Coffee Shop Blues

It was a nice cool afternoon in Atlanta. I love the south, it almost never snows. I hate snow. I really hate snow! HATE HATE HATE SNOW!

Um, sorry. Never mind that, it was a nice day out and I was walking with Ez downtown. She had been acting strange since her trip to the Japanese Cartoon Convention. I wondered if she had “Cowed” out while there, but that didn’t seem to be the case. That and there were the reports of other strange things happening there that I had heard on the news.

She was quiet as we walked around which in and of itself was odd. I was getting thirsty and Ez suggested we go to a Starbucks. I like coffee even though I had to get used to chicory as a young lady back during the war. I walked to the counter to order.

“One Coffee please.”

“What kind?” asked the bored looking guy behind the counter.

I looked up to see what flavors they had and felt my eyes cross at the number and names written there. “Uh… Look, just a coffee, its wet, hot, and bitter, please.”

“Tall, Grande, Venti?”

“What did you just call me?!” I decided to turn him into a coffee pot right there.

“She’ll have a tall Mochachino.” Blurted Ez.

He finished our order, charged a carpetbaggers price for it and handed us our drinks. I was still going to zap him later.

As we walked to a seat Ez froze and stared out the window at someone. It was a woman Ez’s age standing in the window beckoning to her. I pretended not to notice as Ez tried to get her to go away with poor hand signals. The girl in the window was ever worst dressed than Ez. Her entire wardrobe looked like she had stolen it from her boyfriend, men’s jeans, a tee shirt and a denim jacket.

“Um, I have to, er, go out and talk to someone. I’ll be right back.” Blurted Ez as she set her cup down and left the shop.

I watched the two walk out of view. Ez had a lot to learn. I closed my eyes and soon was able to look out of my apprentice’s eyes and hear through her ears. It was a spell I had cast on her a while back, it helped keep apprentices out of trouble, and keep them from plotting against you.

“I’m working on it! Look it’s not too bad. You’ll get used to it.” I heard and felt Ez say.

“Used to it?! I don’t wanna get used to this. Can’t you ask her or help? I only agreed because you said it would be temporary!” The other girl wined back.

“It will be temporary, and if I ask her for help you’re liable to wind up in her panty drawer. Besides we did win that prize.”

“Fuck the prize! Do you know how they’re treating me at the Frat? I’m lucky they haven’t raped me yet!”

“What?!! Those Filthy Muther F…”

“Hey, lady you ok?” I looked up with my real eyes and saw a Girl in the Shops uniform looking down at me with a worried look in her eyes.

“Yes, thank you sugar. I’m just, um, tired.” I picked up my drink and sipped it. It was dark before Ez returned. Her hair was even more messy than normal, her shirt was a little more ripped than before, and her mascara, was runny.

“Ahem, sorry that took so long, I uh, that was an old sorority sister of mine form collage she was having some trouble.” He sat down and gulped her now cold Caramel mochachino.

“It happens. What Sorority is she from?”

Ez stared down at her empty cup. “Er, Theta, Gamma, Omega.”

“Hmm, I don’t remember a Sorority with that name, though there is a Fraternity with those letters.”

“Not any more. I need a beer.”

We left and walked over to a near by bar. I didn’t ask any questions. I would find out soon enough. Besides its important not to give an apprentice too short a leash.