THESE ARE MY HEART SONGS

[A Joe Short Story for Niki on her 19th.]

I lavas you.

--"Heart Songs" by Weezer

01.)

    I never thought working at a bakery would've been considered fun. Before I'd gotten the job, the idea wasn't so great. Sounded like days full of chipper, snobby, impatient people. My days are full of that, legit, but people have so many stories. There are cute guys, beautiful women, and exhausted mothers with their wired children. I'm a generally nice person (depending on my day), and when I'm in a good mood, be thankful.
    One day, a normal day. I worked from 7-3. Early, I know, but it seemed to be okay. Well on that day, my lunch break came sometime between 11-12, as I grabbed a coffee at the nearby Starbucks.
    "NIKI!" I heard as I stopped in. It was Kat at the register who stopped what she was doing, oblivious to the line she had abandoned, and squeezed me into a violent hold.
    "MM... KAT... SQUISH... LOVE... LINE!" I squealed. Kat let go of me with widened eyes and hurried to her register to serve her line. I stood there in the way, multi-tasking, between watching Kat and choosing what I wanted.
    "I'll talk to you in a minute." Kat whispered loudly. I let out a chuckle and whispered back, "OK!"
I spun on my heel ready to get in line and place my order when a warm liquid flowed down my uniform. The liquid managed to make itself in my face and onto my treasured uniform. Coffee.
    "Oh, uh. I am so sorry." the handsome boy said. Boy and spilled coffee? That was like a boy who dropped his pencil. The boy was my age, choppy black hari, eyebrows to match, dark brown eyes, and a beautiful, masculine voice. He bent down in reach for the dropped cups, and looked up at me.
    "I am, wow. Sorry, I'm so sorry. I haven't had--"
    "Sleep? Same, I try. It's fine." I said as I placed strands of my dark hair behind my ear.
    "You're very... pretty," he said as he stood with his empty Starbucks cups.
     I felt the pink emerge through my pigments, and thanked him.