And the day started out so good.
#2 of Coffee tails
A quickie, written all in one setting. Be brutally honest. I can take it, I hope. I will apologize for some of the language. It is early in the morning right now.
Coffee tails and all characters are copyright LostinTrepidation/the people they are based off of. All names have been changed to protect the innocent (if they exist (more names will be added as things go on (if they go on))). (I like these (). (heeheehehehehehehehe))
The rabbit shook his tail as he busied himself with the order. Embellishing the drink with extra caramel, he smiled at his customer. The larger bruin returned the smile with a half nod, depositing some coins in the tip jar. He took a half skipping step up to the little gap by the register and handed the drink over. "Thank you very much, stop by again," the rabbit said in a soft voice, beaming at the bruin. "You know I come in everyday," the bruin said as he hushed a laugh. The two exchanged a few more goodbyes as the bruin left the small coffee outlet. With a loud sigh the outlet became deadly quiet. The rabbit went to the back of the small vending area he worked at and began looking himself over. Tenderly he polished a name tag which read 'Jamie' as he straightened his uniform out. His crisp white shirt still clean and neatly tucked into black slacks. A caramel and mango stained black apron and black ball cap rounding out his ensemble. The white of his fur slightly dulled from scrubbing at years of coffee and other stains that seem to find their way only onto his fur/through his uniform.
Sitting in at a tiny table he picked up a raspberry white chocolate milk, a creamy pastel/shimmering neon pink drink that seemed to defy all logic. Sipping said anomoly he giggled, lifting his hat up to run his paw pads over his newly shorter and hot pink hair. Hair that he quickly tucked back under his cap. Jamie checked the effectiveness of his concealment with two compacts. "Yo!" a nearby call rang out. A Chihuahua dressed similar, but less neatly, hopped over the front counter into the work area. Stepping from the employee area Jamie greeted his coworker. "Why don't you use the door?" Jamie asked feigning scorn. "Why don't you use those legs of yours like the Creator intended," the Chihuahua countered, "you could easily do that, and you are out of shape." Jamie shrugged, "What ever you say Car-rrrr-los-sss." Carlos looked very carefully at the rabbit before exclaiming, "YOUR HAIR IS GONE!" A smile sprouted on Jamie's lips, which quickly disappeared as Carlos yanked the hat of his head. "The hair on your head is go- PINK," Carlos wheeled in place before tossing the cap back. Jamie quickly put his hair neatly back and looked pleadingly at his coworker. "Don't tell anyone," Jamie said with a worried look. Carlos began to clean fervently, ignoring the bunny. Jamie took his cue and went to lunch silently, only looking back once to see Carlos staring at down at the ground.
Jamie quietly took his favorite seat in food court, a lone table on the far left of said food court. Normally he would be facing the coffee shop, looking on from afar. Today however, he faced towards the entrance of the food court. Head held up by a single paw as he wistfully stirred the food on his plate. 'Why did I buy this?' He asked himself as looked down at his favorite dish from the Chinese place he frequented. Many more questions poured from his mind. 'Why did I dye my hair pink? Why did Carlos react so badly? Why me?' Jamie wiped his eyes. "Don't cry," he quietly urged himself. Jamie decided that he really was not hungry and tossed his food in a trash can as it got cold. Cursing himself for the small scene he started, he returned to work.
With a cynical grin Jamie lept over the front counter and waded across the work area to the sink in two large steps. Carlos stood aghast, not even facing the fox at the other side of the counter. The fox shook her head disapprovingly, her long blond curls cascading. "Can we help you?" Jamie curtly asked. "I would like a raspberry white hot chocolate, please," the fox quipped with a snarl forming on her lips. Carlos moved back as Jamie quickly made the drink that he normally had cold. The fox cut Jamie off as he started to ask, "No whip." Jamie's eyes narrowed and he handed the drink over. She cut him off once more, "Dollar sixty-four, right?" Nodding Jamie took her correct change and said, "Thank you very much, stop by again." For the first time the fox seemed happy, calling out as she left, "Maybe."
A third person showed twenty minutes later, Brent, the evening shift leader. The young wolf looked gruff and almost mangy. The three of them exchanged greetings and started in on the shift switch. After the all the affairs of money, the safe and stock were worked out Jamie asked if Brent could watch the counter by himself. Brent only grunted stating, "I always watch the counter alone. No one ever shows up to work with me and you two don't stay." Both Jamie and Carlos stepped into the employee area quietly. Carlos was the first of the two of them to say anything for the longest time. Pulling himself up defensively he asked, "Why pink?" Jamie stared at Carlos before saying, "A little pride never hurt anyone, and I LIKE pink." "That's cool, I mean, you gotta have b-.... Never mind..." Jamie snorted and sat at one of the two chairs in the employee area. Carlos joined him staring at his hands. "Are you.... you know?" he timidly asked. "Yes," Jamie said quickly. Silence overtook the small room. "I'm not...," Carlos said softly. "I don't like dogs...," Jamie lied with a forced grin. The two shared a small laugh and went back to finish their shifts.
As Jamie and Carlos parted ways at the entrance of the food they looked at each other. "See you tomorrow," Carlos said with a smirk. "Are we still on for table tennis after work tomorrow?" Jamie asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Carlos ignored the tone of his friend, "Every Thursday, as always, nothings changed dude." Both of them shared a forced smile as they walked to their respective cars.
He shook as he wrapped himself in a cocoon of blankets. Jamie could not remember ever being so sad in his life. At least his best friend/love of his life did not hate him. No matter how he worded it, the thought only made him more sad as the night went on. Turning the T.V. to the Food network, Jamie cried himself to sleep.
Carlos sat alone in his apartment, pumping as much iron as he could lift. The strain on his muscles did not put his mind to rest. 'He came out of the closet to me. No, I outed him. Why did he dye his hair pink? Was he planning to come out? What if it is just a semi-dye, or one day dye. What have I done? NO! What has he done? GOD, GOD!' Dropping his weights with a thud he walked over to his bed. Angrily Carlos listened to his neighbors yell about the noise as he drifted to an restless sleep.