No Hard Feelings

five

a / n :

my real otp in this book shows up in this chapter. i hope you find them as cute as i do because i might have already planned their story out. (sue me.) 

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F I V E

WHEN DEXTER AND HADLEY got together, their circle of friends merged into one too. Not that they had a lot. Hadley had her best friends Sadie and Aanya, and Dexter had Colin and Henry.

It began with them eating lunch together. Dexter had been worried at first, not sure what he would do if his friends didn't like either Hadley or her friends, but what first started off with a few awkward words about the weather eventually escalated to deep discussions about capitalism and ideological theories in a span of two weeks. Since then, they stuck together like glue, and Dexter wouldn't have liked it any other way.

Except maybe when Colin comes to him to moan about something Sadie said or did (or both). This time, he happens to drop by just as Dexter finishes cleaning the shop windows. The afternoon lull has settled into the day, the steady influx of customers long gone by now, and both Dexter and Hadley are stuck listening to him rant about some CD Sadie had accidentally cracked in two.

"Must have done it on purpose, because one does not easily crack—"

Dexter lets out a sigh and tunes him out, sliding an amused glance at Hadley, who mirrors his expression. Colin doesn't even notice. He's too busy pacing back and forth in front of them, arms flailing in wild, animated gestures to emphasize each word he's been saying for the past seven minutes or so.

"—and come on, how can she just—"

He leans closer to murmur into Hadley's ear. "Want to grab a milkshake or something? Ten bucks say he wouldn't even notice us leave."

"Oh, I'm not even betting against you," she whispers back. "I mean, poor guy can't even notice his feelings."

"—she just infuriates me and I don't understand how you guys can stand her because—"

He watches their friend with a patronizing look. "He'll get there."

"—god, she's so, so freaking annoying." Colin turns to them now, his breathing unsurprisingly heavy, considering he'd hardly stopped talking to take a breath during his nearly seven-minute rant. "Right?"

"You do realize you have to learn to get along with her sooner or later, right?" Dexter asks him without missing a beat. "I mean, you're taking the same program in the same college so you'll be stuck with her for a few more years."

Colin lets out a sound that Dexter can only describe as a cross between a groan and a moan. "Why must you remind me?"

"I'm just saying," Dexter says with a slight shrug. A movement makes his eyes flick to the door. "Oh, well, speak of the devil."

Sadie pushes the door open, Aanya following suit behind her. She stops in her tracks when she sees Colin, who lets out another groan-slash-moan the moment he sees her.

"What're you doing here?" he asks her.

"What're you?"

"In case you're looking for more CD's to break, they're not here, so you may go now."