0 6 .

black coffee

THE NEXT MORNING, I woke up with a stale taste in my mouth and a killer headache.

My eyes were swollen and bloodshot from my lack of sleep. My dark circles stained the skin beneath my eyes, darker than ever. I let out a groan at the realisation of a massive headache drilling in the side of my head.

Could a day start off any worse?

I trudged through my usual morning routine of brushing my teeth, combing my hair and washing my face before applying a dab of concealer to cover my dark under eyes bruised with fatigue, praying they would become less noticeable after my coffee. I pulled on black jeans and a random shirt from my bedroom floor before walking out of my room, grabbing my school bag on the way.

I slipped into the kitchen, grabbing an oval shaped pill and popping it into my mouth, washing it down with a glass of water.

My mother lied on the couch, her uniform from her night shift at the diner was still on as she had another shift in just half an hour. Her dark curls spilled over the sofa cushions.

"See you, Mom," I muttered, pressing a peck to her cheek on my way out.

She sent me a half-hearted smile, her tired eyes lighting up at the sight of me.

"Have a good day, baby," she whispered, her voice hoarse. I watched as she pressed her hands to her temple, her fingers rubbing gentle circles, and released a strained sigh.

"Mom," I uttered, pausing beside her. "Just stay home and rest. You look so tired."

She shook her head, her eyes squeezing shut. "No. No, I'm fine. Brina needs some new textbooks and –"

"And she'll pay for them just fine on her own," I paused, watching my mother lounging on the couch, purple bags lining beneath her eyes. "I can pick up some shifts at –"

Her eyes snapped open. "No. You focus on school. I'm an adult woman. I've been doing this since your father died, I'll be completely fine. Now go on. You'll be late for school."

I pursed my lips, my mother's gaze unwavering as she stared me in the eye. I knew that look. It was the look she'd given Sabrina when she said she'd attend community college. The same look she'd given me when I'd tried to give her my coffee money for rent.

She was stubborn and I knew she wasn't going to budge.

So, I relented with a sigh.

Her expression immediately softened, and a small smile graced her chapped lips. She reached an arm out and I stepped forward into a small embrace. Her lips pressed against my hairline.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you more."

"Now go," she whacked my butt playfully and I sprung forward with a laugh. "Get to school, young lady. Or better yet, don't go. Have some fun, Aspen, while you're still young."

She gestured to herself, with a shake of her head and I laughed.

"I have fun at school," I muttered in a half-truth. Riley and William always provided a good laugh. I tried not to think about Isaac at her suggestion, or the skip in my heart when I thought about seeing him today. I cleared my throat. "Besides, you're still young too."

She pulled a face at me and I chuckled before bidding her goodbye and waltzing out the door, clicking it shut behind me.

I shuffled out of the house and down the road towards Alum Creek Public. I was lucky to live close enough to the school to walk, but not close enough to enjoy it.

It was a cool morning. The breeze bit at my cheeks as I made my way to Café de Fleur, just a few minutes from the school, my fingers freezing and numb despite being buried deep in my pockets, shielded from the wind. I quickened my pace, my breath condensing in the cold air.

I entered the café with a sigh of relief as I was enveloped in warmth, the bell of the door ringing to announce my entrance. Smiling at Vivienne, I walked towards the counter, excited for my latte to warm me up and rejuvenate me after a restless night.

I swung my bag off one shoulder, clutching it over my chest as I began to fish for my wallet.

Vivienne grinned at me wildly, her eyes full of smugness.

"So, when did you get a boyfriend?"

I paused to raise an eyebrow at her. "Well, I kissed Johnny Fedrago's cheek in kindergarten."

Vivienne let out a high-pitched laugh before nodding towards the far corner of the cosy café. "That cute boy's been waiting for you with your latte and biscotti."

My eyes widened as I turned, making eye contact with, of freaking course, Isaac Hensick. He offered me a smirk, raising his own cup to me before taking a sip from it. Unlike usual, his sketchpad was closed, his pencil sat beside his saucer.

I turned back to Vivienne who wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively.

"Shut up," I said briefly before making my way towards Isaac, Vivienne's laughter echoing behind me.

My heart swelled in my chest as I approach Isaac. He looked handsome as usual, his cheekbones chiselled like a Greek god, his dark hair pushed back to reveal his mischievous eyes and dimpled smirk.

"Sup Aspirin," Isaac greeted as I reached his table. "Fancy seeing you here."

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my racing chest. My fingers dug into my skin as I tried my best to seem nonchalant.

"Well," he gestured to the empty chair in front of my untouched latte, a paper bag filled with biscotti sitting beside it. "Take a seat."

I narrowed my eyes at him, slowly scraping the chair back and sitting down across from him. He watched me as I held my still-hot coffee in my hands, the warmth rushing through my body. I peered up to see him watching me carefully, his eyes narrowed, causing me to raise an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Is it spiked?"

Isaac let out a dramatic gasp, holding a hand to his chest in shock. "Frankly, I'm offended you'd even suggest that, dear Aspirin."

I rolled my eyes again, sipping my coffee and letting out a delighted moan. Now that's what I needed.

I peered over the lip of the cup to see him watching me carefully. Immediately, my face warmed.

"Well, thanks for the coffee." I pushed my chair back, the wood scraping harshly against the tile floor. I gripped the takeaway cup and my school bag tightly. "But I'd better leave now before I'm late."

I stood only for Isaac's tan fingers to grab my wrist gently, slightly pulling me back with a faux pout. "Don't leave."

"I'll be late," I muttered, slightly annoyed at this boy, who I hadn't ever spoken to a week ago, and his constant pestering.

Besides,he was holding my wrist. He was asking me to stay. My heart pounded andI felt nauseous at the idea of makingsmall talk with Isaac Hensick.

"Oh, sure, of course. Can't be late to school!" Isaac let out an exaggerated laugh, waving his hands in a condescending mimic of me. He quirked a brow at me, his cheek dimpling in a smirk. "Seriously, Aspirin, live a little. Sit down."

I paused. He was right. I was always living by the rules. When was the last time I actually got into some trouble? My mind drifted to my mother, her constant urging for me to live the life of a regular teenager. I fought back a snort – look where that life got my mother.

Nevertheless, I pursed my lips, putting my coffee and biscotti down as I took my seat again, earning a triumphant smile from Isaac.

I looked down at the table, noticing this was the first time I had seen him actually drink his coffee. His sketch pad was closed, the cover black with his name written in a messy white scrawl on the top corner.

I couldn't help but wonder what's inside.

"So, what's up?" I asked. My throat felt insanely dry so I took a casual sip of my coffee, pretending my heart wasn't going into cardiac arrest. 

Here I was, skipping class in a café with one of the cutest, most popular boys in school, making casual conversation over a free coffee. Riley would scream if she found out.

"Nothing much," Isaac replied. "What about you?"

"Nothing much," I shrugged uncomfortably. An awkward silence ensued, and I sipped my coffee again. A second passed. "What about you?"

Isaac raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Nothing much," he said. "What about you?"

I blinked, not entirely sure what was going on.

"Nothing much..." I trailed off. "What about-"

"God, Aspirin," Isaac began laughing loudly, his eyes crinkling. "Is this the first time you've had a conversation with someone? Cause it's not going very well now, is it?"

I pursed my lips at his laughter and averted my eyes.

"No," I murmured quietly. My heart pounded in my chest. I could feel his piercing green eyes staring me down as he chuckled.

Isaac's laughter died down and he took a sip of his coffee, prompting me to do the same. I pushed a strand of my hair back behind my ear and looked around the café. This encounter was turning out to be incredibly awkward for the both of us.

When I turned back to face Isaac, I noticed he was staring at my rather lacking chest.

"Um," I brought his attention back to my face. "My eyes are up here."

He laughed at me, his chest vibrating. "Nice shirt."

My eyes widened as I looked down at my shirt, realising I had pulled on an incredibly stained pyjama shirt featuring the Sesame Street gang on it. My cheeks turned bright red and a lump rose in my throat.

Why hadn't anyone said anything? My throat felt strangled, my head beginning to spin.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered, "I can't go to school like this!"

I stood from my seat abruptly, pushing the table and almost spilling our coffee in the process. I reached for my backpack, stumbling around the chair. Isaac quirked a brow at me.

"You're going all the way home to change your top?" Isaac asked, stopping me in my tracks.

"Obviously!" I exclaimed, my mind racing. "I can't show up like this! I'm already late for my first period; I don't want to bring even more unwanted attention to me. I'll be a laughing stock!"

I turned to leave only for Isaac to grab my hand once more, pulling me back roughly. I let out a quiet grunt at the sudden pull.

"I think it looks cute," Isaac smiled genuinely, letting go of my arm.

"I doubt anyone else will," I murmured, crossing my arms with a pointed look. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to run home now or else I'll miss first period completely."

"You'll miss it either way," Isaac replied, folding his arms.

"I live close," I shot back, my head spinning.

"Oh, yeah? How close?"

I paused, my mouth dry as the realisation hit me. He was right again. Even though my house was within walking distance, by the time I would reach home and back, I was sure to miss first period.

"Well, I can't go like this!" I practically shouted, despair washing over my voice as I threw my arms in the air dejectedly.

I stood there, the lump in my throat growing as I searched for a solution. My heart began to race, and I clutched my chest, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. The room around me began to spin, my palms shaking as I clung to my shirt.

I released a shaky breath and moved to look at Isaac.

He stayed quiet, his eyes soft as he watched me, fully taking in my panic. A second later, he began to take off his leather jacket.

"Here," he said, handing me the jacket.

I stared at it, struggling to speak as the ground shook beneath me. "Excuse me?"

"Here," he nudged it towards me. "To cover your shirt. If you leave for school now, you'll make it for first period, but if you go home, you won't be back until second."

I slowly took the jacket from him, my brow raised in suspicion. My heart began to slow, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, the room beginning to steady. The jacket was still warm in my hands, the leather smooth and dark, contrasting against my pale skin.

"Thanks," I dragged my croaky voice out, still unsure whether to trust him or not. He nodded nonchalantly, taking a sip from his coffee before gesturing me to put it on.

I pulled the jacket over my shoulder, zipping it up to cover my shirt.

The sleeves fell over my hands and the jacket sat too big on me. It smelled of him – coffee mixed with cigarettes and cologne. I inhaled it, the scent somewhat calming.

Tilting my head, I looked up at him to find him smiling down at me. I let out a weak chuckle, waving my hands with the too long sleeves flapping over my fingers.

"It's a bit big."

He laughed with me, grabbing my arm and carefully folding the sleeves for me so that it appeared to be the style of the jacket. I blushed at the kind gesture, the gentleness of his hands as his fingers brushed my wrists.

Surely, he was just being friendly. But that was the question. Why was he being so friendly to me? I barely knew him.

And his reputation was less than kind. I was a first-hand witness to the girls he had played around with, Lacey being the latest subject of his games.

"What's wrong?" Isaac's voice made me realise he had been watching my eyes as I stared at his hands. "You seem like there's something on your mind."

I let out a quiet sigh, debating on whether I should voice my thoughts. He let go of my arm and sent me a smile. My heart fluttered, and my arms fell back beside my legs, my face warming.

"I was just wondering..." I began slowly before looking up to face him. "Why are you being so kind to me? I barely know you. Hell, I only know your name and your coffee order."

"You know my coffee order?" he cut me off.

My eyes widened, and my cheeks heated up at the realisation of what I had just revealed.

"Well," I stumbled for words. "You know mine."

He grinned cheekily. "Touché."

"Well?" I cleared my throat, my voice faltering with hesitance. "Answer the question."

He turned and took a final sip of his coffee, slinging his bag over his shoulder and collecting his notebook.

"You're," he paused to smile at me, his eyes swimming with an unreadable emotion. "Interesting."

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a u t h o r ' s  n o t e

Thank you all so much for 200 reads and all your lovely votes and comments! Always appreciated <3 here's a super long chapter as a thank you!