I walked through the doors of The Palace, a coffee shop I knew oh so well. The little bell rang when I opened the door, and a few people looked back to see who I was: Just a small teenage girl with a coffee addiction. I knew almost everyone here; I was a regular. I had been going to The Palace since I was thirteen years old (that was when I started to walk around town by myself).

"Sophie! Come over here and get you a cup of Joe!" Marti exclaimed across the room. Marti was the owner of The Palace. As far as I know, she has owned the place for years. She moved to Onyx Park in the 80's, which was before my time.

"Thank you, Marti." I walked over to the cash register. "I would like to have my usual."

"You have been ordering the same thing every day for three years… try something different, honey."

"No ma'am. I will stick to my French vanilla." I smiles and she handed me a warm cup filled with the best drink ever made. In return, I gave her three dollars. "You can keep the extra seventy cents. It might come in handy."

I sat down at a table beside the window. It was one of the rare days when it was sunny outside. I loved the sun. It turned from twenty-five degrees to fourty immediately because of the sun. I didn't like the cold either. I had spent my whole morning outside walking and enjoying getting my Vitamin D from the twenty minutes of sun, and I'm planning to get more.

I sat there for about twenty minutes just listening to my music player and thinking, when my best friend came up.

"Hey, chickie. Listen, Nick wanted you to come to the movies with us tonight." Bridgett said. I smiled. I could see through her as well as glass.

"No, he wants me to stay at home alone and in my sorrow." We both laughed. Her boyfriend doesn't like me that much.

"Fine. But I want you to come with me, Soph. You haven't been out anywhere with friends in a while. A long while." She argued.

"That is not true, and you know it."

"Have some fun before he comes back." How did she know he was stuck in my mind? "He'll be back to smother you some more, and then I won't be able to talk to you." She said.

"Sound familiar?"

"Nick doesn't do that. He let's me talk to you…" she said softly. Nick thinks I am a bad influence of Bridgett. I used to party and hook up (not sex or anything…. Everything but, though) with a lot of guys before Jack and I got together. Although, now I don't do any of that. I haven't been to a real part since the week before school started… which was a semester ago.

"Well, I'm just waiting for him to get back. I miss him." Nick moved back to Lakeville, his old town that he live in before here. He moved here last year for his grandmother. She was sick, and so his mother and father grabbed their stuff and went. She got better back in April, and they moved back to Lakeville in June. He comes and sees her (as well as me) every chance he gets.

"Come on…. Please, Soph." Bridgett pleaded.

"Fine…"

"Great! I promise, you won't forget it! It'll get you all hyped up for your love fest tomorrow night!" She winked at me, and I ignored it. Well, now I have actually something to do tonight. How fun. "But, Soph. Sorry to just leave like this, but I've got plans. With Nick. So, bye little love drunk bestie!"

I hated it when she called me that. Jack and I had only been dating since May… seven months. We've only saw each other four times. Sure, he said he loved me. And I said it back. But I just don't think I do. I mean, I like him very very very very much. Eh, I should ignore it. That feeling almost always goes away when I see him.

I drank the rest of my coffee and walked out the door. I walked all the way to my house in the glorious sunshine. The door was unlocked (just as I always have left it), and the blinds were open as well. I walked up to my room to find my phone. I never take it to The Palace. I never have the need to. It's a distraction from all of the great things about that place that I love.

As I reached my room, I turned on the light to reveal my light red walls. On my bed stand, right where I left it, was my cell phone. I looked and, of course, has a text from Jack. He always tells me 'good morning' when he wakes up. I'm always the early bird between us two. I wake up, get on some clothes, and walk. Most of the time to the coffee shop. And he knows that. It used to bug him how I wouldn't reply, but he finally got used to it.

Hey darling. Did U have a good nite?

I always hated the way he texted. Un-proper English bugs me, for some odd reason. It was still sweet that he cared to text me, though.

It was alright. I kind of woke up a lot, though.

Aww darling. If I wud have been there, U wud have slept all nite

I had to go check on my mother and father, so I left that text sitting there for a while. I walked in their bedroom; It smelled like a blueberry candle and morning breath. Mother was in her bed asleep. I heard the shower on, so I was guessing Father was in there.

I slipped out of their room and back into mine. It was eleven-fourteen. I folded back the covers of my bed and slid in. They were so cold from where they had been empty for a few hours. I slipped into a slumber of dreaming about Jack, Bridgett, and Lakeville.