Sisters [book one]

Chapter Fourteen

Dedicated to @XXJERRYXXM because I love reading her comments! Thank you so much!

Chapter Fourteen

I've been at All Things Sweets for almost two months now. I now find myself looking forward to when Zac walks through the door, drops his bag behind the counter and joins me for the last half hour. I think we might be friends. I'm not sure. He smiles at me and asks me how my day's going.

A few minutes past five, the bell chimes above the door and the last customer leaves the shop. I flip the OPEN sign to CLOSED and Zac piles empty plates and cups onto a tray.

"It was busy today," Zac says.

"Yeah." A key sits in a plastic cup underneath the counter. I unlock the till and start counting the money.

Zac joins me a few minutes later and says, "So my friends and I are going bowling tonight."

I look up.

"Do you want to come?"

I open my mouth, an excuse bubbling at my lips, something about studying for the SATs or homework I know I don't have but then I close it again. I forget about the consequences and say, "Okay," then instantly regret it.

Zac smiles. "Great, they'll be here at quarter past."

"Great," I echo, and my eyes flicker to the clock.

Friends. Zac said the word friends as in the plural of the word friend. How many friends? And does that mean guys or guys and girls? Maybe Zac has a girlfriend and he'll introduce her to me tonight.

When we finish adding up the money, I enter the kitchen. Katherine washes up while I wipe down the surfaces with a rag.

Zac enters the kitchen shortly after. He carries two trays and he dumps the contents into Katherine's sink, creating splashes I know I'll have to clean up.

"What time are they coming?" Katherine says.

Zac looks at the clock. "Any minute. And Haley's coming with us."

I squeeze any excess water from the rag and leave it to dry by the sink. I haven't been bowling in years. I wonder what's going to happen when it's my turn and my ball rolls straight into the gutter.

"Hey, hey, hey!" says a male voice from the shop.

A lump forms in my throat.

"We're in here," Zac calls.

A couple enter the kitchen, holding hands, behind them, a boy. The girl is wearing a leather jacket and her blonde hair is swept up into a high ponytail. Her makeup is piled on and her lips smack together as she chews some gum.

The person holding her hand is a boy, wearing a backwards caps and baggy trousers, also chewing gum. The boy behind them has dirty blonde hair tucked into a beanie. Skinny legs. Lip-ring. Not chewing gum.

Katherine crinkles her nose at the smell of smoke but doesn't say anything. Zac greets his friends then all eyes land on me.

"Guys, this is Haley," Zac says.

"Hi," says the girl.

"'Yo," says the backwards cap boy.

The boy behind them doesn't say anything.

"Haley," Zac says, "these are my friends: April, Louis and Daniel."

"Hi," I say. I tug at the cords of my apron and slide it over my shoulders. "I just need to--to get my stuff, I'll be right back."