“THE DISSECTION”
Linnea cut her Science class, rather than be forced to witness the other students dissect
live frogs, which was her favorite amphibian. She had been excused from the
assignment but was still required to remain in the room while the senseless violence
took place. She found refuge at the local artist cafe where her family were regulars.
Linnea just sat there pretending to study the menu, even though she had decided
what she was going to eat long before she even glanced down at the words
accompanied by the clearly staged pictures of the entrees. She thought that it was
funny how the items on the menu always looked so perfect and cheerful in the
pictures but upon presentation they always tended to disappoint, never able to
fulfill her expectations. Actually she knew what she was going to order before she
had even taken her seat at the table. It was quite possible that what she was going
to order was decided years in advance.
While she pretended to scrutinize the menu she would listen to the conversations of
the people around her. Which for the most part she found to be completely
ridiculous, so much so that at times it was impossible for her not to laugh out loud.
It was so hard for her to stifle her urge to laugh that on some occasions she would
just give in to her inner laughing demon and giggle hysterically for no apparent
reason. People often seemed startled by this behavior and stopped and stared for a
moment but then quickly tried to ignore her, probably not wanting to seem rude.
Linnea never worried about being rude, although she would often regret some of
her attention drawing actions. She certainly never gave lady like behavior any
serious consideration. It is important to note that her intention was never to be
purposely obnoxious.
Her attention was diverted from the perfectly boring although rather loud
conversation going on between two elderly gentlemen by the sound of the
cafe door swinging open. She watched as what was in her opinion one very
striking young man walked into the cafe. She was distracted by him enough
to temporarily abandon her eaves dropping ritual. For the entire time that he was
waiting to be seated Linnea's attention was completely focused on him. At first she
tried to act as if she was not looking directly at him but rather something near him,
her gaze always drifting back to his person and she would draw in little details
about him.
He was tall, and she liked tall. His skin was milky white with just a slight undertone of
green, and seemed too pale for his dark hair and eyes. His eyes were so dark green
almost black that she could not distinguish where the pupils were. She found that to be
very unusual, and to say that she was drawn to the unusual would be something of and
understatement. He was not handsome really, but simply memorable.
To her it seemed like hours that she stared at him but it was only for but a few minutes.
If he noticed that he had caught her eye he acted completely oblivious to it. It might have had
something to do with the fact that he did not enter the restaurant alone. Linnea completely disregarded
the girl on his arm as unimportant. She paid no mind to the presence of the girl as if she were just a
person that happened to walk through the door at the same time. Even when they were seated together
at a table near hers Linnea somehow managed to convince herself that he was alone and as she
continued to stare at her menu the cogs and wheels in her little mind started spinning, trying to concoct
some subtle way to get his attention.
The waitress returned with her large iced tea, very ready to take Linnea's order as she
had declined to give it twice already. She was just about to order her usual and by usual I
mean that this was the only thing that she had ever and possibly would ever order. She
was very particular when it came to food, but not terribly adventurous. She meant to
order her usual but something else popped into her mind and out of her mouth instead.
"I'll have what he is having," she said, as she turned around in her seat and pointed very
directly at her striking young man, who still did not notice her.
To that the waitress replied, in a rather fed up tone, "But he hasn't ordered yet." "Well
then," said Linnea, "Will you find out what he's going to have because that's what I
want?" Not exactly subtle, but subtle was not something that she did well or even
something that she was capable of pulling off.
Without hesitation the waitress scurried to his table, partly because she was a people
pleaser but mostly because even though her day had been busy it had not been
particularly eventful. When she got to his table she could have just taken his order, as
this is what he was expecting, but craving the bit of drama that might come about the
waitress asked, "Excuse me, sir. That young women sitting alone," and she put the
emphasis on the word alone, "at that table, would like to know what you'll be ordering,
as she intends to order the same thing."To this he replied, "Well, I'll let her know when she comes
over here and sits down next to me." The girl in his company said, "Really Carter! Must you do that here?"
"Do what?” asked Carter.
"Do what you're doing."
"What am I doing?"
"You know what you're doing! You are bringing home victims for your experiments.
"Who said anything about bringing her home? I am going to dissect her in the parking
lot."
This was apparently a little more drama than the waitress was prepared to witness. She
walked away embarrassed and took an order from another table in her section before
returning to Linnea and informing her that he was having a hamburger. Which oddly
enough was Linnea's usual fare. Linnea sank into her chair and day dreamed that the
intriguing young man had invited her to sit with him as she waited for her meal.
When the waitress plopped her plate in front of Linnea she was disappointed as ever.
