Jenny

I lay awake half that night listening to Lola snore in the bed next to me. She claims she doesn’t, but I swear I’m going to record her one of these days. She wasn’t the reason I was still awake though. My mom had me all sorts of messed up. After Draven left she wanted to talk. 

Not me, her. 

She said some things that got me thinking. Certain things struck a real cord with me. When she looked at Draven, she saw a kid who was alone and suffering. When I looked at him, all I saw was an arrogant asshole, someone who needed a swift reality check. 

Mom really got me thinking about him in a different way. She had me feeling a bit guilty about jumping to such quick conclusions when it came to him. I couldn’t help it. He struck a nerve with me, and I knew that the moment he opened his mouth I’d want to strangle him, regardless of the pity or shame I felt from Mom’s convincing words. When she told me to try and be his friend, I promised her I would. But it wasn’t going to be easy. I’d spent my entire life trying to avoid him, and now, she wanted me to dance with the devil himself. 

When the sun started coming up, I decided to get up out of bed and get ready. Lola was going to be so angry with me for waking her up early, but I wanted coffee, and I wanted it from Maxwell’s. 

“Get up sleeping beauty.”

She groaned. “WHY? Why are you so chipper?” Another groan escaped her lips. “What time is it?”

“Very freaking early, and I need coffee.”

She mumbled something under her breath, probably cursing me, but I couldn’t understand her morning gibberish. Didn’t care either. After her little stunts this week, I felt the need to annoy the crap out of her. “Chop, chop.” I clapped. 

The house was quiet when I padded down the stairs. I told Lo to be in the kitchen in ten minutes or I was leaving her, and she knew I wasn’t kidding. When it came to Maxwell’s coffee, there was no joking. It was like pure gold. 

“Hey Dad,” I smiled as I made my way towards the kitchen table. 

“Morning! You’re up awfully early.” He said before taking a sip of his coffee. The steam added a layer of fog to his thick bifocals. 

Pulling the chair away from the table, I took a seat next to him. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, so we’re headed out early to get coffee.”

“Your Mom told me about the tutoring session.”

“Yeah, well…” I clearly hesitated. 

He smirked. “I’ve got to admit that I think it’s a bit of a lost cause. But, I know how your mother is. She sees good in everybody, and she really thinks this is a good idea.”

In other words, mom knew best.

I released a long-winded breath from my chest. “She’s usually right, you know?”

“Boy do I know,” Dad replied, and we shared a laugh. He had one of those full-belly laughs, and I loved hearing it. 

“I’m here, I’m here. Sound the alarms.” Lo said as she made her grand entrance into the kitchen. 

“You girls have a good day.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I leaned in and kissed his stubbly cheek. “See you tonight.”

***

Maxwell’s was only about a five-minute drive from my house. The small parking lot only had a few vehicles in it when we pulled up. None of them belonged to Draven. Thank goodness for that. Despite the conversation with Mom, I still needed all the coffee before seeing him. Especially after the way our study session ended.

The two of us ordered the biggest latte’s on the menu, and chose a table way in the back. There was one small table with two seats that sat in the back corner of the café that I loved. The lights didn’t quite reach it, so there was a soft shadow and could make you easily avoidable. It was perfect.

We sipped our piping-hot drinks in silence for several minutes. Lo was like me, we needed to drink at least a half a cup before we made coherent sentences. 

When she started to speak, I stopped her. “It’s too early to talk about you know who. Let’s talk about something completely different.”

“Fine,” she yawned, still half asleep. “What are we doing this weekend?” She asked.

The two of us always found something to do. Granted it wasn’t the crazy high school shenanigans that most of our class was into, but we always had fun. 

“I don’t know. Maybe we can see a movie?” I suggested.

“Or maybe we can go to Avani’s party?”

“Avani Green?” I gave her a surprised look. Avani Green was in Border’s High Homecoming Court, and was voted most likely to become famous in our list of absurd yearbook superlatives. 

She loudly sipped her latte. “It was just an idea.”

“You really want to?” I asked as I wrapped my long hair into a bun. 

“I don’t know. I just heard at school that everyone was invited from our class, and that most people were going. I realize we’d probably be completely out of place, but we have each other. If it totally sucks, then we can just leave.” She drew idly on the table and looked up at me from beneath her lashes.

The idea was strange. However, when I thought back to my years in high school I realized that I’d never done anything like it. I was about to graduate and I’d never been to a high school party. Sheesh. I couldn’t even believe my own thoughts, and I was even more surprised about my next words. 

“Let’s do it.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Seriously?”

“Why not.” I shrugged. “But we should have a safe word if either of us wants to get out of there.”

“I love that idea. How about… -Banana Hammock?”

I coughed as I got strangled on my coffee. “Of all the words, that’s the best you could do?”

“It’s catchy, and no one would be yelling out Banana Hammock.”

“True.” I laughed. The girl was my bestie for a reason. “Come on. Let’s get a coffee to go and then we’ll head on to school.”

While we were standing in line I heard a recognizable deep laugh. I didn’t have to turn around to know it was Draven. He obviously loved this place as much as I did, but I never saw him order anything. He and his friends mostly loitered. They sat at the same table every time they were there. Usually we didn’t cross paths, but lately we’d been running into each other a lot more. If and when I saw him there, I would scramble to leave. It was hard to do that now, knowing that the two of us were officially study-partners. Of course, with the promise I’d made to Mom it didn’t make it any easier.

Lo and I grabbed our drinks from the counter and turned to leave. When my eyes locked on Draven’s I didn’t squirm. 

I smiled.

A little.

Okay, barely. It was more of a tight-lipped, I’m not frowning smile.

His face didn’t budge, so I held up a hand sending a gruesomely awkward wave, and he looked away. There wasn’t one shred of acknowledgement. 

Thanks Mom. 

I looked liked an obsessed idiot, and true to his normal fashion… He was an ass.