Chapter 8
I sat across from Dave in the coffeeshop downtown. It was busy and we were both exhausted. We waited for them to get us our coffee but there was only two kids working. A girl with a lip ring and a boy who had huge wire-rimmed glasses. They ran back and forth. Cranking out coffee after coffee and bagging donuts faster than the speed of light. I watched them. Rushing.
Dave was sitting there looking at me. Not saying much because he was exhausted. The reason we went to get coffee.
He leaned onto his elbow. And shut his eyes for a few seconds. I smiled. "Come on," I sighed. "You're never this tired."
He smield a little. "I was studying all last night."
We had been "studying" last night. Soemtimes we got work done but more often we just kissed or sat around and talked. And last night wasn't any different. I leaned foreward onto my arm same as him. And he smiled kissing me softly. We went back ot sitting quietly as the world rushed on and on around us. Screaming orders and the bell announcing when everyone was coming and going through the door. It was the beautiful kind of chaos.
I looked out at the coffeeshop watching the chaos weaken slowly as the two people working caught up to the crowd demanding caffine and food. Dave's hand slide over mine. I looked at our hands. His were a little bigger and darker than mine. But together they were a perfect equation. Coming together and making everything work out. I smiled to myself. And we jsut sat there for another minute before the boy with the wired-rimmed glasses shouted that our coffees were ready.
Dave jumped up. "I'll get it," He said. And he came back with two to-go coffees sitting down again across from me. He checked his cell phone. "We have fifteen minutes. Want to jsut hang out?"
"Sure," I said. I sipped letting the warm caffine fill me and wake me up. Starting my morning with my favorite person in the chaotic beauty that was Carol's Coffeeshop in downtown Kerrington. I felt warm inside.
It slowed down immensly. To the point where the place emptied in five minutes leaving me and Dave and a few others talking casually and sipping our coffee waking up slowly and much quicker than we ever would after yet another week. I think- for me at least- it's October where the year really starts for me. I feel like nothing's new suddenly. And I find my bearings easily and just know everything like I had the year before.
The bell rang and two kids walked in. Dave leaned forward into me. "Geez, that kid's such a freak."
I turned my head just a little catching the outline of Bennett Williams walking in with his friend. Right up to the counter. His friend was much smaller than him but they dressed the same. His friend smiled warmly and leaned over the coffeeshop counter to the girl with the lip ring. He kissed her. And I watched them. Bennett Williams did to. Watchign the two of them say hello, but I was too far to hear anything.
It was cute. Bennett's friend and the girl with the lip ring.
Dave finsiehd his coffee off. I turned away from that couple and back to Dave. Where I belonged. "You all set?" He asked.
"Yeah," I said. He offered to take my cup to throw it out. I handed it to him. It was getting a little colder. I zipped my sweatshirt up and took my bag pulling it over one of my shoulders. Dave came back taking his bag and doing the same. We walked out. We gained the attention Bennett's friend and the girl with the lip ring had as we walked out: Dave's hand sliding aroudn my waist and kissing my temple. Of the few people watching I noticed Bennett Williams was watching us among them.
It felt strange having Bennett Williams watching me with my boyfriend. I had forgotten we had even talked the day before in English about music and Sunday Drive. But him watching me and Dave didn't confirm it happened. So I still believed it had been a dream or something. Because that stuff never happens anymore.
Cass sat up when I walked into homeroom. "Where were you?" She asked. "You usually are never this late." I looked at her. Cas is never usually a wreck in the mornings. I sat in my seat dropping my bag onto the floor.
"Dave and I went to Carol's." I said. "It was so busy this morning, they only had two people working there this morning."
"I hate that. Miles and I went- when was it? Two weeks ago- they were dying. So many kids go there. They are looking for people to work- hey! you should get a job there!" Cass knows about how I want to get a job somewhere.
I shake my head. "My mom won't let me." I sighed.
"Why?" She asked. "My mom pushed me to get a job at Payless so hard."
Cass works selling shoes to little kids three days a week. I shrugged. "She just gives me more money. She doesn't want me to have a job." I said.
Cass thoguht this over a little. "Maybe you should just get it without her knowing?" She offered. "God, you're always interested in gettign a job. Why don't you work there?"
"I couldn't. She'd get mad." Of all the things I do in the relationship between me and my mother- I don't go behind her back ever. I try and be the best daughter. The opposite of Amber. The one she always expected me to be. Gettign a job behind her back will jsut piss her off. I know it. Cass just dropped it there when the school news came on.
