78Using The Buddy System
Welcome Back!
"I'll have the french toast combo-thing," Taniel said without a glance in James' direction.
"Right-o. Want hash browns or a biscuit with that? What style of eggs? Sausage or bacon? Maple syrup or something else? I'd recommend the boysenberry syrup because it rocks," James asked, rapid fire.
"Uh, hashbrowns, biscuit, over-easy, bacon, maple," Taniel replied. "Got all that?"
James scribbled it down, mumbling something about maple syrup that was accompanied by a roll of his eyes. He looked up a second later, when he was done. "Anything to drink?"
"Just water," Taniel said, this time offering up a smile with his words.
"And I'll take a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich," Monty added. "With orange juice, thanks."
"Sure thing. It'll be out in a sec." James disappeared through a pair of swinging doors that led an all-white kitchen that reminded Taniel of something he couldn't quite remember.
"So why do you think everything feels so different today?" Monty asked, going back to their original subject.
Taniel shrugged absently, toying with the crisp linen napkin. "Dasen said something about aliens replacing our brains. I don't know if I believe that, but you have to agree that something weird's going on."
"I was going to suggest that there's something in the water, but I like the alien theory much better," Monty said cheerfully.
James came back then and set down two large glasses in front of them. "Water for you, orange juice for you, right?"
Taniel gave the water a suspicious glare before taking a cautious sip, wondering if Monty was right. Was there something in the water? How much water had he drunk lately? Funny, but he was having trouble remembering that or any of the slightly more obscure details of his life...
He didn't touch the water after that.
"I want my memories back," Taniel said finally, after too much silence. "It feels like I don't have them because they've all been replaced by these flimsy cardboard memories."
There was a loud crash, making Taniel look up sharply. James stood in front of their table, mouth gaping slightly open, eyes wide and round, staring at Taniel. Two mostly-shattered plates lay at his feet, surrounded by pools of spreading egg yolk and syrup. "Damn," James said, but his awed voice seemed to indicate that he wasn't wasting a breath over the shattered dishes or spilled food. "Damn."
"Are you okay?" Monty asked, concerned.
"You just- How did yo-" James stammered. "That's exactly what I've been trying to find words for all morning!"
Monty raised his eyebrows. "Care to make that a bit clearer, buddy?"
James didn't answer a moment, gathering his thoughts before he answered. "Well, it's like I woke up this morning and nothing was exactly how it should feel, but what he just said... That's exactly right. Exactly how it feels. I thought I was going crazy."
"Want to sit down?" Taniel asked with a reassuring smile.
James shook his head, closing his eyes. "No, no, I'm fine. I'm sorry, I really am. I'm not usually this klutzy or dorky or generally weird. It's just been one hell of a day."
"Where have I heard that before?" Monty commented dryly. "Next sentence out of your mouth is going to include the words 'dizzy' and/or 'disoriented', right?"
James frowned in confusion. "Actually I was going to say that I'd better start cleaning up this mess."
Monty shrugged. "Same thing."
"Here, I can help," Taniel said, getting out of seat. "I mean, it was my comment that made you drop everything."
"Don't be dumb," James replied with a quick roll of his eyes. "You're the customer, remember? Now get back in your seat and I'll have Marv - that's our cook - make you both fresh meals anyways."
"It's no big deal," Taniel assured the waiter, but he sat back down in his plastic-coated seat as the brown haired boy disappeared into the kitchens, only to be replaced by a brawny boy with dark, blonde-tipped hair.
"I'll have this cleaned up in just a sec and then Jamie will bring out your breakfast. We're also offering you complimentary dessert or gift certificates to apologize for the convenience. I'd recommend Marvin's decadent chocolate cake, because he just baked it and it's still all moist and warm and awesome. Kay, all done with the clean-up and assuming you two don't freak out James again, it looks like I'm all finished."
He left through the double doors, leaving Monty and Taniel confused by the whirlwind boy's chatter. James emerged a second later, presenting the plates in front of Monty and Taniel. "Sorry again about the extra wait. Jeff told you we'd give you dessert or gift certificates, didn't he?"
Taniel grinned and shrugged. "I think that's what he said. He said something like that, I'm sure. What happened exactly that made you drop all that stuff anyways?"
James smirked sheepishly in a way tta only he could. "I wasn't eavesdropping," he informed them. "Bt it's difficult not to hear things, right? So I show up at your table and I hear you talking about memories and it's exactly what Jeff and I were talking about except you really found the words for it. It just startled me."
"There's something in the water," Monty informed him cheerfully. "That's our hypothesis, anyways. It's either that or aliens."
"It can't be the water. I only drink bottled water and I have purifying filters on all my taps, shower included," James told him imperiously.
"Jeeze, paranoid much?" Monty asked sarcastically.
"Hygenic much?" James retaliated.
"Stop picking fights, Monty," Taniel interjected. "James, how many people have you talked to about this weird disoriented memory feeling?"
James shrugged. "Not many. It's still morning, you know. Jeff was all weird- weirder than usual in any case, but Marvin had no clue what we were talking about."
"Monty, me, plus my roommate Miguel and my friend Dasen and I think Dase mentioned his roommate was weird too," Taniel listed.
"That was really bad grammar," James informed the blonde.
Taniel shrugged in response before continuing. "I want to understand all of this."
"There's probably nothing to understand. People wake up feeling groggy in the mornings. This is probably just a big coincidence. The memory thing is stupid too. It's not even possible. This isn't a sci-fi movie, you know."
"You were agreeing with us just a second ago!" Taniel protested loudly.
"I've just been thinking it through, okay?" Monty said defensively. "As much as it apeals to my inner-child to play your sci-fi games and to traipes around looking for answers that aren't there, I can't do it. It's stupid."
"It's not stupid!" Taniel insisted. "There's something wrong and you felt it just a minute ago, right, James?"
James looked a little uneasy. "It does seem pretty silly, doesn't it?"
"Not you too!" Taniel pouted.
James rolled his eyes. "Stop being so melodramatic, Tani."
Taniel looked at James suspiciously. "Did I tell you my name?"
"Of course you did. It's Taniel. I just shortened it to Tani like I always do," James replied. It took a moment before his mind processed exactly what he'd just said. "Or, like I would if I'd met you before this."
"You must have overheard me call him Tan," Monty assured the waiter as he checked his watch. "I'm going to have to leave if I want to mke it to my Humanities class." He grinned at James. "Let's make a deal. No charge for the food and we'll be even for the plate breaking fiasco?"
"Only if you'll leave me a tip."
"Five dollar tip if you grab us some takeout boxes," Monty bargained.
"Jeff!" Two takeout boxes needed up here!"
The busboy from before came out cheerfully with his boxes. "Right here!"
Monty packed his food into the box and handed James a five-dollar bill with an arrogant smile. "Alright, Tan, ready to go?"
Taniel shrugged. "My next class isn't for a while," Taniel replied. "I think I'll hang out here for a while. You aren't going to miss your next class if you walk. Isn't Humanities on this side of the campus?"
Monty gave Taniel a hard look for a moment. "Yeah, I could use the exercize," he said with a falsely lighthearted grin. He left quickly without looking back.
James sat down where Monty had been and avoided meeting Taniel's eyes. "So was he your boyfriend?" James asked after a moment of awkward silence.
"No," Taniel said, quicker than he'd intended to. "We had one of those 'won't acknowledge that we like each other, but everyone knows we do" relationships, but I don't think I like him at all anymore."
"He seems like a nice enough boy," James said, doing his best to sound supportive.
Taniel shrugged in a noncommital fashion. "He is. He's just not the person I had stuck up on a pedestal earlier this morning."
"This morning? So your 'maybe I don't like him' decision was just made this today?"
"Well, more like five minutes ago," Taniel clarified.
James just gave Taniel an amused smile. "Fickle one, aren't you?"
"Hello Misters!" a cheerful voice greeted in rich, deep tones. "How are you boys doing?"
"Erm," James said intelligently, looking down at the strange creature that had suddenly appeared at their table. "What are you?"
It was a short, stout little thing with huge, flapping ears, a pug nose and a toothy grin. He was dressed from head to toe in vivid green. "It is Hsiri, of course, come to ask the both of you boys the most important question."
"James?" Taniel squeaked, moving away from Hsiri. "Do you get customers like this a lot?"
James made a quick sort of dismissive gesture at Taniel. "What are you?" he asked, addressing Hsiri.
"A goblin!" Hsiri replied proudly! "Of the rank Mild-High Lord, thank you to the both of you many eons ago."
"Not pretending to understand this..." James sighed.
"This doesn't matter," Hsiri replied, unconcerned. "What is mattering is the question." He looked serious, the edges of his mouth taking a sharp turn downward. "If Inquisitor Goblin Queen discovers this, I won't..." Immedietly he stopped, turning the serious edges of his face into bright happiness. "You need to answer my question. It's the mattering part, isn't it?"
"Well, what's the question?" James asked.
"Are you happy? If Misters are not happy with this, Hsiri could change things backwards."
"Question?" Taniel echoed.
"Honestly, Taniel, it's just a question. A question posed by a freaky little alien but I think this sounds better than the whole anal probe thing," James prodded.
Taniel nodded slowly. "Okay. Question. What was it again?"
"Are you happy?" Hsiri asked urgently.