"Woah, woah, woah," I said, my voice rising slightly as I tried to resist Cayden's pull. He had a grip on my arm, ready to drag me out of the school like I was some rebellious sidekick. "Okay, I appreciate the save back there, but I'm not ditching class as some kind of payment."
Cayden rolled his eyes at my protest. "And you thought I was going to pull you out of here just for kicks?" He raised an eyebrow, his expression daring me to guess his motives.
I met his gaze, confusion flooding my mind. "Wait, you weren'tâ"
"Finish your thought," he urged, an amused smirk creeping onto his face. The intensity of his stare made me feel a heat creeping up my neck, flushing my cheeks. Was I really reading too much into this? Maybe he did want to leave school. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling stupid for even considering it. "Look, thanks for the assist, but I'm going back to class now."
"Oh, and tell your little fangirls to back off!" I shot back, pivoting on my heel and striding away.
But before I could take two steps, he spun me around. His hands gripped my shoulders, and he leaned closer, concern etched on his face. "Did they do something to you?!"
I was taken aback, surprised by the urgency in his voice. "What the hell are you chuckling about? You think it's funny?"
"Not funny," I replied, shaking my head. "But it's nothing serious, just some threats here and there. No biggie."
"Threats?" His brow furrowed deeper. "Do you remember any of their faces?"
"Uh, no. It's a big school, and I don't usually pay attention to people," I said, my thoughts drifting back to those moments when the trio of Katie and her followers cornered me. I had noticed them, but not enough to recognize them. "Anyway, I'm heading to class." With that, I slipped away, leaving Cayden watching me with a mixture of concern and confusion.
***
As I slid into my Spanish class just before the bell rang, relief washed over me. I had barely made it, but my luck ran out when I got my results back from the pop quiz. A D stared back at me from the paper, and I groaned internally. How was I going to explain this to Amelia?
"You got a D? I thought you liked Spanish," she said, her voice a teasing lilt as we headed toward my locker to stash my notebook.
"Damn, do you need a tutor? I'm available," she offered, shooting me a conspiratorial grin.
Rolling my eyes, I sighed. "I do like Spanish class, but honestly, I've got a lot on my mind right now."
Amelia studied my face, her eyes narrowing in that way that said she wasn't buying it. Suddenly, she pinched my cheek.
"What are you doing?" I protested, slapping her hand away. "That hurt!"
"Did something happen earlier?" she pressed as I shut my locker, her curiosity piqued. We began walking toward the library, where I could finally focus. "I heard Katie and her little mean girl squad attacked you."
I stopped in my tracks, facing her. "How did you know?"
"It wasn't an attack in the physical senseâwell, maybe it was." The memory of Katie's slap stung like a fresh bruise.
"What did she do to you?!" Amelia asked, her voice rising in a mix of fury and concern as she started shaking my shoulders. "Should I set her on fire or something? Your call."
"No, no!" I said, pushing her away gently. "She just slapped me because she told me to stay away from Cayden. It's not my fault I keep bumping into the Greek God himself," I said, rolling my eyes, but my cheeks warmed at the thought.
Amelia arched an eyebrow, her amusement evident. "So you called him a Greek God."
"That doesn't mean anything!" I retorted, defensive.
"I just said you called him a Greek God. Chill out," she laughed, and I couldn't help but groan in frustration.
"Let's just go inside the library so I can finally focus, okay?"
"Hailey..." she whispered, an idea clearly forming in her mind.
I continued walking, ignoring her dramatic tone.
"Hailey!" she hissed loudly.
"Shh!" The librarian shushed us from across the room, and I shot her a cheeky smile, turning back to Amelia with a glare.
"Sorry!" she whispered, a sheepish grin replacing her earlier eagerness.
"What do you want?" I asked, exasperated.
"Ethan's over there with a girl," she said, her eyes lighting up as she gestured discreetly toward the far corner of the library.
I instinctively glanced in that direction and saw Ethan laughing with a girl. My stomach dropped. "Is that his girlfriend?" I asked, though my heart sank at the thought.
"It looks like she's flirting with him," Amelia said. I felt an odd mixture of jealousy and irritation churn in my stomach.
"Let's just forget about them," I said, grabbing her arm and steering her away. "I'm here to study, and you promised to help me."
"As you wish, my master," she teased, dramatically bowing to me.
"Just keep it down, okay?" I replied, shooting a warning glance at the librarian, who was still eyeing us.
"Sure, but..." she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "what's going on with you and Ethan?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, though my heart raced at the thought. "Let's just study."
***
After an hour of hitting the books in the library, the bell rang for dismissal, and we scrambled out, eager to escape the confines of the school. As we walked, I heard Ethan's voice call out behind me. I turned and plastered on a smile.
"Hailey!" he said, jogging to catch up. "You didn't tell me you were here during your free period. You should have let me know."
"It's fine," I said, waving a dismissive hand. "You looked busy."
Ethan's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, I thought you were caught up with your friends," I clarified, though the hint of envy crept back in as I thought of the girl with him.
"Are you guys heading home?" he asked.
"Yeah," Amelia chimed in.
"Not yet."
I exchanged a glance with Amelia, confusion swirling in my mind. "Not yet? Why?"
"I was thinking of hitting the mall. Maybe we could catch a movie?" Ethan suggested, his expression hopeful.
"I actually have to go to work," I said, my heart sinking. I hadn't wanted to turn him down, but I also couldn't afford to be late on my first day.
"Since when did you start working?" he asked, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"I applied last week. My shift starts at 4:30." I glanced at my watch, anxiety bubbling in my stomach. "I've really got to go." I grabbed Amelia's arm, urging her to move with me.
"Where are my car keys? I thought you drove my car to school when Cayden brought me earlier," I asked, momentarily distracted.
"Oh, I didn't. I just took the bus," she said, making me roll my eyes. The last thing I wanted was to navigate public transportation.
"It's fine," I muttered. "I'll just take the public bus home."
"Are you sure? The route might be different than the school bus," Amelia cautioned, her voice laced with concern.
"I know which bus to take. My mom told me before, so I'll be fine," I said, brushing off her worries.
"Okay, just text me later," she said, and we bid each other farewell before parting ways.
I finally made it home around 4:15, changing into my work clothes as quickly as possible. I should have listened to Amelia; the public bus had taken a different route, and I had barely made it in time. I dropped my bag on the floor, grabbed my phone, and headed downstairs for my car keys.
The drive was a blur of anxiety and anticipation. I pulled into the parking lot of the coffee shop and hurried inside. "Hi," I greeted the girl at the counter, a friendly smile on my face. I made my way to the 'Employees Only' door and jotted my name down on the log sheet before heading toward the counter.
"You're late," the girl at the counter said, her voice dripping with annoyance.
"It's only 4:25. My shift starts at 4:30," I replied, glancing at my watch.
"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes.
A customer approached, and I straightened up, plastering on my best smile. "Hello, welcome to The Local Coffee Shop. What can I get for you today?"
"I'd like an Iced Mocha, Large," she said, her tone sweet.
"That'll be $4.50," I told her. She handed me a five-dollar bill, and I quickly processed her order, handing her the receipt and change. "Please wait for your order over there," I instructed, pointing to an empty corner.
After a few hours of chaotic orders and frantic drink-making, the barista behind me told me his shift was over. "It's your turn to make the drinks," he said, grinning.
for a quick break, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. She had spent more time on her phone than actually working, but I kept my mouth shut and focused on the task ahead.
I cleaned the blender and heard the familiar chime of the bell above the door, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Drying my hands on a towel, I walked to the counter, ready to greet whoever had just walked in.
"Hello! Welcome to The Local Coffee Shop. What can I get youâ"
Cayden looks at the menu above me and then looks back at me, "Can I order... you, for take out?" He says.
***
hello.
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