The Morning Train

10. Rival?

It’s been a few days since the incident with Gwen’s ex and there was still no sign of Casper anywhere. Jamie boarded the morning train as usual, but unlike before she doesn’t look forward to the journey anymore, after all there’s no Casper to bicker with.

“You look sad and out of energy these days” Gwen nudged Jamie after the last customer walked away.

“I’m acting just like usual though?” Jamie looks confusedly at Gwen.

“Nope! Ever since you haven’t seen Casper you’ve looked like a widowed wife” Gwen said with a smirk and Jamie just gave her a deadpan look. He’s more like a little brother to me, Jamie thought.

“Hey Harry!” Jamie puts her hand up as if to call him but Gwen had already ducked down underneath the counter.

“Just kidding” Jamie said smugly to a crouching Gwen.

“You little shit!” Gwen irritatingly slapped Jamie on the shoulder.

“Oh come on! It’s been days already and you’re still awkward around him”

“I just don’t know how to act around him!” Gwen stated frustratingly.

“Just act like you’ve always been” Harry said as he passed by the counter leaving Gwen frozen on her spot with her face steadily getting redder and redder while Jamie suppressed the urge to laugh.

It was 2 pm when the cafe doors opened and Casper strolled in with a grin.

“Wow did you take the exam at Mars?” Jamie asked as Casper stepped in front of the counter.

“Sorry, I was just waiting for this” Casper sheepishly said and held up a piece of paper with the mark A+ stamped on it.

“I got an A for the paper I wrote here!” Casper announced excitedly and shoved the paper to Jamie’s face.

“You’re like a little brother boasting to his older sister” Jamie giggled and mussed up Casper’s hair whose wide eyes went unnoticed to Jamie.

“Y-yeah, I’ll just uh take whatever bread you recommend with a coke, I’ll just sketch here for a bit” Casper stuttered to an oblivious Jamie.

From her spot at the counter, Jamie could see the entirety of the cafe and sometimes she would notice Casper looking at her when he thought Jamie couldn’t see him and when Jamie would turn to look at him he would quickly look back down to his sketchbook and continue moving his pencil.

Jamie found it a bit strange but like usual just shrugged it off and eventually she forgot about it.

From then on every time Casper went to the cafe Jamie would always see him carrying his sketchbook and drawing on it while hanging out at the cafe, but every time Jamie asks to see his drawings Casper would always refuse with a flustered look.

“Oh come ooon! I’ll just peek for a little bit!” Jamie was asking to see Casper’s drawings but as usual he refused stubbornly.

“Nooo don’t wanna” Casper moved his sketchbook away from Jamie who was reaching for it.

“Aren’t we friends?” Jamie pouted at Casper who was holding the sketchbook away from her.

“I’ll show it to you eventually just not now” Casper said with an expression Jamie couldn’t identify so she just sighed and plopped back down to her seat in front of Casper

“Ugh my little friend hates me” Jamie sulkily sipped her strawberry milkshake.

“I’m not little” Casper frowned.

“Yeah you are, from now on you’re my little brother!” Jamie grinned at Casper whose frown deepened.

“I don’t wanna be your little brother!” Casper protested a little too loudly which shocked Jamie.

“I was just kidding” Jamie says softly to Casper who quickly stood up.

“Sorry” Casper muttered not looking at Jamie and quickly gathered his things and practically ran out of the cafe leaving Jamie stupefied. ‘What was that?’

“What happened?” Gwen asked as she took Casper’s empty spot.

“I also don’t know” Jamie was still wide eyed when she looked at Gwen.

“Did you say something to upset him?” Gwen probed.

“No I don’t think so, I just referred to him as my little brother jokingly” Jamie answered innocently.

“Is he in his rebellious phase?” Jamie asked genuinely and Gwen facepalmed.

“I think I know why he was upset” Gwen tutted at Jamie who was still confused.

“Why was he upset?”

“Think about it yourself” Gwen stated and went back to the counter leaving Jamie even more confused than before.

Jamie anxiously waited for Casper’s visit the next day, she was planning to apologize for upsetting him but when he finally visited at 5 in the afternoon he apologized first.

“I’m sorry for shouting at you, I was just stressed because of a project and I took it out on you, I’m really sorry” Casper apologized earnestly as soon as he was in front of Jamie.

“It’s alright, you must have been really stressed” Jamie said sympathetically and mussed up Casper’s hair not noticing how Casper unconsciously leaned to her hand.

“But man you’re still young but you’re already so stressed, I’m worried you’ll actually grow white hair soon”

“Speaking of young, I actually turned 19 yesterday” Casper said casually making Jamie squawk.

“What?!”

“Yeah, I actually forgot about it until this morning”

“Who forgets their own birthday?!” Jamie asked incredulously.

“Me apparently” Casper answered with a shrug.

Casper was sketching in one of the tables as usual and Jamie was manning the counter when a guy entered the cafe. He towered over the people lining up at the counter so Jamie instantly noticed him.

The guy was staring at Jamie the whole time he was in the line and when it was finally his turn he smiled at Jamie in a kind of flirty way.

“Well hello there beautiful” He smirked at Jamie who flushed a little, well he was quite handsome.

Casper watched the entire interaction with tightening fists he almost broke his pencil in two. When the guy offered his number to a charmed Jamie cold sweat began dripping down Casper's forehead. He watched in horror as Jamie giggled and accepted the piece of paper with the guy’s number.