(Ok if you want you can pm me your idea and we can talk about it)
One-on-one (Closed, stalkers welcome)
She replied in a soft voice, so as not to break his train of thought.
“I think I know what you mean,” she almost whispered. You could barely hear her voice over the noise of the train. Then she put her chin in her hands and looked over at him.
“I really like art too, although I’m more of a writer. And I know what it can feel like to let it all out, let everything get out of you system and onto the page.”
It took Theo a second to distract himself and then understand what he was saying. "What do you write?"
“My stuff is more creative writing, like just for fun,” she answered. “Poetry, short stories, that sort of thing. I honestly am really bad with details, so it’s best if my writing is shorter and straight to the point.”
"Could I… read some? If I take you to my workshop?" Theo asked softly, eyes glistening with the excitement of an easy connection with someone.
She widened her eyes at him, her head still in her hands. “Yeah, sure, if you like that sort of thing,” she replied. “When would we do it? I’m free after work today. And I could also see some of your paintings if you don’t mind.”
"Today is great," Theo sputtered, his voice rising in pitch in his excitement. "And of course, you can come over to my workshop so you can see my paintings!"
He fumbled with his phone, typing in the address for his workshop and texting it to Piper. "What time are you off work?"
She giggled at his excitement. “I get off at four. If you want I can head over right after work?”
He nodded over-enthusiastically, grinning like a child with a lollipop. "Yes, yeah. I'll be there!"
“Alright, that works!” She smiled and nodded. Over the loudspeaker, someone announced the next stop, which was only half a block away from the coffee shop Piper worked at. She stood.
“It was really nice to meet you, but I have to get going. I’ll see you later.”
"You will!" Theo assured with an energetic wave. As she got of the train, Theo couldn't help but feel happy; he hadn't had any real company for a long time.
Piper ran the small distance to work, and went to the back to put on her apron and cap. She didn’t realize she’d been smiling to herself the whole time.
Abby, her coworker, nudged her. “What happened to you? You’re smiling like an idiot.”
“I just met someone interesting on the train, that’s all.” She thought about telling Abby for a moment, but customers were coming in droves, so she decided to wait.
He got off three stations after her, sprinting to the laminate white building that was the hospital.
The familiar stench of metal and medicine assaulted Theo as he slid up to the main desk, his great mood darkening under the glaring LEDs.
"Theodore!" Nellie greeted from her desk, smiling as she spotted him. "I was starting to think you weren't coming today."
Shaking his head, he forced himself to smile back. "I wouldn't do that."
Nellie nodded her permission and he set off down the hallway to his mother's room at the end of it.
Mrs. Ingram, a regular who always came in and sat for over an hour, walked up to the desk.
“How come you weren’t here earlier young lady?” She inquired and waved her cane.
“I’m sorry, I missed my train,” she replied with a laugh. “I’m assuming you want the usual?”
“No, Abby got my coffee already, thank you.” She turned and made her way back to her favorite seat.
The walk down the hall was slow and deliberate. It took a good 5 minutes of slow breathing and careful steps, until finally Theo went to push the door open.
The first thing he heard was the steady beat of her monitor, keep track of her BP and blood pressure. Then the shallow, laboured breaths of the frail woman curled up on her side, sleeping, breathing into the plastic tube plugged into her nose.
Theo shuffled over to his chair beside her, sitting and taking her hand in his.
Piper smiled as she watched the woman sit, then turned her attention to the long line of people who needed sustenance for the day. She took order after order, barely looking up to see who was speaking to her. It took a while, but eventually, the line dwindled.
“Who’s next?” She called, and looked up when there was no reply.
“Oh, it’s over,” she said and tucked a stray hair out of her hat. Now she was gonna have to sit around and wait for customers to come in again until lunch.
Her eyes slowly blinked open. "Tee," she breathed, rolling onto her back. She couldn't sit up. "How are you?"
"I'm good," he told her gently. "How about you? You look a little more tired than usual."
She shrugged a shoulder, smiling tiredly.
"What else is new?"
Abby came back over to talk to her. “So who’d you meet on the train?” She asked. She was very persistent.
Piper rolled her eyes. “Nobody. Honestly it’s not that important. He was this painter guy. His name is Theo.”
She decided to leave out the part about her going to hang out with him this afternoon.
Theo breathed a laugh. "I guess. Hey, so, I met someone," he told his mother, a shy smile playing across his face.
His mother's eyes lit up with excitement, and she sat up so fast that a coughing fit rolled over her. "What's her name? Where'd you meet her?"
"Her name's Piper, I met her on the way."
"Is she safe? Did you meet her in some random place? What if she's a murderer? Or a cougar?"
"Mom!" Theo exclaimed indignantly. "She's my age!"
Abby raised her eyebrows. “You know his name? What, are you two going steady now?” She giggled and playfully threw her hand towel in Pipers direction. Piper caught it and chucked it back at her.
“We only introduced ourselves, as you do when you meet new people. Honestly, I don’t know why you’re so interested.”
Abby places her hand on her hip. “Because. You never talk to anybody if you don’t have to, yet all of a sudden you meet someone who makes you smile and you know a lot about him? Did you get his number?”
Piper looked sheepishly from behind the coffee machine at Abby. “Yeah, but only because he wanted to show me some of his paintings.”
Abby’s face lit up. “You mean you guys planned to see each other again?” Piper nodded in reply.
(Bump)
(hey did you used to be @altogether_quite_impossible_to_describe?)
(Yeee that was me!)
Theo's mother watched her son for moment, before relaxing back into her cushions. "Will you see her again?"
He nodded. "She's coming to the studio."
TIMESKIP: THAT AFTERNOON
Piper hurried down the sidewalk in order to get to the crossing zone before any cars came. She crossed the street and went down a few blocks, until she reached the front of the building.
“This must be it,” she mumbled, and knocked in the door.
Theo was sat at a canvas, staring at one of the works he was proudest of.
Then the knock came. He was sprinting down the stairs and at the door in a moment, wrenching it open and smiling like a child.
Piper waved a tiny waved and smiled an equally cheeky smile. “Hey, it’s good to see you,” she started.
"You too!" He stepped backward, making enough space in the doorway for her to walk in.
She stepped in the room and removed her coat while her eyes adjusted to the lighting.
“So, is this your house and studio? Or just you studio?”
He sighed, scratched the back of his head. "Well… Mostly studio. But I sleep here," he told her, starting up the stairs.
"Ah, okay," she nodded and followed him. Then she smiled to herself. "It's really cool that you are so into your art. There are so many people that don't understand that that is where great art comes from, ya know?"