The Missing Part Of Me

Eight

The weekend arrived faster than I expected. I spent most of Saturday morning trying to decide what to wear, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. It wasn't just a casual coffee date—it felt like the beginning of something new, something I wasn't sure how to define yet. I knew Jay would be there, and I wanted to look my best, but not too eager. After settling on a cozy sweater and jeans, I grabbed my bag and headed out the door.

I was running a little late when I met Jay at the café, but when I walked in, I spotted him immediately. He was sitting at a corner table, already holding a cup of coffee. He looked up when I entered, his face lighting up with a smile that made my heart skip a beat. I waved and walked over to join him.

"Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Sorry I'm late."

"No problem," Jay replied, standing up to pull out the chair for me. "I just got here. How's your day been so far?"

"Pretty good," I said, settling into my seat. "I had a lazy morning, which was nice." I hesitated for a moment, then added, "I was looking forward to this all week."

Jay's smile widened, and I could see the excitement in his eyes. "Same here. It's nice to get out of the usual school routine."

Before I could respond, the door chimed, and Kiara walked in, her presence instantly lifting the energy in the room. She waved enthusiastically when she spotted us and made her way over, slipping into the chair across from me.

"Hey, hey!" she said, grinning. "I didn't think I'd see you two without some kind of chaos unfolding."

I laughed. "Well, we're still figuring it out," I said, glancing at Jay with a playful grin.

Kiara raised an eyebrow but didn't press. Instead, she looked between the two of us, clearly excited by the vibe. "This is going to be fun, I can tell. So, what's on the agenda for today? Coffee and small talk? Or do we go full deep dive?"

Jay chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "Honestly, I'm just happy to be hanging out. Whatever feels right."

"Oh, come on," Kiara teased. "You two can't pretend there isn't something there."

Jay raised an eyebrow, clearly embarrassed but trying to play it cool. "I don't know what she's talking about," he said, looking at me with a sheepish grin.

But my cheeks were already flushing. "Kiara," I started, trying to steer things back to safer ground, "we're just here to hang out. No big deal."

Kiara leaned forward, giving me a knowing look. "Oh sure, just hanging out. If that's what you want to call it. But just so you know," she added with a grin, "I'm very good at reading people. And there's definitely something between you two."

Jay's cheeks turned a little pink, and he shot Kiara a mock glare. "You've got a way of making things awkward, you know that?"

Kiara just smirked, clearly enjoying herself. "You're welcome," she said sweetly, before turning back to me. "But seriously, I'm happy for you two. Just don't go overthinking it too much."

I opened my mouth to say something but closed it when I realized there wasn't much I could add. The conversation shifted to lighter topics, but there was a subtle shift in the air, a change in how we were all interacting. Kiara, ever the free spirit, seemed to be having a blast, but I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious with her watching us so closely.

Jay and I talked about random stuff—movies we'd recently seen, classes we liked and didn't like, and some music recommendations. But even as we chatted, I couldn't ignore the way my heart kept fluttering every time our eyes met, or the way Kiara kept glancing back and forth between us with a smirk on her face.

Eventually, after a bit more teasing from Kiara, we all stood up to leave the café. Kiara was the first to head out the door, making some excuse about "needing air" while I grabbed my coat. Jay and I walked side by side, the quiet stretching between us in a comfortable way, but also with an underlying tension that neither of us was brave enough to fully address.

Finally, Jay broke the silence. "I, uh, didn't expect Kiara to be so... observant."

I laughed softly. "She definitely doesn't hold back. But yeah, she's not wrong, I guess."

Jay glanced at me, his eyes searching mine for a second before he smiled, a little shyly. "I'm glad you agreed to meet up today. It's nice to hang out like this, outside of school."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his words. "Yeah, me too."

We walked on for a while, the evening growing cooler as the sun dipped lower, and I felt the familiar mix of excitement and nervous energy swirl within me.