THE MOMENT
"Want somethin'?" Moose asked. He and Alvin stood in line at Moose's insistence. They passed the coffee shop on their way to visit Melody, and Moose said he wanted a drink before they left that Earth. Alvin shook his head.
"Nah, not from here," he said. "So, what'd you think about Melody? Think she knows more than she told us?" In the past few days the pair had become close friends. At first, Alvin assumed Moose fell into the dumb jock category based on his pro-wrestler size alone. But, the more time they spent together, the more Alvin realized how quick Moose's mind worked. His slow, southern drawl belied his steel trap mind and Alvin was learning to trust Moose's insight. To answer Alvin's question, Moose chuckled and nodded.
"That woman has more secrets than some Earths I been to," he said. Then, he shook his head. "But, she don't know a thing 'bout Abby missin'." The line moved forward and they took a step. Alvin nodded. He'd arrived at a similar conclusion. Melody seemed genuinely surprised and concerned about the missing student. She even gave them their next lead by suggesting they ask Janet.
"But, I gotta say, yer a great detective. You barely started the case, and you already found Melody," Moose commented. Alvin shook his head.
"Ballisea told me," he replied. He was glad he didn't have to lie. On one hand, Ballisea did suggest Melody and where to find her. On the other hand, Alvin already knew because the B.A.A. kept a very close eye on her. He was starting to realize he would have to be more careful about what information he shared. Unlike Quinn and Dara, Moose grew up in the AlterNet.
The line moved again, and Moose reached the Barista and placed his order.
"Giga-mochaccino," he said. She nodded, but before she charged Moose, he turned to Alvin again. "Nothin'? You sure?" he asked. Again, Alvin nodded.
"Yeah, not from here," he said. "Thanks, though." Moose nodded, then paid with his node. They waited for a couple of minutes, then, someone called out his name. Once Moose had his drink, Alvin reached into his pocket and pulled out a black card. He threw it against the wall to open a portal and the pair of students walked through. They exited the portal in their neighborhood on the school server. Alvin asked to live there instead of the B.A.A. housing. Moose sipped his drink as Alvin reclaimed the portal into a small black card.
"Tastes funny," he said. He gave the cup a closer look, but it looked just like every other Sharp Drip cup he'd had. Alvin laughed as they began walking towards the apartment building they both now lived in.
"Yeah, it just doesn't taste the same without caffeine," he said.
"No caffeine? Why?" Moose asked.
"It's illegal on that Earth, though I couldn't tell you why."
"Huh," Moose said. Something about his tone made Alvin turn around. Moose was still moving forward, but at a much slower rate.
"How long was that? Couple of hours, you think?" Moose asked. Alvin waited for him to catch up, then walked with him at a slower pace. He nodded.
"Yeah, at most. We only waited about an hour for Melody, and we didn't spend a lot of time with her, or in the coffee shop." Moose nodded; but, his brow was furrowed.
"Okay, I've got two questions for you," Moose said.
"Shoot," Alvin nodded.
"If caffeine is illegal... why have coffee shops?" he asked. Alvin laughed, and shrugged.
"I dunno. Decaf is still a thing," he said. Moose nodded.
"Question two: when we got there, you mentioned you'd never been there before," he said. Alvin vaguely remembered the comment and nodded with a smile. He wondered what question would come next.
"And, it looked like every other Sharp Drip in the multiverse," Moose added.
"Yeah, pretty standard, I guess," Alvin nodded.
"I didn't see any signage...," he looked down and into Alvin's eyes. "...so, how exactly did you know it was a caffeine free Earth?"