Alone on Cloud 9

Alone on Cloud 9 (18)

Comment and Vote?

Cheers,

xo.

**************************************************

Chapter 18                  Grade 12

May

 

You know what's the worst thing about somebody breaking up with you? It's when you remember how little you thought about the people you broke up with and you realize that is how little they're thinking of you. You know, you'd like to think you're both in all this pain but they're just like "Hey, I'm glad you're gone"

-Before Sunrise

 

For once it was a slow shift, Moonbeams seemed to be under a trance. The few people who were here seemed to be either passed out on a couch asleep or hunched over a cup of steaming coffee, blinking their eyes in that slow way just before your head starts nodding when you can hardly stay awake.

Clearly finals studying was underway for the university crowd, and while mine weren’t too far away either I had yet to crack open a textbook. Exams seemed a million miles away.

I didn’t feel all that anxious about it until Wes shouldered his way into the café, a pile of books in his hands and a bulging backpack thrown over his shoulder.

 My heart plummeted slightly as he looked over at the main floor for a table, and then skyrocketed back up when he made for my counter instead.

“Is this your new study spot now?” I asked incredulously as he dumped the armful of books over the counter that separated us.

“Don’t judge me, finals are coming up.”

“Yeah, in a month.”

“Laugh now, but in two weeks when you start cramming it won’t be nearly as funny. For you that is, I’ll think it’s hilarious.”

I threw the rag I was holding at him, but it didn’t even come close to hitting its mark before he snatched it out of the air and smirked at me.

He slumped down into the barstool across the counter and pulled the daunting pile of books in front of him.

Just great, now I had to concentrate on coffee while he was sitting right there.

At least I wasn’t the only one distracted though, since we caught each other’s eye more than once before quickly turning away to our own work.

I could have happily gone though my whole shift that way, but silence never lasted long around here.

"I'll have the usual babe."

I felt myself instantly put on guard, not because I was at all phased by smirking face in front of me, but because I was determined not to say anything stupid with Wes sitting right there. Again.

"You don't have a usual here Michael." I said with a roll of the eyes. And though the words were meant to be slightly snarky, my voice came out cheerful, and I couldn’t seem to wipe out the faint smile from my face, but I knew it had nothing to do with Michael.

"Oh." He looked confused for a moment, recovering from the delivery of his not so smooth line, or maybe he was thrown off by the usual lack of hostility in my voice.

"How about a white chocolate mocha?" I asked cheerfully, and went about making the drink before he even nodded his agreement.

Clearly playing nice was something I should have tried a long time ago, it seemed to throw him off that I was no longer reacting predictably to his usual taunts.