As Long as I am with you

It was in the early hours of the morning, and a car drove in the drive-thru, a white sedan. Halle, who was from the on-call shift at a coffee shop, was tired from staying up all night from studying her math homework. Mark, who was the only person in the shop with her, was in the restroom taking his time. Halle had only had two days worth of experience in the drive-thru position; she hears the man from the white car. Halle saw his vehicle from the security camera.

“Thank God,” she whispered. It was only one car. 

“Good morning. How can I help you?” Halle asked.

“Hello, um…” He started and paused. “Sorry, I only go to Starbucks, that’s why. Any recommendations?” He asked.

“Well, I like the black tea with a berry scone,” Halle said. It's what Halle had that morning. 

“Ah, tea, not much of a tea guy, but what the hell, I will get one with a berry scone.”

“Okay large or medium?”

“Large.”

“Okay, your total will be 7.25. Meet me in the next window for your order.” Halle said.

The white sedan drove to her window, and he took cash and handed it to her. Halle opened her window, and her heart jumped because she is single and her life has been only about school and housework with her parent’s lousy holiday parties. Halle always had to be the third wheel with her older sister and her boyfriend, and she felt like she was missing out on dates, movies, hikes, food, parties, and beach walks. So when she met him at her window, she liked his face and his hands. She was blushing, but it was still dark at 5 am. 

She grabbed the cash and changed when the music player played ‘Used to be love’ by Martin Garrix. 

“Are you the only one?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

Mark comes in, walking to her, and says, “Uh, me too.”

“Oh yeah, it's just us two.” Halle laughs softly. Mark knew what Halle was feeling, a guy like that and his face. Halle is too shy, and she would pass any chance with a guy like that even if he said no, she would tear.

“Mark, it’s a berry scone. I will get the black tea,” Halle said. She closes the window so the cold wind won't ruin the moment. Mark elbowed her upper arm like a highschool kid teasing their friend about their crush walking near their table. 

Halle only knew Mark from one college class, which was child development. They are both majoring in education. Halle is in the arts, and Mark in physical education. 

“I see you and the guy.” Mark sings. “He was looking at you like I would look at Bella Hadid and other models. They are goddesses,” Mark said. 

“No way he would like a model instead,” Halle said as she poured the black tea in the brown wax-paper cup. Halle was thinking about him and how she was stung by her heart pounding. In all honesty, Halle had woken up completely when her heart opened, but she felt hurt inside her chest because she knew she would never see him again. 

Halle got his berry scone toasted and his black tea ready. She opens the window and hands his order to him. 

“Careful. It's hot.” Halle said.

“Okay, thank you so much, hey do you go to Levy Community College off Flowers Street?” He asked.

“Yes, how did you know?” Halle asked. She was kind of freaking out because that's her school.

“Your pin dummy,” Mark said.

The guy in the white car chuckled. “I used to go there, but I switched schools.”

“Cool.” Halle didn't know what else to say. She was gushing all over him. 

“Nice, okay meeting you Halle, here's my tip.”  The guy drove off, and Halle looked at her name tag written in bold lettering. Mark was laughing because Halle is slow to capture things. 

“Look at that tip.” Mark grabs the jar and picks up the twenty dollar tip, and it has his phone number with his name Adam.

“Oh my god, what do I do with it!? Should I call him right now?” Halle grabs her phone from her back pocket and drops it from excitement. She was dancing awkwardly and laughed. Her hands couldn't stop shaking, and Mark told her to be calm and to do it after her shift. 

It was 11 am, and when Gina came to pick up after Halle’s shift, she ran her to her car, looked at the twenty-dollar bill, and dials his number. 

“Hello?” Adam answered.

“Hi, it’s Halle from the coffee shop this morning.”

“Who?” Adam was confused.

“Halle from Levy college. Berry scone?” Halle said. She was scared that he forgot about her. Her love for this guy fell to hot lava, and it will never return to her lonely heart.

“I’m kidding.” He laughs.

Halle laughed too; she was almost about to tear. Her heart almost fell out from her chest. 

“Do you like me?” Halle asked.

“Already with the questions. But yeah, I do. When I saw you look pretty in that messy bun and your smile was that made me go for it.” Adam said. 

Halle smiled, and she felt like this was all a joke, but it wasn’t. 

“I like you too,” Halle said.

“Wow, that's nice to hear. When I drove to your window, I was freaking out inside. I thought writing my number was a mistake and that I would take a bullet for being rejected by you.” Adam said.

“Same here. My coworker was teasing me while I was preparing your tea. I burned myself.” Halle said.

“Oh no, are you okay?” 

“Yes, thanks for asking.” Halle licks her small burn spot on her thumb.

“Hey listen, I am out by 1 pm from my job. I'm going to ask you out for a date. Are you up for it?”

“YES!” Halle said.

“Okay, well, I know a great spot off the 40 highway. I can take you there. It's a burger spot with a drive-in. Just send me your address, and I'll call you when I am nearby.” Adam said. 

“Perfect, yes, I just got off my shift. I am going to change, and I'll text you my address.” Halle said.

“Okay, Halle, I meet you later,” Adam said.

3 YEARS LATER

Halle grabs her keys and gets to her car because she was fighting with Adam at his house. He was planning to go to Vegas without her again. Halle knew what Adams' friends liked to do. They go to strip clubs and get private lap dances. One of his friends took a picture of Adam grinding a 21-year-old in a club because she was celebrating her birthday and sent it to Halle. Halle never liked these friends, and they never talked to her. When Halle went to their super bowl events, one of them yelled YOKO behind her. 

“I fucking hate Adam.” She said under her breath as she drove off to her house. She started to sob, and her tears grew larger and hotter. Her cheeks were turning red. Her head was boiling, and her heart was already broken. She calls Adam and tells him that she wants to break up with him.

“I fucking hate you. I kept telling you your friends do not support our relationship. That’s why they keep doing this on purpose, and they rub it on my face. This is the last fucking time I will ever see you!” Halle hangs up and speeds up 50 mph on a neighborhood street. She got home safely. Halle still lives with her parents, and they were having another party of their own. Cupid Shuffle Party, it was Valentine’s.

Halle ran to her room and cried so loud, but nobody from the party heard her. The ‘Cupid Shuffle’ was on high volume. Halle ripped her photos with Adam on them. She tore her teddy bear with a heart that Adam won at a carnival. It was huge, so she grabbed a pair of scissors, stabbed it, and cut its head off. 

Halle kept saying ‘fuck you, Adam’ and ‘I hope you rot in hell.’

Halle’s parents came into her bedroom after the party was finished. They saw her bedroom covered in white fluffy cotton balls, it was like a crime scene, and the killer was sleeping on top of all the photos. 

“Halle wakes up. Let’s talk about this. What did that Adam do to you?” Halle’s mom, Jenna, asked.

“Leave her sleep right now. Let’s talk in the morning when she's better.” Her dad covered Halle with a blanket.

“Oh, Fred, what do we do? I feel bad. I don't like seeing our daughter like this. Oh, that Adam is bad news for us. Fred, if he steps on our porch looking for Halle, you scare him off, like my dad used to do with you.” Jenna said. 

“And you suppose I have to buy a shotgun like your dad’s. No, I will scare him with my voice. I will scream at him or even punch him with my fists.” Fred said.

“Okay, we will talk about that. Let us take off our wings and this ridiculous outfit.” Halle’s mom said as they closed her door. Halle listened to the whole thing. She wishes for dad to punch the heart out of Adam, to make him bleed. 

The next morning, Halle walked to her backyard because her parents were putting back their garage decorations. Halle helped them, but she seemed fine and felt like nothing happened, but the tension was all there in her face. It was her black mascara smudged under her eye bags. 

“Halle, are you okay we saw your room, it was messy, and the message was obvious. Are you and Adam?” Halle’s mom used her hands to say separation instead of saying it. 

“Yes, I broke up with him. He’s a jerk.” 

“Halle, don't you worry a thing about Adam. How can this happen to you? I want to talk to him because I don't like seeing him like this. It breaks my heart.” Fred said. 

“Dad, I couldn't sleep, so I am going to worry. He was my first boyfriend.”

“So, there's plenty of eligible men for you not like Adam,” Fred said. 

“Dad, just forget about it. Adam is not coming back; he went to Vegas.” Halle said. 

“Vegas. What’s wrong with vegas. Your mom and I  go there.”

“He went there twice without me. I hate that because he danced with a 21-year-old, and what happened when hot young girls danced up to your boyfriend. I felt belittled and mocked. Am I not pretty or thin like them?” Halle tears, and her parents drop their decorations and hug her. 

“That's it. I’m going to kill him!” Fred yelled.

“Geez, what are you guys talking about.” Halle’s older sister, Julie, came out from the back door. She lived thirty minutes away living with her boyfriend, Cameron. 

“Your sister broke up with Adam yesterday,” Jenna said. 

“He’s parked outside,” Julie said.

“I’m gonna beat his ass-” Jenna cuts Fred off and tells him to take the decorations into the garage as Jenna comforts Halle as they walk to the front porch. 

Julie went behind them and saw that Adam was carrying a yellow flower bouquet. Halle’s favorite color. 

“Why are you here, Adam? Didn't I make it clear on that phone call?” Halle said. 

“I’m so sorry, Halle. I am a jerk and a terrible boyfriend.” He said.

“Oh please,” Julie said under her breath. Jenna told her to go back to help her dad with the decorations. 

“Adam, you need to go. You hurt my daughter. You don't want Fred out here,” Jenna said as she walked towards Adam.

“Look, ma’am, I made a huge mistake, and I tend to fix it until she is happy. I need her to be happy because I love her.” Adam said.

“No! You broke her heart. She couldn't sleep because of you! I don't care how much you love her, bring more bouquets and more sorry’s, but she won’t accept that from you!” Jenna yelled at him. Adam seems scared of her already because she was poking his chest with her index finger poking him so hard her body moved. 

Halle saw his face in sadness, and his eyes were calling for her comfort and forgiveness. 

Fred heard the commotion, brought a baseball bat to the scene, and tapped the driveway to scare Adam. Fred was on his college baseball team. 

“You broke our daughter.” Fred points with his bat. Jenna keeps him away from Adam, so they avoid any charges. 

Julie takes him away again and takes the bat away. Halle was still on the top of the porch, watching her family defend her. 

“Just leave,” Halle said as Adam gave the flowers to Jenna and ran to the driver’s side. He drove off.

3 MONTHS LATER

Halle went to a Starbucks shop and ordered a scone with cold lemonade. She was visiting Mark. They quit the coffee shop because they shut down for reconstruction. Mark works at Starbucks to give Halle his discounts and goodies. 

“Here’s your drink and scone. Are you sure you don't want to work here? They’re offering a position here?” Mark said.

“No, that's okay my parents don't want me working right now.”

“Damn, I wish I had the privilege of not working,” Mark said. He went back to work as Halle went to the car when she saw Adam pulled up next to her. He seemed different because his hair was shaggy, and his steps were slower than other days. He walks to the shop and never knew his ex was there. 

Halle quickly drives off and goes to the library down the street. She has never been there, but she needed to get her mind off things. They have a patio out front so they can eat and read. 

She pulls up to the library shop, and she parks in front. She was no bookworm but walking around and smelling the scent of new books relaxes her. 

Twenty minutes passed. She finished her drink and read a Vogue magazine passage about break-ups and how to be resilient. 

She started to sniffle and tear when a guy behind her caught her attention.

“Are you alright?” He asked

“No.”

“Listen, whatever it is, my day is worse. My dog passed away last night.” He said.

“Oh, I'm sorry. What was his name.”

“Julliard.” he started to feel sad, but she tried to get over it. Halle thought he was too cute to be like this, so she began to make him smile by trading some jokes and talking about why she was crying. 

The guy was touchy, so he grabbed her hands, cupped them, pressed them, and told her to get over Adam. Halle was sure he was attracted to her, but she didn't want to make him feel bad. He was just sad about his dog.

“Miss Halle, a friend of yours is here.” The library girl said.

Halle thought, what friend, can it be Mark? 

She walks inside of the library shop again and sees Adam standing there.

“You already have a boyfriend?” Adam asked. He got jealous because he couldn't stop thinking about Halle in all three months. He broke it off with his friends. They went off to Vegas.  Adam had kept their photo sup in frames and never ripped her sweater she left at his house. 

“I am so sorry I came up like this. Can I talk to you in a study room?” Adam said. 

They walked into a study room, and she sat down on one of the chairs, and so did he. 

Adam reached for her hands and started to talk to her, “Halle, I am so sorry for what I did in Vegas two years ago. I was drunk. They pressured me to drink and drink, shot after shot. The photo my friend sent to you with that girl was a mistake. I never kissed her or anything like that; I never danced with her. It looks like I did. But she was falling, and I grabbed her. I was there at the wrong time. It seems bad, but I remembered throwing up in the stalls she was with her boyfriend, and when she heard me puking in the next stall, she called me ‘disgusting.’ I left the club and went back on an Uber. I tried to text you, but my phone went off, and I was too drunk to find my charger. I couldn't explain to you months ago because your family was there ready to kill me. And I don't want to hurt you, so I tried not to call you, but it was so hard not to call you.” 

“Adam, you hurt me, and I don't know what to believe.” Halle started to cry because, for three years, she loved this man. She cried for him. “Are you trying to get back with me?”

“I want to so bad. I miss you so much. Your dad called me not to contact you or look for you or else.” Adam said.

“I don't know, Adam,” Halle said. Adam lights up at ‘I don't know.’

“Please think about it. I want to talk to your family to fix this. Please, Halle, please think about it. I love you.” He kisses her, and Halle doesn't fight back. She remembers their first date.