Foreign Feelings

RAINEY

Ansel’s hoodie smells like strawberries. It’s a comforting scent, familiar and sweet. He said I could keep it, but I should probably give it back.

He came to my rescue, which was nice. But his words are still echoing in my head.

~“Don’t react. That won’t be good for you.”~

Does he know something about me?

Maybe. He might have seen that I was about to kick Olivia in the face and didn’t want to watch me get expelled.

Or maybe he knows something about my past?

I push that thought away. No one here knows about Freetown.

I rest my head on my knuckles, lost in thought.

“Ansel, baby!”

Olivia’s voice pulls me back to reality. I look up to see Ansel walking into our math class.

She’s holding out a chocolate bar to him, but he turns it down with a polite smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

Olivia pouts and goes back to her seat. Lisa takes the chocolate instead, earning a glare from Olivia.

Ansel walks to the back of the room, his backpack slung over one shoulder. The girls in the class watch him, hoping to catch his eye. But as usual, Ansel doesn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he’s just pretending not to.

He’s always so put together, and even with glasses, his eyes are hard to miss. Especially when we lock eyes more often than we talk.

~Look at me. Look at me.~

As if he heard my thoughts, he looks at me. His eyes are like the ocean, always seeming to send a message I can’t quite understand.

My cheeks turn pink as he walks by. He drops his bag on his desk and sits down.

His scent reminds me that I need to give back his hoodie.

~…Even though I don’t want to. But maybe it’s a chance to talk to him?~

I puff out my cheeks. My palms are sweaty. I’m not usually nervous, but something about Ansel makes me feel like a giddy schoolgirl. It’s a strange feeling.

I pull the hoodie out of my bag and start to turn around when Mrs. Forbes walks into the room.

~Shoot.~

“Settle down, everyone!” She slaps her ruler on her desk, and the kids milling around the room scramble to their seats.

She looks to the back of the room, her eyes narrowing. “Tate Walters is absent?”

“Yeah, he’s got the flu! He’ll be back tomorrow!” his friend, a skinny guy with golden-brown hair, calls out.

I remember seeing Tate running naked down the street last night and have to stifle a laugh.

~Yeah, some flu.~

“Today we’re going to talk about your math worksheet for the semester,” Mrs. Forbes announces.

The class groans, but she ignores them and continues.

“You’ll be working in pairs. You’ll work on each question together and then write a report about the challenges you faced. It’s due next Tuesday.”

“That’s only a week! How are we supposed to finish that in time?” Lisa complains.

Mrs. Forbes gives her a stern look and starts pairing us up.

I hate group work. It forces you to interact with people, and I don’t like doing that, especially here at Crosshill.

I just hope she doesn’t pair me with Olivia. One of us would be dead by Tuesday.

“Rainey Slate?”

I look up when I hear my name. Mrs. Forbes is looking at her register.

“You’ll be working with”—she looks at me, then behind me—“Ansel King.”

My cheeks turn red, and the girls in the class frown, clearly wishing they were in my place.

“That’s not fair!” Olivia protests. “I wanted to work with Ansel!”

“Olivia, you’re with Tate,” Mrs. Forbes tells her. “Go see him after school and explain the assignment.”

Olivia crosses her arms and glares at me.

I don’t understand why she’s so mad. I didn’t choose the groups. And Tate isn’t that bad. Aside from drugging girls, he’s probably a good partner.

***

“Remember your assignments, and have a great day.”

Mrs. Forbes gathers her things and leaves the room. The noise level rises as I stand up and start packing my bag.

Someone steps in front of me. I recognize Ansel’s scent immediately, and my heart skips a beat.

~This is new.~

I look up and meet his eyes.

“Hey.” He smiles, and I see the dimples in his cheeks.

My throat is dry, and I can’t remember how to talk. I open my mouth, then close it. He speaks again.

“So, your place or mine?”

“Um, what?” I squint at him.

He smiles a little. “For the project.”

~Right. The project. Get it together, Rainey.~

“Oh, yeah. My place is fine. I mean, I wouldn’t want to intrude at your place,” I say, shifting my weight.

“You wouldn’t be intruding. But if you’re okay with it, I’ll come to your place.”

He sounds so polite and kind. I wonder if he talks like this to everyone.

“Sure, it’d be nice if you could swing by.” I blink, surprised at how strange my words sound, then quickly add, “For the project, of course.”

~What on earth is wrong with me?~

“Is tonight okay?” he asks politely, his brow creasing. “I just thought we could get a head start on it.”

“Yeah, tonight’s good.”

He adjusts the strap of his backpack on his shoulder.

“Well, I have a shift at Crossview Café in town for a couple of hours. I don’t know if you’d want to come with me, and then we could head to your place afterward?”

~So Ansel has a part-time job? I thought Alex was the only one who worked. From what he’s said, Ansel is the pampered son.~

I nod. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.” I manage a small smile.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Olivia glaring at me. If looks could kill, I’d be on my way to the morgue.

“You’re done for the day, right?” he asks.

“Yeah, I am.” I sling my backpack on, pulling the straps so it fits snugly on my back.

“Great, me too. So, we should get going, yeah?”

I smile. “Yeah, we should.”

***

Crossview’s Café isn’t far from Crosshill High, so we walk there together.

The cool blast of air conditioning, the scent of fresh coffee, and the soft strumming of acoustic music from an old jukebox greet me as soon as he opens the glass door.

He steps aside to let me in, a smile playing on his lips. “After you.”

The café is budget-friendly but beautifully decorated in shades of chocolate brown and beige.

A few customers are scattered around the mahogany tables, and a guy in an apron is behind the counter, wiping it down.

I trail behind Ansel as he walks up to the guy, taking in the cozy and welcoming atmosphere of the café.

“What’s up, Darin?” Ansel greets the guy, who grins and bumps fists with him.

Darin groans dramatically, throwing his head back. “Finally, you’re here to relieve me.”

“Come on. Working here isn’t that bad,” Ansel chuckles, just before Darin’s hazel eyes land on me.

I smile awkwardly, and a smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as he looks back at Ansel.

“Girlfriend?”

I nearly choke on nothing. Despite the cool air conditioning in the small room, my cheeks instantly flush.

Ansel smiles, but he doesn’t seem bothered by Darin’s assumption. “No. She’s my groupmate. We have a project to work on later, so I’ll be heading to her place after.”

Darin’s smile widens as he looks at me. “Are you sure you want this charming guy at your place? I mean, that’s not safe. At all.”

I tilt my head to the side, and Ansel grabs a towel from the counter and playfully slaps Darin in the chest. “You can head home now. I’m here.”

“Yeah, I have to pick up my little sister from school.” Darin pulls off his apron and hands it to Ansel. Then he disappears behind a door marked Employees Only.

Ansel looks at me while tying the white fabric around his waist. “Would you like a drink?”

I shake my head, my hands echoing the same motion. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine—”

“I insist,” he interrupts, flashing another of his charming smiles at me.

Darin’s right. Maybe it’s risky to have a guy this effortlessly charming at my place.

But Ansel doesn’t seem like the desperate type. He’s too self-assured and comfortable in his own skin to be creepily forward.

“It’s the least I can do since you’re waiting here for me,” he adds.

I tug at my ear, twisting my lips as I consider his offer. He waits patiently, running his fingers through his black hair while he looks at me.

“Okay.” I smile a little. “I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”

“Great response there.”

He moves around me and lifts the counter barrier before sliding behind the table. “I’ll make you something really good. It’s my favorite. You can sit. I’ll bring it to you.”

I smile and take a seat near the counter while he reaches for a glass. He moves to the sink and rinses the container while I tap my nails against the table.

I watch him as he grinds the beans into the portafilter. His biceps flex, and his gaze is focused.

He turns around, and I quickly look away, but I catch the small smile on his lips, which probably means he saw my fascinated gaze.

He moves back to the counter and inserts the portafilter handle into the group head.

Once the coffee is brewed, he squirts cream on top, then reaches for a saucer and places it under the hot liquid.

He walks over to me, and I pretend I wasn’t watching him the whole time.

“Macchiato. It’s also known as a piccolo latte,” he explains, gently setting the coffee in front of me.

The cream is shaped into a flower, and the aroma is so enticing that it makes my mouth water.

“Wow, this smells amazing,” I murmur.

“If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be right behind the counter.”

“Yeah, take your time.”

“Ansel!” The sound of a child’s voice, filled with joy and excitement, draws my attention to a little girl running over to the table.

A genuine smile spreads across Ansel’s face as he bends down to scoop the little girl into his arms.

“Ugh, you’re heavy, Bell,” he laughs.

“I want coffee,” she declares boldly, her voice soft and as adorable as she is.

“No, Bella. Coffee’s just for grown-ups,” Ansel teases, tickling her sides.

“She’s convinced she’s a big girl now that she’s five.”

A woman approaches, her smile broad as she takes in Ansel. Her cheeks are flushed a rosy pink as he hands her daughter back to her.

“I’ll whip up a shake for her.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes sparkle with appreciation, and I can’t quite put my finger on why that unsettles me.

“No need for thanks, Ms. Cole.” Ansel’s smile is polite. “You two are my favorite customers. I’m more than happy to make her something special, on the house.”

“Thank you, dear. Your future wife will be lucky to have someone like you,” Ms. Cole says, and Ansel just chuckles as he heads off to make the shake.

My gaze follows the woman and her daughter as they find a seat away from me.

I can’t help but notice a group of girls in the corner of the café, giggling and staring at Ansel as he gets to work behind the counter.

I push aside the strange feeling that’s tugging at my heart and take a sip of my coffee. It’s delicious. I’m amazed that he made it so quickly.

~Is there anything he can’t do?~

Ansel finishes up quickly and delivers the shake to the little girl, who grins from ear to ear as she eagerly takes it from him.

He says something to the woman, and she giggles before grabbing her bag and waving goodbye. They leave the café, and Ansel walks back over to my table.

“I’ll be done soon. My boss will be here in an hour. Once he gets here, I can take off.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Take your time. The coffee’s great.”

He grins, his nomad-blue eyes sparkling under the café’s soft lighting. “Glad you like it.”

I return his smile as he takes my cup and saucer and heads back to the counter.

***

While Ansel works, I pass the time by scribbling poetry on a loose page of my math book. I love writing poems. They’re the only thing that can express what I’m feeling when I can’t find the words.

Even though I love it, I could never perform my poems in front of a crowd. They’re usually just for me.

It’s a quarter to five when the café doors open and a tall man walks in. He scans the room as he approaches the counter where Ansel is wiping down the table.

“Ansel, you’re still here? You should head home and get some homework done.”

“I can’t leave if you’re not here, Tim.” Ansel grins at the man, who looks to be in his late twenties. He turns to me. “My boss is here, so I guess we can finally head out now.”

Tim follows Ansel’s gaze, and a look of appreciation flashes in his eyes as he leans on the counter.

“And who’s this lovely girl?”

Ansel flips up the counter and comes around to answer his boss’s question. “My project partner. We have a project to work on soon.”

“She’s a beautiful girl,” Tim says. “What’s her name?”

Ansel smiles slightly, untying his apron. “Rainey.”

My name sounds new and different coming from his lips, as if I’ve been saying it wrong my whole life.

“Hi, Rainey. You have beautiful eyes…and lips,” Tim says boldly. “You’re gorgeous.”

“She sure is,” Ansel murmurs.

~Wait. Did he just say, “She sure is”?~

I stare at him in surprise, and he pretends he didn’t just say those words as he hands his apron to his boss. “I’m gonna head home now, Tim. I’ll see you later.”

I stand up from the spot I’ve been sitting in for two hours, my backside sore from the hard wooden chair.

Tim nods. “Sure. See you tomorrow, Ansel. And you kids don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, now.”

“What?” Ansel laughs at Tim’s suggestive comment, shaking his head.

“And don’t forget Friday night, all right?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll be there!” He salutes his boss as we head for the door.

“Bye, Rainey!” Tim calls after me, and I wave over my shoulder as I step through the glass door.