Stronger

Chapter 5: The Hideout Cafe

Dedicated to hiiigghh

"Do you still want me to show you around town?" Selena asked, approaching Nick at his locker.

"If not that's okay." She said staring at her dirty converse. Her friends had volleyball practice so she had nothing else to do.

"Sure, it beats doing homework." He closed his locker and took his car keys out of his pocket.

"Cool. I just have to grab my bike." She smiled.

The brunette went over to the bike rack and unlocked her bike from it, walking it alongside Nick to his truck. Selena set the bike in the bed of the truck. Nick unlocked the doors and they pilled inside. Selena's stomach was fluttering with nerves. She'd never had any guy friends and being alone with a boy made her palms sweat.

"Where to?" Nick started the engine and backed up and headed out of the parking lot.

"Turn left and keep going straight until you don't see anymore houses." She directed.

Nick parked on the curb and shut off the engine and exited the car. Selena grabbed her book bag before joining him on the sidewalk.

"There's the drive in, they mainly show old films. You'd have to go to the city to see anything recent."

"We have a couple retail stores nothing fancy." She continued.

A Red Hot Chili Peppers song was playing from a shop up ahead. Out of the corner of her eye Selena could see Nick bobbing his head to the music. She could feel the corners of her lips turn upward. He was so cute she thought.

"Where's that coming from?" He asked turning his head towards her.

"The Mix-Tape, it's the only music store in town. They have everything, vinyl, cassette, CDs."

"Over there," She pointed. "Is the Hideout Cafe. I usually hang there after school and do homework."

"How's the food?"

"It's amazing."

The Hideout Cafe's exterior was covered in fading bricks. The front entrance was caved in to make the illusion of a hole in the wall restaurant.

The pair stepped inside and found a seat near the window. A waitress with red hair came over to them.

"What can I get for you folks?" She said snapping her gum.

"French Fries and a coke." Selena answered.

Nick barely had time to look at the menu to truly decide what he wanted.

"Uh I'll have what she's having except make it an ice tea."

She watched as the waitress wrote down their orders and left. "Not a soda kinda guy huh?" She joked.

"Occasionally I'll have one. I just like tea better."

She nodded and unzipped her backpack. Digging around she pulled out a folder and a pencil. Nick followed suit, wanting to get caught up as much on the work as he could. The sounds of pencils scribbling on paper filled their ears until their food came.

Selena completed her math and history assignments, the only thing she had left to do was read assigned chapters and take notes for English and Biology. She tucked the worksheets back in her folder and plucked several fries from her plate.

"So Nick, what brings you to our tiny town in the middle of the school year?"

He cleared his throat and felt chills run down his spine, he wasn't expecting to get close to anyone for them to ask why he moved. Nick felt his forehead start to bead with sweat, he rubbed his hands on his jeans before answering.

"Uh I wanted to be closer to my brother," He answered. And I wanted to escape my terrible life with my parents. He refrained from telling her that detail.

"Lake Monroe is a lot better than my old school, I don't mind playing catch up if the quality of education is better."

She nodded. "I get that."

Selena dug around in her backpack and pulled out her phone. She pressed the home button the screen lit up with three missed call notifications from her parents. She collected her things and stood up. "I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Want me to drive you?"

"No!" She threw up her hands. "I can ride my bike besides you have homework to catch up on."

"Okay. Thanks for showing me around."

"You're welcome. Bye Nicholas." Selena quickly left the cafe cursing herself for losing track of time. Her parents were gonna flip. She hauled her bike out of the back of his truck and peddled fast down the street.