"Anthoni? … Anthoni?! "
Anthoni came to attention from his gaze off into space. He looked at the man trying to get his attention.
Seeing Anthonis gaze on him, the man continued
" I need your opinion on this man. Mallory isn't any help and you keep on losing yourself in your own little world. Listen; I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that disassociating like that is a form of early-onset dementia. "
Anthoni gazed at the children playing across the street at the playground across from the cafe they sat at. Clearly, he didn't hear any of what the man across from him just said
"See!" the man exasperatedly said while gesturing to Anthoni who once more disconnected himself from his current conversation.
A waitress in a red doctor's coat with the words "emperor's medicine" embroidered in fuzzy purple lettering across the front left breast pocket came over and asked for the two's orders.
To this event, anthoni perked up and gave his full attention to the waitress.
"Hi my name is Ezmer, I'll be your server this afternoon. What can I get you two?"
Before anthoni could say a word the man across from him spoke up first.
"Yes yes, nice to meet you ezmer, I'm Corvus, I'll have a caramel sugar black tea, extra caramel sugar. My friend here will have an apple juice. Oh and can you please heat up the apple juice for him please, thank you. "
The waitress who had taken out her notepad while Corvus spoke paused writing at the latter half of the order but with professional stoicism finished showing almost zero abnormalities.
Clicking her pen the waitress, ezmer asked, "Will that be all? Our bakery just made fresh vanilla frosted cupcakes if you are interested."
Corvus gave a thinking look before glancing at anthoni who had started gazing at the afternoon sky after he heard his order was taken.
"I think I'll have one for myself thank you very much." Corvus flashed a handsome smile that caused the waitress to halt for a moment before she wrote down in her notepad order and promised to be back soon before turning off with a pep in her step.
None of these micro-actions of hers escaped Curvus's eyes though. "Hey anthoni, you're getting older. You are turning 18 in what, 2 days now? You are going to scare off every chance you get at a partner if you keep up these weird antics."
Anthoni tapped the table 5 times almost as if testing the quality of the finished coffee table wood before turning his unfocused gaze back to Corvus "What is it like being 18? You're a full-fledged adult now. You can drink, dance smoke, and buy weapons. That's got to have been a lot for you right?"
Corvus gave an annoyed look before laying his hands in his lap in a helpless manner and replying, "Y'know we've had this conversation before right? In fact So many times this past month that I can't even remember. Something up with you?"
Corvus leaned forward, placed his right elbow on the table to lean over and grab a sugar packet from the condiments holder, and emptied it into his mouth shamelessly before saying, " You didn't care about any other of your birthdays. In fact, you don't seem to care about much. If I didn't constantly hound you during school I doubt we'd even be friends." Corvus gave an accusatory look at anthoni.
"No, we'd still be friends."anthoni put on a wronged expression as he responded confidently.
"Just like you and the ground below our feet are friends? Just like how the sky is your friend? Just like that waitress over there is your friend?" Corvus questioned with an additional sharpness added to his voice.
"Yes, we would still be friends." anthoni said as he stared off more in the space behind Corvus than anything.
Corvus gave a choked guffaw while throwing his hands in the air exaggeratedly, " Y'know if you treat your friends with this lackadaisical uncaring attitude then I would be very curious to see how you treat your enemies ." Corvus trailed off before emptying yet another packet of sugar in his mouth.
"Ahh who cares. Before we switch the topic what's up with you and 18 specifically? If you want to smoke, drink booze and all that then, I hate to tell you, but most people from our class have long since started on that buddy. If you are really interested I'm sure I can buy you something the next time you come over. Just make sure to pay me back."
Anthoni looked back into Covus's eyes and said, "If I were to tell you that I felt something was going to happen when I turned 18 what would you say?"
Without skipping a beat Corvus replied indifferently while curling the sugar packet packaging up, "What kind of thing?"
But before anthoni had the chance to reply a large crash rang out within the cafe. This caught the attention of Corvus and anthoni.
A man sitting at the counter watching TV was standing among a bunch of fallen silverware and was left from his order. He stared at the TV screen with a pale bloodshot eye face as if seeing a ghost. He breathed in heavy deep breaths as his eyes were glued to the TV screen.
The TV screen showed a broadcast of a news story for Aquamarine Place. The reporter on the scene was giving out details on a murder scene, "This is Madison with channel 5 news broadcasting on scene. Today another victim believed to be a part of the recent serial killings in the area was found today. Behind me is Blackrock Apartments; 57-year-old James Withers was found dead in his apartment by local neighbors after they noticed he wasn't going through with his normal morning routine. One neighbor who had keys to his apartment in case of emergencies took it upon themselves to check in on Mr. Withers and found his mutilated body. Reports say the scene was gruesome beyond imagination. "
The reporter beckoned a crying woman off-screen to come into the shot and said, "Today here, we have the unfortunate neighbor to stumble upon this tragedy. Marsha Halls; can you think of any reason why someone would do this to Mr. Withers? "
The reporter then held the microphone to Marsha while putting an empathetic hand on her shoulder.
Marsha stifled another sniffle before talking, " Our James was a good man. He was a key pillar holding up the community of this apartment complex. Wouldn't so much as litter. No one in their right mind except a psycho would do to him what I saw in that room!" With a handkerchief, Marsha wiped away at the waterfall spilling from her eyes before looking up again
" There are very few good men in this world but, I believe in my heart, that James was one of them.
As neighbors, we will be feeling the impact of this for the rest of our lives I believe I can say on behalf of this community that our hearts are out for his son. "
With the last words said, all eyes fell on the guy who caused the commotion in the café. His neck muscles strained and his eyes bleary red, fell over knocking his head against the counter.
The cafe Patrons surrounding the fallen man dove in to help the man up. Anthony watched this before turning his head back at the children playing at the playground across the street. As his head turned he caught the sight of Corvus who had grabbed another sugar packet at some undetermined point, but as his gaze swept past him his vision once again cracked into a discolored pane of glass overlaying the features of Corvus. There, he saw a version of himself sitting in the exact spot Corvus sat and he was staring with a smile, not at him this time but at the spot where the man had passed out.