3:30pm

6: cafe du Pointe

<I'll do whatever it takes>

•°•°•°•

"You sure you don't want me to take you straight home?" Mikayla asked, pulling her silver convertible over at the curb in front of Cafe du Pointe, one of the most patronized cafes in the town of Springfield, Michigan. Mostly because they serve shakes and smoothies too, not just coffee.

"A hundred percent." I stuffed my earpieces into my book bag and zipped it up.

"You know you can just come over and do homework with me, right?" She said whilst turning off the car.

I raised my eyes to her. She was looking at me, fine lines of worry forming above her eyebrows.

I laughed then. "Jeez, Kayla, chill. I'm only going to do homework. I'll be out by six and back home in fifteen minutes. You know there's no way I'd follow you back to your house and we'd get homework done, and honestly, right now, my grades suck."

She sighed, "I know. I know. I'm just concerned about you. I don't want no creep rubbing up on my baby girl, you know."

I grinned. "Aww, that's really sweet of you. Look, I got this, okay? This ain't my first time doin' this shit."

"You sure?"

"A hundred percent."

"Alright then."

"Yep. See ya."

I turned to open the door when she spoke up. "Oh and please do not ever speak black in front of anyone, especially anyblackone unless you've received proper tutoring from me, yeah?"

"What? I thought I looked pretty cool back when I did it." I raised my eyebrows.

"Nope." Her lips were pursed. She was holding back a laugh. "Nope, you did not."

"Screw you." I unlocked the door and hopped out. When I shut it, she turned on the car.

"Later." She blew me a kiss. "And do not forget what I just told you about speaking black."

Smiling, I held up my middle finger.

"Love you a million!"

"You too," I said after her receding car, my middle finger still raised. I dropped it as soon as her car was out of sight and went into the cafe.

A bell at the top of the door jingled as I walked through. The cafe was half full, like it usually was at this time of the day (the major rush hour was in the morning). I headed up to the barrister's counter, took a seat at the far end and ordered a raspberry strawberry smoothie and two hamburgers. Then I got out my homework. Calculus.

I'd just set it out in front of me and took a bite out of my burger when I recognized the voice of the person ordering "an extra large meat sub and a giant bottle of Sprite please, the biggest one", a few feet beside me.

Brent Lockwood.

He looked in my direction right at the moment I looked up at him. His green eyes scanned the area behind me before settling lower on my face. Then widening on acknowledging my presence.

He smiled immediately. Like it was a great thing to see me. Like he didn't just find out that his girlfriend has been shagging his rival. Like he didn't get suspended for a whole week for beating the shit out of Zachary. As a matter of fact, like he'd been cruising on a rainbow cloud for the past one week.

"Yo, Cleo." He waved, his smile unwavering. Almost . . . genuine.

Guess what? I smiled right back.