is we’re both okay.”

[Cera Lamprey]

Cera accepted the phone with a murmur of thanks, rubbing at the screen. There was a hairline fracture to one side, which was disappointing but survivable. She could still use the phone, and perhaps this would be a reminder to pay attention in the future. 

"Maybe we both should pay more attention," She conceded. She didn't know whether or not he truly was to blame, given that she hadn't been looking. 

"I don't know if I would be paying attention if I were running, either. Don't runners go to...to....the zone?"

She had heard this before, but she wasn't entirely sure what it meant. If it was anything like the zone when singing or playing clarinet then it probably involved spacing out and working on reflex. 

[Caleb Xue]

Caleb noticed the girl was inspecting her phone screen. “Is your phone okay?” Caleb knew some people were really attached to their phones. He didn’t know if this girl was one of those people. If her phone needed repairs or to be replaced it could cost a lot of moola

He smiled “Yeah.” Caleb totally agreed that they both should pay attention. “I don’t know how to describe what the zone is.” Caleb rubbed his head. He realized that he hadn’t introduced himself yet. “I’m Caleb Xue.” He held out his hand.

[Cera Lamprey]

"Caleb....Shway?" Cera stumbled over the boy's last name. "Is that Japanese?" 

Her knowledge of Asia was primarily that Japan was the land of cartoons, South Korea was the land of comics, North Korea was really bad (but she was fuzzy on the details), and China exported delicious foods and also was bad (probably. Again, she was fuzzy on the details). Other Asian countries tended to slip her mind unless she was directly confronted by their existence (perhaps by someone inviting her to have Pad Thai, or some other manner of consuming their culture.) 

"My phone's okay." The fracture wasn't that bad, not really. "Umm. I was going to head to Starbucks. Do you like frappuccinos?" 

Who didn't like frappuccinos?

[Caleb Xue]

Caleb chuckled. This wasn't the first person to have trouble pronouncing his name. It was just three letters. "Close. Sh-ew-eh. It's Chinese.". Caleb name and blood were Chinese. His Chinese language was limited to 'nihao' and 'xiexie'. He was born and grew up in the States.

"Frappuccinos are good, especially from Starbucks.". Caleb wasn't sure if this was an invitation for him to tag along. Or this was just a way to keep the conversation going.

[Cera Lamprey]

"Sh-ew-eh," Cera repeated the name with care, trying not to butcher this too horribly. 

This was, in fact, Cera's way of inviting him along, which was made more apparent when she began to walk in the direction of the Starbucks while continuing to chatter at the runner. 

"Usually I get the caramel, but they have a s'mores one and I might wanna try that. Have you had it, is it any good?"

[Caleb Xue]

“That’s it.” There were some names Caleb had trouble pronouncing.

Caleb walked with his newfound friend, his run forgotten. Making a friend was more important than a run. “I haven’t had that one before. I mostly get the mocha. Have you gotten the vanilla one with a couple of shots of raspberry syrup? That’s good. There’re just so many options.”

Starbucks was one of those places where there were many options. It made it hard to pick one. Plus the seasonal items that come didn’t help.

[Cera Lamprey]

"I think the s'mores is just for winter," Cera replied when Caleb said he hadn't had it before. "I got a little advertisement in the mail for it." 
 
She wondered whether that was a sign she went to Starbucks too often, or if everyone in her apartment complex received advertisements for Starbucks. Probably the latter, since she also received coupons for Burger King, and she hadn't gone to Burger King since high school. 

"Vanilla and raspberry sounds so good....don't give me more choices, I had my mind made up!" She laughed as they turned the corner. There, at the end of the street, was the Starbucks, with a few businessmen and women on their blackberries or their laptops, and a few students working diligently on homework while sipping coffees and eating muffins. 

Cera scanned the room critically as they entered; most of the tables were already occupied. She turned to Caleb and offered, "If you tell me your order I'll order for both of us, then you can get us a table?"

[Caleb Xue]

Starbucks was one of those place where you thought you knew what you wanted. And then you get there and looked at the menu. Sometimes Caleb could spend hours just trying to decide. Other times Caleb was in and out with what he wanted.

It was sure busy today. Was there even an open table? "Oh, thanks. Um," Caleb tried to think of what he wanted. Instead of taking too much time Caleb decided on his usual. "A grande mocha frappuccino, please. And I'll get us a table." Caleb was on the hunt for a table. His luck was with him. A couple of people left and opened a table. He made his way to the corner where the table was.

Caleb looked over the ordering line. It wasn't too bad. It was going to be a few moments before what's her name? Caleb realized she didn't say what her name was. He would be sure to ask and let her know he will pay her back.

[Cera Lamprey]

Cera whispered Caleb's order under her breath while she waited in line, fiddling with the snaps on her cupcake shaped wallet. Soon enough it was her turn to order, and she tugged out the debit card her parents had helped her acquire while she recited first Caleb's order, and then her own. 

Then she went to stand off to the side while she waited for the tattooed barista to whip up the two frappuccinos. 

She slipped her card back into her wallet, and her wallet back into her purse, and then they called out "Cera!" 

Unsurprisingly they had written Sara on the side of the cup, but as long as she had the right drinks that was fine. 

She had to search a bit before she spotted Caleb at the table he was saving. "Here!" She scooted his mocha frapp over to him along with a straw and a pile of napkins. "Mmmm, sugar and caffeine."

[Caleb Xue]

Caleb waited patiently. Even though the café was busy the noise level wasn't that bad. There was a murmur through out the café. It was quite bearable. Caleb just sat and let his thoughts take over. Caleb had been on many runs before. And none of them turned out like this one did. He still felt bad for crashing into Cera and she was paying for the drinks. He was brought back to real world once again when Cera came to the table.

"Thank you." He smiled. He unwrapped a straw. Caleb added the straw to his drink. "I'll be sure to pay you back," he turned the cup to find the name, "Sara."

Caleb took a sip of his drink. The cool mocha was tasted good.

[Cera Lamprey]

Cera waved one hand dismissively. "No need to pay me back!" She assured Caleb as she unwrapped her own straw. She slid it through the lid with only minor struggling, which she considered a victory, and then toyed with the straw wrapper while she drank. 

She tied the wrinkled paper into a bow, then untied it, then twisted it around her fingers. 

"Unless....you wanna hang again sometime?" She slid her phone across the table towards him. "Just put your number in and I'll call you!" 

[Caleb Xue]

"Are you sure? I really don't mind paying you back." From the forgotten crash to Cera paying for his drink it was the least Caleb could do.

Caleb sipped his drink. His eyes started to wandered around the café. His attention was brought by Cera's question. "Um? Yeah. I would love to hang out again." Caleb smiled. He picked up the cell and made a new contact with his info. He pressed save. "This time we won't crash into each other." He slid the phone back to its owner.