1 year and 8 months later.

"Thank you, have a good day,"I smiled at the weird customer as I handed them their coffee. They grunted in reply and shuffled away,"Charlie will you please take over on coffee? I need to go do some paperwork."
"No problem,"Charlie smiled at me from beneath his rainbow hair.

I untied my apron and hung it on one of the hooks by the office door. I went inside and sat down in my chair with relief. I had been making coffees all fucking morning and I was desperate for a break. I pulled out the sheets for the coffee bean orders and took one look at them before shoving them aside and putting my head in my hands. It was way too early in the morning for that shit.

I looked around the small room and sighed. This office always felt too small and sometimes the coffee smell gave me a headache. It was then I decided I was going to renovate it. I went to open the door but something caught my eye. I grabbed my chair and carefully stood on it to look at the shelf close to the roof.

"Holy fuck,"I whispered as I pulled down the photo frame that I hadnt seen in almost two years. I blew the dust off of it and felt the corners of my lips tug up slightly. It was the photo of Gerard and I at Disneyland. It had been our favourite picture together. Both of us had kept a copy by our bed. I sat back down as thoughts of Gerard popped into my head. The urge to check where he was right now itched at me but I brushed them aside. All it took was to go on their website and look at the tour dates. About three clicks.

There was a knock on the door, pulling me out of my thoughts. I pulled a drawer open and slipped the photo in there. I shut it and grabbed the invoices before calling Charlie in.
"There's someone here to see you, the owner,"Charlie poked his head through the door.
"Okay I'll be right out,"I smiled.

The insane idea that it was Gerard popped into my head. I jumped to my feet and dusted any stray coffee or chocolate powder from me and ran my fingers through my short hair before going out to see not Gerard but a blonde girl looking nervous as fuck.
"Hi, I'm Frankie. I own this place. How can I help you?"I smiled down at her. She looked maybe two years younger than Lily?

Her hair was in plaits, hanging down her shoulders on either side, bright pink at the tips and she had bright blue lipstick on and black eyeshadow.
"Hi. I'm Lisa Pike. I was wondering if you had any jobs available? I was told you were the only person in town that hires people with uhh different opions on hair colour?"She held out her resume and flashed me a wide smile.

"You've come to the right place,"I grinned and took her resume,"I was just thinking about hiring someone else. Whenever I need to do stupid paperwork we always seem to be short on staff. Fucking stupid. Do you have any experience with coffee machines?"
"I know how to use one but not how to make coffees,"She said and followed me outside to sit at one of the tables.
"How come?"I asked.

"Oh, my mum bought a coffee machine. We know how to use it but not how to make proper coffees. We just make them the way we like,"She smiled.
"Ahh thats fine. Charlie can teach you how to pour. What about people skills. You good with people?"I watched her face for a reaction.

"If someone gives me shit for a stupid reason then I'll kindly tell them to get fucked. But otherwise I can give them a smile and a coffee,"Lisa sniggered as a huge woman walked past in a sparkly pink latex cat woman suit. I fought back a snort and quickly looked away.
"Is she gone?"I said, my voice quivering with laughter.
"Hold on- yup. Laugh away,"She giggled.

"Oh my god! What the hell?!"I burst out. I couldnt stop laughing. As my laughter died down, the song playing over the speakers reached my ears. My back stiffened and I spun in my seat to find Charlie busy making coffee. He glanced up and saw my stricken face and mouthed a sorry.
"Lisa, I would love to hire you. Right now I need to go and do some stuff so I will call you in an hour,"I smiled and stood up.
"Really? Thats awesome! Okay well I'll be waiting. It was awesome to meet you Frankie,"She shook my hand and took off to a car where a woman was waiting in the car.

I waved at them and went inside, clenching my fists as the song continued playing. I refused to look up at the tv. I wasnt gonna do it. I did not want to see him. This was the very reason that photo had been up on the shelf where I couldnt reach it.
"... Are you thinking of me? Like I'm thinking of you,"He sang.
"Fuck,"I muttered. I somehow fought the urge to run away with my fingers in my ears. I breathed out a sigh of relief as the sound of infomercials reached my ears thanks to Charlie.

I did not want to see Gerard singing about me. I had managed to get around that song. For the three months it had been out, becoming a hit from day one. I had heard the beginning of it and some other part but that was it. I had made sure that pictures of the video never reached my eyes. Whenever it came on tv I changed it immediately. Gerard and I werent meant to be together. No matter what he did, nothing would change my mind.

"Sorry about that. My milk was playing up and I couldn't reach the remote,"Charlie said as I came around the counter and took look at the orders he had.
"Nah dont worry about it. Its just a song,"I muttered as I started loading shots for him.
"True... Large white chocolate mocha take away?!"He called. A woman in her forties stood up from a near by table and stared at us.
"Is that her?"I asked quietly as I loaded the coffee heads.
"Yeah... I think she wants me to take it to her..."Charlie slowly set it down on the raised platform for take away drinks and started steaming more milk.

We continued working through the coffees silently, muttering a few words about the drinks every now and then but still, the woman stood there. After five minutes of standing, she walked over and stared at us,"Is my coffee ready? I've been waiting rather a long time."
"Large white chocolate mocha?"I smiled brightly at her.
"Yes."
"Oh thats it right there in front of you. We called it out before but I dont think you heard us. Have a good day!"I smiled even wider and turned my back on her to start making a frappe.

After a second Charlie came over to me, giggling his face off,"She looked so pissed off dude. That was hilarious."
"Good. I dont want her back in here. If she think's we've got time to be delivering take away drinks then she is fucking insane,"I smiled as I squirted whipped cream on top and popped a straw in. People sucked sometimes.