The smell of coffee and depression was thick in the air and seemed to cloud Jason's nostrils. The sound of people fidgeting in their chairs while they waited filled Jason's head with angry thoughts. The sight of people sitting in a circle with pitiful expressions made Jason even more irritable. If there was one thing he hated more than people, it was listening to people's sob stories. They all thought they were unique individuals who deserves pity and support. Jason flashed back to his memory of washing blood off his hands and soaking a blood soaked outfit in hot, soapy water. He grinned at the thought, none of these people have a clue how easy they've got it, he thought to himself.
The silence was broken by a man sitting between Jason and another woman who had caught Jason's eye for being the only calm looking individual here besides himself, "Good morning everyone. Welcome back."
Everyone simultaneously responded, "Good morning."
Jason drowned out the latter part of the man's introduction, thinking to himself that this was the dumbest thing he'd ever done. But, his sister insisted, so Jason figured he'd play the part. He kept looking over at the woman two seats to his left, she was pretty. She was young, probably mid to late twenties at the latest, blonde, dressed in a punk rock T-Shirt and dark skinny jeans. Sitting down, Jason could only guess her height at around five feet tall. She returned his state with a smile. Jason smiled back and focused more on the words being said.
"After we get done with sharing today, I want you all to find someone you can connect with and meet with on a regular basis. This will help you feel less like you're on your own, and more like you're a team, working through it together." The man said so softly, so sympathetically. He turned his head toward Jason, looking as if he might hug him. "Would you like to start us off?"
Jason sat in silence for a minute, all eyes on him. What the hell was he supposed to say? Jason didn't know, so he just introduced himself as basically as he could.
"Hello, my name is Jason, I'm an addict, I guess you could say." Jason started.
"Hello Jason." The unanimous response from everyone in here was annoyingly rehearsed and phony. Nobody here really cared who he was. "I was in the Army for ten years, I just got out last year due to injury, I was medically discharged, and ever since then, I've been looking for ways to escape the reality of the world I'm in. I guess that's why I'm here."
Jason didn't say anything else. There was an awkward silence for a second, then people clapped briefly. The man to Jason's left out a hand on his shoulder, an attempt to be reassuring.
"Thank you for your service, friend." The man said as genuinely as he could.
Jason struggled not to roll his eyes, he hated that phrase. Instead, he nodded and gave a fake smile. The rest of the meeting went as such. Jason didn't pay much attention until it was the woman's turn. She caught his interest. She didn't want to share though. A shame, he wanted to know who she was.
"Okay, I hope you all feel a little better now that you know each other a little more. I want you to go ahead and get into your groups. You can spend the rest of the day talking and getting to know each other."
Everyone stood, ready to meet their partners. Some went straight towards each other, they'd probably known each other. A few stood awkwardly, waiting for someone to come to them. A few got turned down in favor of another, but Jason went straight for the coffee, hoping the woman would follow him. He poured himself a cup in one of those small styrofoam 6oz cups. The coffee looked weak. Oh well, it was better than nothing.
"Hello Jason." A woman's voice spoke up behind him.
He turned to see the woman he was looking at. He didn't know her name still, so he just replied with a hello.
"My name is Marie." She extended a hand.
He took her hand, lightly shaking it. "Good to meet you, Marie."
She grabbed a cup and filled it with two packets of cream and four of sugar. Jason normally made fun of these kinds of people.
"So, Jason, why are you here?" She asked.
Jason was vague on purpose, "My sister insisted."
"So, it wasn't a girlfriend or a wife then?" She noticed a ring on his finger.
"No, no wife. This belonged to a friend." Jason explained.
"Tell me more about yourself." She said, giving him her full attention.
"How about over coffee when we get out of here?" Jason asked.
She smiled. "Just jumping right in, are we?"
Jason shrugged, "We're supposed to be in pairs anyway."
"I think that's more professionally speaking." She joked.
"I never was one to stick to the rules, not that there are any against us having a cup of coffee together." Jason winked.
"Okay, deal. But you're buying." She smiled.
Jason returned the smile. "Deal."
She returned to her seat with her coffee, Jason followed. He sat next to her and took a drink of his coffee.
"I think you just took someone's seat." She said.
"They'll find a new one." Jason responded.
"So, you were in the army?" She asked.
"Yes."
"How did that go?"
"I was medically discharged and qualify as disabled, and I'm not even all that old yet." Jason said flatly.
"Bad question."
"No, you're good. If you want to know more, I'll tell you more over our coffee. I would like to know though, what are you doing here?"
She smiled. "I'll tell you over some coffee, and I am hungry too, so you'll have to grab me lunch."
Jason smiled, "Okay, deal."
They sat in pleasant silence for a few minutes, watching as everyone else either talked like friends or awkwardly mingled.
"Where are you from, Jason?" Marie asked.
"Here and there." Jason said.
"Military family?" She asked.
"No, I guess my folks just got bored every so often and wanted something new. I've been almost all 50 states from the time I was born until I enlisted."
"I'm bored with this place, take me to get coffee now?" She asked, smiling.
Jason stood, drinking the last of the weak coffee, "Sounds good to me, this is shit anyway." He tossed the cup in a trash can as he walked by. "Do you have a car?"
"I do not." She said.
"We're walking then." Jason said.
The pair walked through the door of the gymnasium and outside into the hot sun. Jason led the way to the coffee shop, the walk was a little less than a mile. He opened the door for her and followed her inside. Kailin must have been off, an unfamiliar male was working today. Full price it is, Jason thought.
"Have a seat," Jason said, pointing at the stool just ahead of the worker. "what do you like?"
"Peppermint, usually." She smiled.
Jason smiled. "How about food?"
"Just a second, I'm looking." She said.
The man faced Jason, Jonathan Peck, he was a very tall man, over six feet for sure, and pretty big. He was built like a line backer. "What can I get for you, folks?" He said in a kind voice.
"I know I'll have a black coffee and a shot of espresso separately. The lovely lady will have a peppermint mocha and whatever she wants to eat." Jason said.
Jonathan started on the drinks, working quickly but efficiently.
"I think I'll have one of the bacon burritos and a blueberry muffin." She said to Jason.
"Did you catch that?" Jason asked Jonathan.
"Got it my man!" Jonathan said.
"Can you make that two of each?" Jason asked, then turned to Marie. "It sounds good, I might have some myself."
Jonathan started punching it all into his computer system. "Alright my man, with your discount, that'll be 18.50."
"Discount?" Jason was surprised.
"Military discount." Jonathan said.
"Thank you." Jason said, handing the man a 50.
Jonathan handed back the change, of which Jason only accepted a 20. "The rest is for you buddy."
"Thank you." Jonathan said. "Are you sure?"
"Positive." Jason said.
Jonathan took it, thankfully and resumed working on the order.
"That was awful generous of you." Marie said.
"I like the people here." Jason replied.
"I'm sure they like you too." She winked.
"So, you were going to tell me what you were doing at group?" Jason started.
"Oh, yeah, I guess I did tell you I would." Marie said.
"You don't have to."
"I got caught in a bad relationship, we got engaged, then I guess he just got too comfortable because he started using me as a punching bag. I started using to feel something else, and then I just got hooked." She explained.
"Is the fiancee still around?" Jason asked.
Marie laughed a little, "No, he isn't. Not really anyway. He'll try sending a message every now and again asking about me, but not much else."
"He ever comes around again, make sure you call me." Jason said.
Marie smiled. "Maybe I will just call you for the fun of it."
Jason winked, "Sounds good to me."
Jonathan brought the drinks first, then the food. Everything smelled great.
"Let me know if you all need anything else." Jonathan was friendly, Jason liked him.
"Thank you, Jonathan." Jason said.
Jason took the small cup of espresso and blew on it, cooling it just enough to shoot it quickly.
"Planning on being up late?" Marie asked.
"Always." Jason replied.
"Not a fan of sleeping?" She asked.
"Not at all." Jason said, sipping his coffee.
Marie looked at him, curiously. "And why is that?"
Jason took a bite of his muffin, sipping coffee to wash it down. "Try your muffin. It's better than it smells."
Marie happily obliged. "So, you're not a fan of sleep, you go to group, and you were in the army." She started, looking at Jason. "You might be easier to decipher than I thought." She smiled.
Jason looked at her. "I'm not that complicated."
Marie smiled. "I'd like to know more."
Jason winked, "I'll tell you what, I'll be an open book for you, if you are the same for me."
Marie sipped her coffee, making a face and dumping three packets of sugar in it. "That sounds like a good deal to me."
Jason wanted to laugh at her for adding sugar to an already sweet drink, but she was too cute. She noticed him looking at her.
"I could look at me all day too, Jason, but a lady does like a little conversation too." Marie blushed.
Jason sipped his coffee and finished his muffin. "Sorry." Jason said.
"Don't apologize, you're very flattering." Marie smiled.
Jason chuckled. "I guess that's a good thing."
"It is." She said.
"What do you have going on for the rest of the day?" Jason asked.
"Oh, just work later. I started working just across the street actually." Marie said.
"Where at?" Jason asked.
"I'm a receptionist for Dr. Ramirez. I am supposed to start training today because the old one is leaving." She said.
Jason almost laughed at the coincidence. "I'll see you at work once a week then!"
"Oh, you see Dr. Ramirez?" She asked.
"I do."
Marie smiled. "I hope you'll bring me coffee then."
"Of course." Jason said.
"Speaking of which, if you want me to love you forever, you can order me a to go, I start in a half hour." She said.
"Forever is a long time for a cup of coffee." Jason joked.
"I'm not high maintenance." She smiled.
Jason winked, "Hey, Jonathan, could we get another cup of coffee for the lady? Peppermint mocha again, but add a little extra sweetener."
Jonathan started immediately, "You've got it."
Marie giggled. "Thanks for not judging my sweet tooth."
Jason smiled. "Oh, I'm definitely judging you."
"Rude." Marie laughed.
Jonathan set the coffee down in front of Marie, smiling. Jason started digging through his wallet.
"This one is on us, my friend." Jonathan said.
"Are you sure?" Jason asked.
"Yeah! You're good." Jonathan said.
Jason stood, thanking Jonathan again and walking Marie out. Marie stopped, grabbing a small notepad and scribbling down on one of the pages. Jason waited for a second and she tore the page off, handing it to Jason.
"My number." She said with a smile, "Keep in touch, Jason."
"I definitely will." Jason said.
"See you next time!" She said, waving as she walked out the front door.
Jason stepped out, watching her walk to Dr. Ramirez office as he lit a cigarette. He looked at the sheet of paper she gave him. Sure enough, her name and number, but her last name caught his interest. Marie Daphis. What an interesting last name, especially considering that Daphis was a name straight out of his dream. Jason looked again at Marie as she reached the door of the office and stared. This was all too confusing. His dreams weren't even a thing since last week, and now all of a sudden, things are bringing him back to his memory of the forest. Jason stopped thinking about it for a second. Must just be a weird coincidence, Jason thought. But still, he couldn't stop thinking about it, and then he thought about her voice, so oddly familiar. He finished his cigarette and started the hike to his cottage. He needed some time.