The morning had been tolerable for Shane, and she had been up at the crack of dawn doing various routines from performances past in her dorm room for the better part of the morning. She would switch from ballet to hip hop and then back again, strong in both but preferred the ballet. It was fluid and more dynamic, in her opinion and she favored performing in a ballet than any sort of hip hop thing. Still, she learned it and did so well, another asset she could place on a resume.

The early morning hours had passed before she realized, and by the time she was aching for a morning coffee it were almost nine. So, not bothering to change out of her dance attire, she headed up the block clad in leg warmers to Steamer's. It was her favorite place to get a cup of the good stuff, and they served it up right. As she walked, she could taste it before she actually smelled it seeping down the city block and around the corner. A girl could easily get used to a life like this.

Entering the tiny cafe, the young man behind the counter had greeter her as 'sugar pie' of which she graciously accepted. She was in here enough that the employees all knew who she was, where she was coming from and what exactly she wanted. He wasted no time in pre-ordering her drink before she even got to the counter to pay. The line wasn't long, but her drink was ready when she got there. She smiled absently, not really in the mood for small talk this morning. He seemed to get that, and took her five dollar bill in acceptance, giving her loose change in return. She dropped it in the tip jar, giving him a simple nod before she walked away.

Gripping her caramel something or another. She had long forgotten the name of it, having it ordered before she could do it herself and got seated comfortably on one of the large velor couches that littered the dining area. She wondered for a moment how they kept the upholstery so neat and clean. You'd think someone would have spilled something on it by now, but the cream color sparkled back at her. Squeaky clean and new looking. It made her sick and she fought the urge to drop her caramel concoction all over the cushion beside her.

People came and went, and she sat in the heat of the tiny cafe for a few hours. Just listening to the soft music and conversation was soothing to her, contrasting the outside hustle and bustle of the city life beyond the glass walls of Steamer's. She watched some people carry on with their lives. Heading to work, taking a cab, shopping and other things were occurring and she simply stayed still. The feeling was pure magic, and she didn't budge when she realized it were time for her math class to start. Shit... she voiced in her head, but made no effort to move.

Knowing she wouldn't make it in time anyway, she wasn't all too saddened by not being able to attend today. She was content and on her second (or was it third?) coffee that was smothered in caramel syrup. She smiled into her cup as she took another sip, letting her eyes close and the atmosphere gulp her up. The music and people clamed her, and her body finally relaxed against the pearly white of the unsoiled cafe couch.

The atmosphere had changed in the room, and she felt a presence hovering over her. She knew that she wouldn't be able to relax when she was wearing such a get up, especially in such a public place. Her outfit screamed dancer, and yet people seemed to go stupid when they entered her presence. She always seemed to be a coach of some sort, reteaching them how to use their common sense, but the words that came out of his mouth were knowing and almost soothing.

Interesting... she said to herself, listening to his accent in awe. Being from a smaller city in Arizona, any accent interested her. She smiled gently, opening only one eye to peek at the stranger standing before her. To her surprise, she actually recognized his face from campus. His name or any of his personalized information was lost in the depths of her thoughts, but she indeed recognized him. She thought over his question, repeating it for a moment as she straightened and made room for him on the couch. She was in a better mood this morning, so being civil to him was only in order.

She patted the cushion beside her, welcoming him to sit beside her for a chat. By now, her own cup of coffee was cold, and she waved at the familiar face behind the counter for another round. She knew it was almost poison in her bloodstream, but it was her one habit she wasn't able to kick to the curb. Coffee, other than dance, was her passion. It kept her going like fuel, and you needed some sort of energy to keep you going in a dancer's lifestyle. As he sat beside her, his name popped into her head.

"Jayce, right...? You go to Clarksbury... I recognize you." she stated as though it were a game he had been playing with her. She gulped down the last of the cold caramel number before the fresh one arrived, wincing in distaste. They didn't seem to go down quite as well if they were piping hot, but it still contained the caffeine she was looking for. "The name's Shane, and you're correct. Third year at Clarksbury..." she stated a matter-of-fact. Looking him over, she guessed he was a third year as well, but then they would of had a class together, which they did not.

One of the employee's, a male she had ordered her original drink from brought a fresh cup, beaming from ear to ear. She smiled at him, nodding in a thank you as he took the empty one away. He was good to her, and anyone from the outside world could tell he was under her spell. An evil, almost voodoo like trance that she seemed to hold her male suitors in. She liked getting what she wanted, and this was how she accomplished this. Jayce's cup of joe didn't resemble hers at all, and she made a face at it in disapproval.

"What is that, exactly?" she asked, pointing a single bony finger at his cup. Her fingernails were unpolished and seemed to be bitten off, only nubs of the nail remaining. Though, they still looked neat and tidy for what damage they were put through. She returned her attention momentarily to her own glass, taking a long drink of the hot liquid. It burned her throat, but she didn't mind much. It made her feel alive.

She moved about on the couch to get more comfortable, cross-legged and facing him with her back on the arm rest. She took another sip of the 'toxic' drink, or so he assumed and she felt the burn all the way to her gut. Really, she should stay away from the stuff but it was a personal addiction she wasn't aware of. It kept her going, and that's really all that mattered to her. She didn't care what he said about it. It tasted delicious, and she wasn't going to stop drinking it for...whatever was in that cup of his.

It was plain and boring, his single mug of coffee and she decided that it was his choice to get something so unoriginal and bland. Without the sugar and syrups it couldn't taste very good, and it was probably decaf. Really, she saw no point in his selection. You might as well have water because it's basically the same thing. She set her cup of the small table in front of them and took her hair out of it's tight bun. The constrictive nature of the tie she was using was beginning to give her a headache and her hair flowed in light locks around her face. It was especially curly this afternoon, being that she had pulled it up wet rather than doing much with it.

"Second year... really?" she asked in a curious tone, having a hard time seeing it. He easily passed as a third year, but didn't seem the type to ditch regular classes because after all...third years had Math around this time and he was sitting beside her. Second year seemed correct theoretically, but he was so comfortable with himself to be only a second year. She laughed gently at his next comment, and she shook her head as she replied. "No, you shouldn't worry. I tend to know everyone at the school...whether I like it or not." She noticed the irony in the entire thing, and she laughed gently. "...and vise versa. No one wants to really know me, but they do."

His comment about the coffee caught her off guard, not knowing he was going to reply with such a tone. A bean, really... she thought silently, giving him a sly smile. "Wow, you're a quick one. I wonder if you know anything about where bananas come from..." she said sarcastically, meeting his tone. She felt automatically comfortable with him, and that didn't happen very often, especially when she was placed in front of a second year and told to communicate nicely. His question on the topic of hers made her smile. "This," she began as she picked up her glass again. "...this is liquid heaven in a cup." she said whole heartedly and took a long drink. She couldn't help but remember she had said the same thing about beer a few weeks back. Ah, he wouldn't know that.


[[ Sorry it ended up being so short. I'm a bit museless at the moment. ]]