Thrift Store

3| coffee & unexpected calls

I WOKE UP to Latika opening the blinds without warning, effectively forcing my eyes to squint as the spring sunshine flooded the room.

"Close them. Close them, now." I mumble, burying my face in my pillow.

Latika claps her hands in my face. "Nope. It's ten o' clock on a Saturday, which means it's officially time to get up."

I open my eyes to scowl at her. "That sentence makes no sense."

"Well, it does if we have to get ready for Reece Briant's party tonight." She pulls the covers of my bed back, causing me to curl up into a ball.

"Another party, Latika? Really?" I question with a raised eyebrow, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and planting my feet on the cold, wooden flooring of my bedroom.

My best friend is well-known for two things: throwing an uncanny amount of parties, and attending an uncanny amount of parties. Unlike me, she is extremely outgoing and quite literally the definition of a social butterfly.

"Yes, really." She replies, strolling over to my vanity mirror and running a brush through her long, black hair. "And if you don't go with me, I'm going to disown you as my best friend."

I snicker. "Good luck with that."

"Sophia," she comes over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders and staring me straight into the eyes. "When you grow up and have kids, what are you going to tell them? That you were popular in college and went to a bunch of parties, or that you stayed in your cheap apartment all day, doing nothing but studying and watching re-runs of Friends?"

I sigh. "It's too early for your philosophical questions."

"Fine, then," she sighs. "Get yourself cleaned up, have some breakfast, and then meet me for coffee at The Brew."

"See you then." I yawn, rubbing my eyes to get rid of the sleep before standing up and stretching my arms.

After attempting to get a brush through my hair and then accidentally burning my toast, I leave my apartment with a bad mood and a rather unattractive scowl on my face.

It's chilly outside, which makes me glad that I brought my jean jacket and scarf, but my teeth still chatter as I unlock my bike from its place on the rack. I hop on, looking both ways before I cross the street onto the sidewalk opposite me.

Without even thinking, I glance into the windows of The Sunflower Thrift Store, my eyes barely catching sight of the inside before I am speeding past the small shop. The sidewalks are fairly crowded with pedestrians, every person going somewhere different then the next. It's weird, really, when you think about it. All different people going different places with different tasks in mind.

When I finally arrive at The Brew, I am met with the sight of a smartly-dressed Latika, her fingers wrapped around a blue mug of coffee.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she chirps, winking at me before taking a long sip of her coffee.

"It was a good morning before you woke me up," I mumble, ordering my usual before strolling over to Latika and I's normal table by the window. We chose this coffee place to go to every morning for two reasons: it's close to the community college we attend, and it's a fantastic location for people watching.

"So, have you decided where you're going to work?" Latika asks.

"Not exactly." I play with my bracelet, avoiding eye contact with the black-haired girl across from me.

"Well, you can't put it off forever," she smirks. "You gotta start bringin in the bucks, Soph."

I chuckle before my phone interrupts our conversation, the annoying ringtone making my eyebrows furrow. My mom is at work, so who else would be calling me?

With a confused expression on my face I glance down at the caller ID, grimacing before quickly denying the call and taking a large gulp of my hot coffee.

"Your dad, again?" Latika looks at me with an understanding look.

I nod, my eyes wandering to the people walking outside. All different people going different places with different tasks in mind.

"You know you can't ignore him forever, right?" She says in a soothing tone, making me glance up at her.

"I know."