"Stace! You done yet?"

Stacey closed the closet door shut once she hung her last piece of clothing and tiredly smiled around her new room, happy that she finally finished the worst part of moving, and proud of the way it turned out. "I am now!" she called.

"Come down here!" Anne shouted from down the stairs.

Sighing, Stacey forced herself out of the bedroom and sauntered down the staircase, her hand carelessly dragging itself on the rail. Once she reached the living room, she found her mother pulling her thick hair up into a high ponytail.

"What's up?" Stacey questioned.

"I'm going down to the café right now," Anne responded, scooping up her purse. "Do you want to come with me? I can introduce you to everyone there."

Stacey's mother owned a café. She had opened it two weeks after she and Marshall divorced to try and make a living for herself. She had met Frank, who worked as a banker, at that place when he came in for a coffee. Although she was offered many stable jobs after they married, she always turned them away. She could never give up her precious café.

"Mmm..." Stacey said in deep thought.

"It's just to get you started," Anne explained. "You know, get used to the neighbourhood and everything... Make new friends..."

"Yeah, let me just get my bag," Stacey replied, nodding in agreement.

After quickly grabbing her black handbag from the night table, she and Anne bid Frank goodbye before leaving the house.

***

"Oh, Anne, she's so much prettier in person!" one of the waitresses, Donna, squealed once Anne introduced Stacey to the employees.

Stacey's cheeks profusely burned a deep shade of crimson. Donna threw her arms around her shoulders and forced her into an all-too-tight hug. Stacey returned the embrace awkwardly.

"Heh... Hello," she said uncomfortably.

"Donna's a real hugger," Kate, another waitress, chuckled. "Donna, let her breathe for Christ's sake!"

Donna obediently released Stacey from her hug and apologetically smiled. "Please excuse me," she said breathlessly. "Your mother's told us so much about you. I've always wanted to meet you, but I never thought you'd be this beautiful!"

"I bet you've broken a lot of hearts," the final waitress who was standing in front of the cash register, Elly, said.

Again, Stacey blushed. "Not really," she laughed nervously. "I've never been on a date. Dad never let me."

"Shame!" Donna gasped. "You would've caught a lot of guys' attention!"

"Oh, leave the poor girl be," Kate sighed. "Can't you see she's uncomfortable?"

"She's only new," Anne winked at her daughter as she tied her dark green apron behind her back. "You're ok, right Stace?"

"Fine, yeah," Stacey nodded, seating herself in front of the counter on one of the stools.

"I know a guy," Donna said eagerly, leaning towards her. "Steve. He's a nice boy."

"Oh, yes, he's a doll!" Anne cried. "Just last week, he helped me carry those bags of ice! And he's helped the elderly around the neighbourhood with their lawns and everything!"

"You don't see that everyday," Elly agreed. "Wish I was young again just so I can get a piece of him."

"You could say that again," Donna sighed dramatically. She looked at Stacey and grinned. "This is what age does to us, Stace. Enjoy yourself while you can. After all, you aren't getting any younger."

Stacey smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

Once the sign in front of the café was flipped to indicate that they were open, people around town began to pile inside for fresh beverages. Stacey merely sat where she was and watched in wonder as her mother and her fellow waitresses took the customers' orders.

"Do you enjoy doing this?" she asked Kate once she was finished taking an old lady's order.

"I sure do," Kate replied, gazing around the café contentedly. "I like meeting people. Everyone's always nice here. And on top of that, I find coffee pretty interesting. You know, the different beans and..." Her voice trailed off, and she let out a breath of giggles. "Look at me blabbering about coffee. I'll bore you to tears."

"No," Stacey shook her head. "I think it's interesting that you find coffee interesting."

Kate chuckled quietly in response.

The door suddenly slipped open, allowing a gentle gust of summer breeze to briefly enter for a split second. A boy that seemed about seventeen years of age stepped inside, glancing around the café as he slowly closed the door behind him. Letting out a small breath, he approached the front of the counter.

"Hey," Anne greeted. "Will it be the usual, hon?"

The boy nodded wordlessly in response. Anne turned away from him and grabbed a paper cup. Stacey craned her neck to the right to look at him.

His hair was slightly messy, a rich shade of dark chocolate brown. He was fairly tall, seeming to be several inches taller than her. He had a slightly sharp jawline. His build was around an average. His eyes... were a stone-cold, icy blue that were staring at the back of Anne's head silently and looking a bit distant. Stacey watched him as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He seemed odd. While everyone in the café uttered a kind greeting and made small talk with the waitresses... he remained uncomfortably silent.

Stacey's eyes grew wide when she suddenly realized he was staring back at her with those icy-blue orbs. His face held no sort of emotion... yet he seemed like he was forcing those feelings back. Like he was struggling. What was he holding back, she wondered.

She looked away from him and glued her eyes to the counter, her cheeks transforming into a shade of an embarrassing pink.

"Here you are," Anne said, handing the boy a cup of coffee.

The boy quietly took it and offered her the right amount of cash.

"Thanks sonny," she said. "You have a nice day."

Without a single word or glance toward anyone, he turned and stalked out of the café, the door closing silently behind him. Stacey blinked at the door.

"Is he... ok?" she questioned Kate.

Kate scoffed. "No clue. But God, he's so damn rude."

"Rude?" Stacey said, startled.

"You saw the way he acted," Kate said in response to Stacey's questioning look. "He didn't even care to grace us with a simple hello. How hard can that be? God..."

"Is he a regular customer?" Stacey asked.

"He comes a couple times a week," Kate shrugged. "I never did find out his name, though. Not that I want to," she added with a grumble.

Stacey gazed at her thoughtfully. "He's so quiet... Why is that?" she wondered out loud.

"Beats hell out of me," Kate said. "I just give him the coffee."

"I guess..."

"He almost never talks," Donna piped up. "He only does whenever he feels that he needs to."

"What d'you mean?" Stacey asked.

"Like... if he needs something from someone, he'll say so," Donna explained. "Always makes it quick, though. Probably to avoid talking to anyone further."

"Probably," Kate agreed.

"It's a shame, though," Donna sighed sadly. "He's quite good-looking."

"Unfortunately, he is," Elly agreed. "He'd be perfect if he was polite enough to at least say hi."

"Why won't he talk?" Stacey asked again, this time mostly to herself.

"Again, I've no clue," Kate said. "I honestly don't care either. The only reason why I'm nice to him is because I don't want to ruin the business." She let out another scoff and proceeded to wipe up the counter, mumbling, "So rude..."

"Kate's pretty sensitive to this sort of thing," Anne chuckled quietly to her daughter.

"Heard that!" Kate glared.

"Anyway, don't worry too much about him, Stace," Anne continued. "He hardly ever talks. He won't bother you."

Stacey nodded absentmindedly, beginning to fiddle with her hands without much thought. It wasn't that she was worried about the boy. Actually, she wasn't worried at all if he would bother her.

She felt rather... intrigued.