Violetta (Violet) Jackson has big dreams. None of which happen to include sitting in detention for a week straight for a lab disaster that wasn't even her fault. That's all thanks to Will Hawthorne, his friends (one of whom she unfortunately used to...
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I placed the cup of steaming hot coffee on the counter in front of me and added the creamy white foam, stirring just enough to get the right blend. The liquid continued to swirl around gently even after I removed the spoon from it, its rich aroma wafting up pleasantly.
Around me, La Promenade was bustling, busier than ever in the peak of the season. People of all ages came to frequent now — the regulars and elderly couples, the tourists, and now school kids who were free for the summer. The cafe is filled with chatter as James went from one table to the next, carrying plates of split-pea soup, croque monsieurs, and all kinds of coffees that filled the space with their inviting smell.
In the back corner of the cafe, Poppy, the college girl that often came to La Promenade, took some orders of cranberry iced tea and a cafe mocha. James had recently hired her, and I spent the first couple of weeks of my summer showing her the ropes, though she had caught on pretty quickly anyway. With the onslaught of customers we'd been having, her employment couldn't have been more timely.
I'm just putting the cup of coffee on a saucer when the door creaked open, and I looked up to greet whoever walked in only to find Will standing by the entrance, grinning as I met his gaze.
I swallowed the butterflies that exploded in my stomach as he walked up to the coffee bar, leaning against it with one arm; his signature casual position.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, washing my hands in the sink and drying them off hurriedly.
"Can't I come and see my girlfriend without needing a reason?"
He laughed as my face turned scarlet. We had been talking more in the last few days than we had in the last few months ever since our conversation at his house. He would text me as soon as I got off work, and I would call him at night before bed just to hear his voice, always bright and on the edge of a smile, as he greeted me. Hey, Sunshine.
I felt like a soppy schoolgirl for even admitting it, but just hearing his voice and seeing his smile made me feel like I was floating on a cloud. And although neither of us had said it aloud directly, hearing him refer to me as his girlfriend sent a kind of shock through me.
This is real, I had told myself as the days passed, as Jackie's face flashed in my mind before disappearing just as quickly. This is real.
The distinct creak of the door sounded again, and I looked in surprise at another familiar face, but not one of a regular: Danny came up to us once he spotted us by the coffee bar, taking a seat at one of the stools across from where I stood.
"So, what's up?" Danny asked, his gaze darting from my puzzled expression to Will's blank one. "What's going on?"
"Uh...what are you talking about?"
"I got a text to meet you here." Danny was beginning to frown, picking up on the fact that I had no idea what he was talking about.
