"Janice, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to be late!" you said as you burst through the Café door, but stopped. It was empty. There were no customers. Janice came out of the kitchen with a rag in her hand, apron on and ready to go. Yours was laid across the back of a chair by the counter.

"(Y/N)! Hi! Wow, you're a little early today, aren't ya? Well, come on in! I was just about to open up after cleaning this old thing off." She plopped the rag down on the cashier counter and began sweeping it back and forth across the surface.

"But... I thought I was late," you said, surprised at getting to work early instead of late.

Janice looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "Hm, nope. You're five minutes early, which means that we can start three minutes earlier than yesterday! The Twons'll be happy about that!"

She finished with the counter and slung the rag over her shoulder, walking over to the door and flipping the little hanging sign to say "open."

"Now we're in business!" she said happily.

You turned around and walked over to the counter, wrapping the black apron around your waist and and sighing softly. Another day was just beginning.

It was harder for you to focus on work today than it was yesterday. Your mind kept drifting back to the nightmare from the night before. You knew exactly why your mother would say that to you. You knew why it was your fault, but before you could think about it, another customer would show up or a refill would be asked of. At least you could be preoccupied so that you didn't break down in tears in front of everyone.

In the end though, you managed to obtain $27 in tips thanks to a few regular customers from yesterday who recognized you. Janice was proud.

"You sure are good at being a people person," she complemented when you two were cleaning off tables. "Monday, I'll show you the ropes of the coffee machine and all, cool?"

"Sounds good," you replied, but didn't look at her. The day was over and so was the work that kept your mind on the light side of things. Now the darkness would creep in again like night covering a sleeping planet. At least it was just the weekend.

The bell to the door jingled as someone entered the Café.

"Aw, damn. Looks like I got in a little late this time, huh?"

"Hey, Mark. Usual?" Janice asked the newcomer.

"Long day of recording," he replied tiredly.

"Got it."

You glanced over your shoulder and saw that it was, indeed, Mark Fischbach who was standing right in front of the door you needed to go through.

"Alright, here's your vanilla chocolate milk. On the house."

"Awe, thanks Jan, but here. Take this twenty and add the extra to your tip. For being a good friend."

"Thanks Mark, you're such a sweetie," she said with a giggle and you rolled your eyes. So many girls fawned over that man. Sure he was incredibly handsome and well built, but was that all they saw? How could you really know a man through a screen?

"(Y/N)! I almost forgot you were there!"

"Don't come near me, Mark. Not when you still have that milk in your hands."

"Hey!" he defended. "That was only twice!"

"And we've met twice therefore 100% of the time," you shot back maybe a little too heavily. You remembered to keep your feelings in check.

"C'mon," he pleaded. "Have a little faith?"

You straightened up and turned around, wet rag in one hand while the other was outstretched.

"Then let's start over," you said. The same, cheerful smile on your face that you'd had all day seemed to be a little easier to pull off now that you were facing him and weren't injured or anything. "Hello, my name is, (Y/N). Yours?"

He took your hand gently, but firmly. At last, someone who can actually shake your hand like a man. Too many treated a woman's handshake like some kind of fine china. It was ridiculous, you believed.

"Nice to meet you, (Y/N). My name is Mark."

You smiled, this one a little more genuine, and shook his hand once before letting go.

"Now that, that's over with, I can trust you a little more now."

"Like there was ever any doubt?" he said, feigning hurt.

"All the time," you said with a small laugh.

Stay strong. The day's almost over.

"So Mark, how's the computer problems going?" Janice asked, speaking up from where she was sitting at the counter.

"Could be better, to be honest. Bob's flying in to visit tomorrow so I'm gonna have him take a look at it."

"Why not call someone who's actually qualified to look at something like that?"

"Because Bob's the only one I trust with my computer. Wade's pretty smart, may he never hear I said that, but he's an even bigger klutz and jokester than me."

"You guys are always so hard on the guy," you chimed in.

"Believe me, if you spent as much time with him as Bob and I do, you'd pick on him, too." Mark chuckled softly in that somewhat deep voice of his.

He had a wide vocal range, you noted while listening to him and Janice carry on with their conversation. Soon, though, it drew to a close.

"Well thanks for the energy drink, Jan," he said as he opened the door, waving.

"(Y/N)? You coming?"

"What?" You looked up from where you were stuffing your tips into your small satchel. Mark was holding the door for you.

"I ain't leaving till you walk through this door, ya know. I've still gotta make up for those two times I ran into ya."

You started towards the door, ducking under his well muscled arm and stopping on the side walk.

"Thank you, Mark," you said politely.

"Hey, I really am sorry about your knee," he said softly and you looked back to see him scratching the back of his neck in an embarrassed way.

"It's okay, Mark. Really," you assured him, smiling to emphasize your point.

"Well, I still wanna make it up to you."

"You don't need too."

"But I wanna. Can I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"I don't know, Mark..."

"As friends of course!" he blurted. "We can get to know each other better and I can make up for breaking your knee."

"Skinning," you corrected gently.

"Same difference! Just say yes. Please?"

You sighed, knowing he wouldn't stop looking for ways to repay you.

"Alright, fine. Yes, Mark, you can take me out to dinner tomorrow night."

"Yay! Thanks, (Y/N)!" he said happily, giving you a tight hug before even you could realize it. He quickly retracted himself from your embrace and cleared his throat before speaking in a playful, brave voice.

"To the other side?"

You laughed softly before nodding. "To the other side."