1| Q҉U҉I҉E҉T҉U҉S҉ - J҉. H҉E҉R҉O҉N҉D҉L҉E҉

1

With the din of customers, the coffee machines, and the music coming from the speakers, the cafe was alive. Simon Lewis and Davina Rollins sat in silence, the tension palpable in the air. Their minds were racing as they waited for Clary Fray, the third member of their trio, to arrive with either life-changing or soul-crushing news.

Simon was a later addition to their already small group. Clary and Davina had been joined at the hip for as long as either could remember. As Davina's mother owned the shop below the Fray residence, the girls saw each other more than any other children their age, leading to a fast and strong bond forming between them.

The chime of the doorbell, an indicator of someone entering the small cafe, rings through the small building causing two heads to snap up. Clary Fray's face was reminiscent of a kicked puppy which elicits a wince from Davina who turns to her coffee.

"Over to you Simon," Davina says. "Mushy sympathy is not my forte at all"

Sympathy sickened Davina, deep into the pits of her stomach. She held the firm belief that sympathy had the same effect as placing a band-aid over a gaping open wound. Useless. Her preferred choice was to face the pain and get the stitches, mending the wound in the long term. 

"Give me the professors' names and I- I will end them. You know, with- with a scathing e-mail to the dean"

"Simon, how you're not a champion-holding UFC fighter I will never know," Davina's tone was overflowing with sarcasm. "Just the aura you ooze should send people running for the hills"

"Don't bother," Clary sighs dejectedly.

Clary slams a folded piece of paper onto the surface of the table which Davina grabs before slowly unfolding. Bright red lettering spelling out the word 'CONGRATULATIONS' burns into her vision and the young woman lowers the piece of paper to glare at her friend who had a wide grin on her face.

"Just you wait Clarissa," Davina points at Clary. "I shall get you back"

"What? The sad face? Really? Well played, well played!" Simon says, fist-bumping Clary.

"Thank you. You know, it's weird. They kind of liked my assigned work, but they flipped out over the drawings for our graphic novel. But, D, it means we can move in together!"

Clary throws her arms around Davina, squeezing the girl tightly. 

"Need air to breathe," Davina wheezes as Clary squeezes her chest.

"Way to ruin the moment," Clary swats Davina's arm playfully. 

"No problem," Davina gives Clary a thumbs up.

"This day will go down in history as the greatest 18th birthday I ever had,"

"You're not getting another so you better hope so" Davina pipes up before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Which is why we are celebrating tonight. Yes, with Maureen, after our show," Simon adds. 

"Absolutely,"

"So- what's the deal with you and Maureen?" Davina wiggles her eyebrows at Simon, placing her muffin down on a napkin to give Simon her full attention.

"What deal? No deal. We sing together" Simon stammers.

Davina rolls her eyes at Simon's blatant denial of Maureen's blatant lust for him. Davina could read Simon like a book from the moment she met him and he had been infatuated with Clary for as long as he had known the girl. She couldn't help but feel a twang of sympathy for Simon, despite her deep loathing for the feeling, as Clary clearly had no idea.