Perfectly Imperfect

Trece: Café

  I took off my helmet and put it on my handle bars before going inside the little cafe. It's a nice, cozy place that I've recently discovered. It's got good food and good service, ten outta ten. Even better, I'm pretty sure nobody from school knows about it and-

  "Hey, Nick!"

  Oh my lord. Uuggghhh.

Well, guess I was wrong.

  I looked towards the back of the cafe and there they were. Joey, Sam, and Corey. Sam and Corey looked confused at first because, Joey used his nickname for me but once they realized it was me, they glared at Joey shaking their heads.

Wow. I feel loved.

I ordered my food and started heading over to a table.

"Hey, Carmen!", Joey said waving me over with the hand that wasn't occupied holding a burger.

Corey and Sam shot him glares, then turned their attention to me. Corey met my eyes and gave me a very forced and lopsided smile. Sam just glared at me not trying to hide her discontent.

I looked blankly at Joey as I pulled out the chair to my table across the room from them. His smile dropped and he put down his burger and stood up. I turned around in my chair, facing the front, and started sipping my Dr. Pepper.

Out of nowhere, I was being dragged backwards in my chair. I turned to see Joey with his hand on the back, heading towards their table.

The chair was making an ear piercing screeching noise, putting everyone's eyes on us. They do not look happy.

"Joey, stop," I hissed at him.

He did so.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you going to walk over to the table?"

"No," I said, crossing my arms stubbornly.

He shrugged and started dragging me again. Everyone's eyes were back on us.

"Ah!. . . Fine!" I said exasperated and jumped up from the chair, picking it up and carrying it the rest of the way.

I set it down and plopped into it like a sack of potatoes.

No. They would be much happier if a sack of potatoes was sitting here, instead of me. They are looking at me more like I am a sack of scorpions, or something.

  "Hey," I said with a small wave.

  "Hey," Corey said awkwardly with a nod.

  Unsurprisingly, Sam stayed glaring at me silently.

  Joey just sat there, watching the scene, eating his burger in silence.

  I looked at him and he just looked back.

  "You were the one who invited me over here!", I yelled gesturing towards him. We were all just sitting around uncomfortably, after he just caused a scene to get me over here. What was the purpose of this?

  I raised my eyebrows at him, and he just stared back.

  What am I doing here?!

  "Joey, why did you cause a huge scene, dragging me over here, if we were just going to stare at each other?!"

He shrugged. "I'm waiting for you to start a conversation."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright then, how's everyone's day been? I guess."

"Well, it was great, until you showed up," Sam sneered.