"Oh, I didn't order this"
"It's from that guy over there"
☕☕☕
One blueberry milkshake, a stranger sitting next to her, a cheerful waitress. The play begins.
Wott, the coffee shop close to Avery's school, is the stage for the act she plays, again and...
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The soul-crushing sound of my alarm going off awakes me brutally from my sweet dream. My Maldives holiday!!!! I'm going to cry now, thank you.
Automatically, my hand jerks from its resting position and smashes the snooze button. With a long and heavy sigh, I turn to the other side and cover myself with the mattress. I want to go back!
I crawl off the bed in pain and take a quick shower before sliding inside my clothes and marching to the kitchen.
"Morning, mum!" I cheer as I grab a bagel and throw my bag over my shoulder.
"Where are you going?" she demands when I reach the door handle.
I narrow my eyes and answer slowly, "To school"
"No detours?"
"Define detours..."
She isn't in a mood for jokes, that's clear.
My mother is a fighter. She takes a lot of bullshit at work for being a woman and for being black, but with me, nope. It's hard to upset her, but it's also better not to push it.
"Okay, okay. I'm going to WOTT before. So what?"
"So you're grounded, remember?" she gawks.
I should've said I'm going straight to school, but I don't lie to my mum. Never have, not starting now.
I stalk closer to her. "But I'm meeting the cute boy, mummy. Please"
She is having a silent debate with herself. I can feel it.
"Fine. As long as you get home early, not like yesterday's visit to the gym. I know your class ended hours before you got home"
With a smile, I kiss her cheek. "Thanks, mum. You're the best"
The coffee place greeted me with a wave of aromas. Coffee, cookies, chocolate, vanilla... blueberry.
"A blueberry milkshake, please," I order as I sit down on my usual stool.
James sits next to me with a green drink in his right hand and a newspaper on the left. It's not the first time I'm seeing him with his glasses, but he sure looks cute.
"Good morning," he says and leaves the paper to look at me.
"Good morning, James," I smile "Or Reed. Which do you prefer?"
"James is okay. Unless you prefer Reed," he shrugs "You know, I used to hate when people called me by my name... You're the first person I ever told to call me by it. Imagine how different this whole thing would've happened if I told you otherwise"
"If I knew who you were from the beginning, I don't think I could like you. I mean, when we were younger, I always thought of you as the guy who sucked at tennis"
