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double espresso
I STARED BLANKLY at the brown sludge on the tray in front of me.
If this is what the school considered a 'healthy nutritious lunch' then I didn't want to see what they considered unhealthy.
"What's wrong Aspen?"
I turned to look at Riley's concerned face as she gingerly held her own tray of food with one hand, balancing it against her hip. William stood next to her, staring cluelessly between Riley and me.
"Nothing, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
Riley turned to exchange a look with William, only to receive a confused stare in return. Rolling her eyes at William's usual obliviousness, she gestured to my hand which was grasping my tray, my fingers tapping furiously against it.
"You're tapping," she pointed out. "You only tap when there's something on your mind."
I looked down at my hand, my fingers freezing as I let out a sigh. I had woken with a headache again today and struggled to retain any of the information I had been taught over the hours. I pressed my eyes shut, letting out a loud yawn.
"I'm just tired."
"You're always tired."
William let out a chuckle at Riley's statement. "It's true; do you ever get any sleep?"
I let out an airy laugh, turning my head away from them as I began to walk slowly towards the cafeteria exit; the noise of the students chattering only adding to my headache. I had woken up particularly late this morning after falling asleep just before sunrise, meaning I had to skip my coffee run and go straight to school.
And I was utterly exhausted.
My friends trailed behind me as made our way towards the oval. It wasn't a common place for people to sit for lunch, but it was mostly peaceful, despite the constant yelling of students playing soccer during the break. Besides,we sat at the edge, where we could lean against a tall tree and watch all theother students and their drama without being bothered.
I poked at the 'beef stroganoff' on my tray for a minute or so, leaning my head against Riley's shoulder, when her voice pulled my attention away from my food.
"Ugh, it's her again."
I spun my head in the direction Riley looked in. Her face was scrunched in disgust as Lacey waltzed through the middle of a soccer game towards Sebastian Georges.
The players shouted complaints as Sebastian ruffled his long blonde curls, holding a hand to his hip and the soccer ball under his foot. Hoots and shouts echoed across the field as Lacey came to a stop in the middle of the field, placing one hand on her hip.
"God, I hate her," Riley scoffed watching as Lacey stared down the sweating soccer player in front of her.
"She's your sister," William spoke with a pointed look.
"Step-sister," Riley muttered, "Step."
Ignoring my friends, I watched as Lacey put her weight onto one hip, crossing her arms with a deep frown on her face. The group of soccer players surrounded her, whistling as they ogled her bare legs. I rolled my eyes at their idiocy.
"Where's Isaac?" Lacey screeched, earning a chorus of snickers from the soccer players surrounding her, using this couple-drama as a source of their own personal entertainment. "He didn't call me last night. Where is he?"
Sebastian tilted his head smirking at his giggling friends.
"Try his locker," he said smoothly. "Isaac forgot his phone there last night, maybe that's why."
Lacey stood quietly, pondering before breaking out into a wide smile.
"Thank you so much!" Lacey cried. "I knew he wouldn't forget to call me."
She squeezed Sebastian into a tight hug before turning and sprinting away from the oval, towards the main school building. When she was out of sight, Sebastian spun to face his friends and let out a loud snort, earning high fives and slaps on the back.
I turned to catch William rolling his eyes, each of us knowing Isaac wouldn't be at his locker and this confrontation would be repeated again tomorrow.
"No offence, Riles, but your step-sister is an idiot," William said, tapping his fingers against his knee as he sat cross-legged against the tree.
"Seriously, I've memorised that conversation by heart," I agreed, letting out a sigh and shaking my head. "I wish he'd just call her."
William and Riley let out a bitter laugh, nodding in agreement as I turned my head back to face the oval. They had restarted the game. I bit into my brown sludge, squeezing my eyes shut at the tangy taste and rough texture.
Suddenly the sludge ended up on my face.
My arms flew up, my eyes widening in surprise as my tray flipped from being hit by a stray soccer ball. I let out a splutter, wiping the sludge from my face as Riley began to scream her head off at Sebastian Georges and his friends. Sludge fell from my hair in chunks, dripping down my forehead and onto my top.
My heart stuttered to a stop. Oh God. People were staring now.
"YOU COME UP HERE RIGHT NOW AND APOLOGISE," Riley screamed, waving her arms exasperatedly.
"Or what?" Sebastian shouted playfully, nudging his friends with a wink.
Riley's face turned red in anger. I let out a breath, wiping the sludge off my clothes and onto the flipped tray. He really shouldn't have said that.
Riley's short legs began to move towards him, her fists clenched as she began to crack her knuckles, a menacing smile on her face. I shared a concerned look with William, him finally getting the message and chasing after Riley's quick steps. Before she could reach the bottom of the hill, William grabbed Riley under her arms, holding her up and carrying her back to the tree.
Riley swayed in the air, kicking her legs angrily as she fought against William's grip.
My anxiety instantly faded as everyone's attention was diverted to the tiny blonde kicking and swearing at Sebastian Georges and his friends. I picked sludge out of my hair, releasing a breath of relief.
"Let me go!" Riley screeched, flipping her ponytail in William's face. "He's asking for it!"
William chuckled. "Not for the sake of that poor boy's safety."
My gaze turned back to the field where Sebastian laughed at Riley's anger, his friends elbowing him and slapping his back as they joined his laughter. I rolled my eyes, turning back to the sludge covering my collarbones and shirt. With a sigh, I continued to wipe it off with napkins, praying the brown wouldn't stain.
At least no one was staring at me anymore. That was a perk of being a wallflower â you blended into the background. Nobody paid attention to me for longer than a minute. And that was how I preferred it.
"Hey!"
My eyes wandered towards Sebastian's voice as he stood at the edge of the oval pointing towards us.
"Pass me the ball, wouldya?"
I sighed, standing from my seat and taking a step back. Swinging my foot, I kicked as hard as I could... only for the ball to go in the complete opposite direction, coming to a stop behind the old school building.
Great job, Aspen. Embarrass yourself in front of the whole school.
My cheeks began to flame as I turned and began to jog towards the ball, the laughter of Sebastian and his friends echoing from behind me. As I reached the building, I heard Riley's voice snap at Sebastian, stopping the laughter immediately and causing me to smile.
I had to fight the rising nausea and the urge to run away and hide forever, feeling everyone's eyes on my back. I just wanted to get this over with and then never speak to any of Sebastian George's friends again.
Slowing my pace, the ball came into view. But I wasn't alone here.
My head turned as my eyes caught the sight of Isaac Hensick leaning against the wall, his eyes closed as his head leaned back, a lit cigarette held to his lips.
Beside him, a couple metres away, sat Arthur Andrews and a girl with black hair named Chloe Pepper. The pair leaned against the old brick wall, laughing and joking as Arthur traced patterns on her thigh.
The soccer ball sat just inches away from Isaac.
Taking in a deep breath, I began to walk towards the ball. My shoes crunched against the gravel, causing all three people to turn and face me.
My heart raced as Arthur moved to stand, an angry look on his face. "Who the fuck told you you could come here?"
My eyes widened.
"I â the ball â"
"I did," Isaac interrupted smoothly, stepping away from the wall and facing his friend. "Is that a problem?"
Arthur swallowed, his eyes shifting to the floor. "No. No, sorry about that."
He turned away slowly, taking his seat and talking to Chloe in hushed whispers, sneaking looks at me every few seconds. I let out a shuddering breath, my heart racing at the thought of what they might be saying about me. I swallowed hard, clenching my fists and willing myself to calm down.
"Looking for this?"
When I turned back to Isaac, he had the soccer ball under his arm. He smirked, taking a slow drag from his cigarette. I nodded, my tongue suddenly feeling incredibly thick in my mouth.
He threw the ball to me and I held my hands out to catch it, only to miss it and let it hit me directly in the face, the ball sliding off and rolling back to Isaac's feet.
My cheeks turned red as I staggered back, not only from the impact but from embarrassment as Isaac let out an incredibly loud laugh. How many more times was this damn soccer ball going to hit me in the face today?
"Smooth," Isaac joked as he picked up the ball once more.
I blushed further at this, letting out a sigh. "Sorry."
"What for?" Isaac smiled. "Being so cute?"
My eyes widened. Did he just call me cute? My heart practically stopped as my breathing picked up the pace. I squeezed my fists tighter. Oh god, he had to go there.
"Sorry, too far?" Isaac asked.
I nodded furiously, avoiding eye contact with him. He laughed in response, striding towards me and handing the ball to me. I blushed and took it from his hands hurriedly, my fingers barely brushing his hand in the process.
I began to take steps back; the sound of Sebastian's complaining already beginning to sound from the oval. Isaac took another puff, letting a cloud of smoke roll over his lips and down his chin. His eyes casually scanned my body up and down.
"I knew I recognised you," he said with a grin. "I hear your voice at, uh, Café de Fleur every morning."
I stared at him quietly, not knowing how to respond, as he paused for another drag.
"Soy latte, no sugar and two biscotti." He grinned wildly, proud of the fact he managed to pinpoint where he recognised me from and for remembering my regular order. What an idiot. A cute idiot, but still an idiot.
I stood in silence, practicing comebacks in my head, unable to think of a witty response, before he spoke again, obviously sensing my mental dilemma.
"So, what happened to you?" His eyes roamed over my body and I could feel my ears turning red under his eye.
"Excuse me?"
He stepped forward, a hand reaching to my face, causing me to flinch away. He scoffed at me, moving his hand back towards my face and running through my hair. My mind raced, how does one even react to this?
He stepped back with a smirk, presenting a chunk of beef between his fingers. I had never felt more embarrassed in my life.
"IÂ â It â Sebastian kicked the ball, and I, you know, it's like beef stroganoff, and I was just sitting there! And Riley... I mean, you know, it hit me and..."
Isaac's deep laugh interrupted me, ringing through my heart.
"Hey, you don't need to explain," his eyes continued to scan my face, a smirk ever-present on his face, his dimples drilling holes into his cheeks. "It really brings out your eyes."
I let out an embarrassing snort at his lame joke, before curling inwards on myself, his eyes not moving from my face. I could just melt under his gaze.
Quiet murmuring caught my attention, and my eyes trailed over to Arthur. His face was riddled with confusion, his brows furrowed as Chloe whispered into his ear, her eyes trained on us.
"I think your friends are waiting for you over there," I spoke, breaking the short silence between us.
Isaac turned, making eye contact with Arthur who raised his eyebrows questioningly. He turned back to me, but not before I had already made my way halfway back to the oval, the ball in my hands.
I glanced back, Isaac's eyes watching me as I rounded the corner, when he suddenly yelled out at me through a boyish smile.
"See ya, Aspirin!"
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a u t h o r ' s n o t e
I cringed so bad writing this chapter lmao reliving all my embarrassing high school memories. I hope y'all can relate cause Aspen is basically me.