Charlie's feet trudged through the snow, one hand protectively wrapped around the slender arm of a new girl named Terry. She was different from the other girls at his school, and she was different from Sam. Maybe that's what he liked so much about her. Terry's short stature was different from Sam's tall, lean figure. Terry's long black hair was different from Sam's short brown hair. Terry's pinched, thin lips were different from Sam's full, smiling mouth. Terry wasn't funny or outgoing like Sam was; she was shy, just like Charlie. Maybe that's why he liked her. She was different - yet the same.
He pulled the door open and ushered Terry inside. She shuffled in and pulled the hood down from her furry parka, shaking the snow onto the carpet and earning venomous glares from the clerks behind the front register. Terry paid them no attention and claimed a booth, throwing her backpack into the bench beside her. "I've never been here," she informed Charlie, and looked around with suspicion.
Charlie shrugged. "Neither have I," he said, and as he copied Terry in surveillance, his gaze landed on a familiar head of brown hair, longer than he remembered and piled into a messy bun. Charlie stood and walked to Sam's booth, standing in silence as he waited for her to acknowledge him, forgetting momentarily about Terry. Sam looked up after taking a sip of her coffee. It was topped with whipped cream, and when she set her mug down again, there was a fluffy white cloud sitting on top of Sam's lips. Her eyes brightened the moment she registered Charlie's face, and she lightly pushed him aside so she could move to stand as well, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She placed a tender kiss on his mouth, murmuring, "Hey, Charlie."
The inside of Charlie's stomach blossomed with warmth, but then he remembered Terry. He pulled away from Sam and tugged her along to his own booth, where Terry was now sitting with a little bowl of oatmeal and raisins. She peeked from behind a curtain of black hair, careful to avoid eye contact. "This is Terry," Charlie introduced. Sam didn't let an awkward second pass; she stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet you," she said, and when Terry reluctantly took Sam's hand, she pulled the other girl into a fast hug. Terry yelped in surprise, and Sam laughed.
She brought her things to Charlie's booth, sitting in the bench with him and across from Terry. She told stories about her time in college, how she had never been to this coffee shop before and was hoping it would be quiet enough for her to work on a report - which, for the record, was a failed wish. Then she waited for Charlie to talk about his sophomore year, and how it was going, and when did he met Terry, and it's really great that he's made new friends.
Sam finally had to leave around six o'clock. As she walked out the door, hugging herself against the frigid air, Terry glanced at the dead, unticking watch on her wrist. "We've been here for…" She glanced at the working clock on the wall. "Three hours." Something flashed in her eyes, but Charlie wasn't entirely sure. Then Terry shrugged, and he decided he had imagined it. "Your girlfriend's nice." Charlie nodded, finishing off his cup of hot chocolate.