Jo
I'M PLEASANTLY SURPRISED to see Amanda lurking around my locker as soon as I get into the crowded hallway. She's dressed in high boots and a small, green, pretty dressâthe kind Eloise usually wearsâ and her braids are high up in a knot in the middle of her head with two framing the sides of her face. She's leaning against my locker with a styrofoam cup in one hand while the other hand is texting on her phone.
"Hey," I say as soon as I get to my locker. She smiles and leans away so I can type in my combination. "Did Mrs Lenderman say something?" I ask while I force my locker open.
"Nope," she shakes her head as I pull some books out and run a chapstick over my lips in front of the small mirror I plastered to the locker at the beginning of the semester.
When I close the locker, she's handing the cup over to me. "I sort of collided with Flynn this morning and he told me to give this to you since we have our first class together. He was rushing somewhere, I think."
"Oh," I mumble as I take the cup from her. My brows furrow as I turn the cup around and stare at the cursive, 'Sprouts' written in the middle. He turned in his essay at exactly 6:02 a.m this morning so I certainly wasn't expecting a drink first thing today.
"It's from Sprouts, the new cafe? I had one this morning and I didn't want to leave." Amanda gushes and I take a sip immediately. "Mm," A soft groan leaves my throat immediately I taste it. The flavor explodes on my tongue and I look back at it like it's more than coffee. It tastes like heaven.
"Good, right?" She laughs and I nod frantically. I can't imagine how much loss Beans only will go through if half of the school finds out about this goodness in a cup.
"Oh," she says like she forgot something. "He also told me to tell you to peel the paper."
My brows furrow as I peel the paper that has Sprouts written on it and I'm confused at first until I turn it over and read the little, congested words written on it.
Fun fact: Pryce farts in her sleep.
"Are you okay?" I hear Amanda as I crumple the paper and toss it into the nearest trashcan.
"Sure." I squeak without looking at her.
"You're red."
"I think I might be having a fever." Or heartburn. Or maybe even an onslaught of embarrassment disguised as heat in my cheeks.
"Huh," Amanda says like she doesn't believe me. She tucks in her lips together and tries to hide her smile.
I give her a guarded look. "What?"
She returns it with an innocent look. "Oh, nothing," she tells me as we slowly walk to class together. "Ah yes, Cass's party's this weekend Jo. You promised."
I turn to her with a frown. "Not exactâ"
"Jo," she groans and I take another refreshing gulp of coffee before meeting her pleading eyes again.
"I'm kidding. I'm going to be there."
"Yes!" She squeals excitedly and dips her hand into her bag before bringing out a card.
"Here," she shoves it in my face with a smile. "Cass has a thing with invitation cards and gate-crashers so you'll need this to come in."
I take the card from her hand and shrug. "Okay."
I lazily scan the words on the card and turn it over. It's decorated with pictures of pumpkins that have evil grins carved into their faces with a bunch of cobwebs here and there to bring out the spooky Halloween vibe.
"You're spookilyâ" I roll my eyes, "âinvited to Cass's 18th birthday bash/Halloween party. Lakeville hills, Off Main-Street. 8pm till dawn. Dress to Kill," I turn to Amanda. "Corny but cool."
She laughs as I safely place it inside my bag and throws an arm around my shoulder as soon as the first bell rings. "We're going to have so much fun."
I vaguely hum while I finish up the coffee and toss the cup into the trashcan, internally wishing there was still some left. The last time I went to a party was the night Craig dumped me and it wasn't exactly a memorable experience. I briefly close my eyes to rid myself of every anxiety that may have begun to seep into my bones at the thought of being at a party again. This should go well. It doesn't matter if Flynn wants to impress a girl or not, I can still have fun. I should still have fun. And that's exactly what I'm planning to do.
â
WITH A TRAY of cupcakes in hand, I nudge the door to the bookstore open with my hip and my brows raise in confusion when I take note of the unusual number of people crowding the bookshelves.
Eloise waves me over with a silly grin on her face. "Hey, you're here."
"Yeah," I mumble while dropping the tray on the counter in front of her. "Sorry, I'm late. My mum wouldn't let me leave without taking these with me asâin her wordsâa little something for Halloween."
Eloise glances down at the pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and takes one with glee in her eyes. "Have I ever told you your mum's a Godsend?"
"Nope," I look around the men and women bustling around the shelves and the teens trying to hurry Otis up around the printer. He scowls as he responds to them and rolls his eyes at whatever one of the blonde guys is currently telling him.
"I've told him, if he keeps up with that act, he'll chase all the customers away," Eloise complains as she dusts the crumbs of cake away from her fingers and throws the wrap away.
"Yeah, by the way, what's going on? It's not usually this crowded."
"It's Spooky season and you know how this town is. They're only ever out during holidays or something. With Halloween tomorrow, there's usually a sales today so everyone's trying to get as much books at the lowest possible price they can never get on a regular day," she explains and picks up another cake.
I nod and watch Otis stomp over to us. He forces his beanie further down his head until it almost reaches his eyes and then without warning, he takes a large bite from one of the cakes on the tray.
"I'm one second away from loosing my shit with those three," And then he pauses and glances at me with a smile. "Hey, these are really good. You made them?"
"No," I shake my head and divert my attention from the customer who walks out of the store with a jingle from the door. "My mum did. Almost every inch of our house is covered in faux webs and spiders. My dog can't sleep at night anymore."
"Damn," Otis laughs while Eloise briefly attends to an unhappy lady. "And I thought my mum was gone."
I smile at him. "Yours and mine seem like they'll be very good friends."
"Um, hello?" The blonde guy from earlier speaks with the most annoyed look on his face and thumps his hand on the printer. "It's not working."
Otis groans and Eloise shoos him away before he reluctantly leaves with a scowl.
"Flynn looks like he's having the time of his life," Eloise notes as she leans forward on the counter and takes another cake.
"I thought he didn't come here often," I tell her feeling ridiculously annoyed.
She shrugs. "Change of heart, maybe? He's over there."
I look towards the direction she's pointing at and tie my hair into a ponytail. A group of girls that don't look a day older than fourteen are crowded around a guy who's a full head and neck taller than them. He's wearing a white Tee this time coupled up with gray sweatpants and crocs. If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was someone else especially with that pumpkin head costume he has over his head.
Still I turn around and ask, "The one with the pumpkin head?"
"Oh yeah," Eloise laughs. "Talia makes us dress up during festive seasons and it's his turn this year."
Said guy walks towards us with a throng of girls swooning as they get to the register. Flynn takes off the pumpkin from his head and shakes his head immediately. Some strands of his hair are wet and a bead of sweat rolls down his neck and disappears under his shirt. "I'm never doing this again," he tells Eloise with a glare. "I quit. Do you know how hot it is inside this thing?"
"Looked like you were enjoying it," I tell him with a raised brow and he rests his elbows on the counter causing the sleeves of his shirt to tighten around his biceps. He turns his head to look at me and I return his stare with one of my own.
"I got your coffee."
"Meaning you also got my message."
"No," I lie and blink. "I have no idea of what you're talking about."
He raises his brows as he runs a hand through his dark hair. His voice goes two decibels lower. "Yeah?"
"Positive."
His expression gives nothing away as his gaze sweeps over me for a beat and then he snatches one of the cakes from the tray and returns his attention to Eloise without saying another word. I suddenly feel conscious of myself from those intense green eyes and I narrow mine at him. What was that all about?
"Hey, at least we made good cash," she grins as she places the notes in the register. "Plus one of them left her number. You might want to call her soon." She teases and laughs while Flynn shoots her a glare.
"Well," I say. "I'm heading in. Call me if you need me."
Eloise winks but just as I'm about to turn around, the door opens with a swoosh and a jingle and then Daniel Corrigan steps in. The dreamy head writer and school paper president. He's wearing a red and brown patterned sweater with light brown pants and what seems to be an expensive pair of moccasins.
"Welp," I resign immediately and turn around with the intention of heading into the inventory office so I don't stutter or become a puddle of emotions. It's a different thing admiring him from afar and then seeing him this close.
A hand wraps around my ponytail and with a gentle, yet firm grip, Flynn steers my head and body towards his direction. I don't get the chance to swear at him because he's already hollering, "Yo, David. Over here."
Daniel turns around and rakes a hand through his dirty blonde hair before rolling his eyes and walking over to us like he's on a runway.
"It's Daniel," I scowl at Flynn but Daniel answers for him as soon as he approaches us.
"He knows. He's just being an ass as usual." Then he turns his smoldering gaze to me. "Hi," he gives me a toothed-grin. "I don't think I've seen you around before."
Flynn gives my head a little shove and I blink into focus. "Oh yeah. I mean no, probably not."
"Oh, this should be interesting," Eloise murmurs without an intent to be discreet and Flynn snorts behind me.
"I'm Josephine. You can call me Jo. All of my non-existent friends call me that."
"Huh," Daniel smiles as he regards me. He brushes his hand over his jaw and raises his brows in what seems like an approval. "I like you already."
My face heats up and Flynn destroys it by making a retching sound from his throat.
"Barf," he audibly says and Daniel rolls his eyes while Eloise hits him on the shoulder with laughter in her eyes.
"Anyway," Flynn starts and I fear he'll ruin it until he says, "So remember what we were talking about last week?" He asks me.
"What were we talking about?" I grit with a pointed look.
"You know? Like your writing and all? You told me you liked to read and write. You know? Basic elementary stuff?"
"You do?" Daniel asks immediately, a tone of intrigue masking his words.
I turn to Flynn, feeling embarrassed and alarmed all at the same time but he ignores me and munches on a cake with Eloise. I turn back to him with a strained smile. "Yeah, I guess. Something like that."
"Huh," he says thoughtfully and then dazzles me with his mega-watt smile again. "It's so nice to meet someone else who shares the same interests as I do. Thanks for telling me to stop by." He nods at Flynn.
I'm sure he's just saying this to make me feel good about myself because I am 100% sure, he comes across a bunch of people who like to write and read especially with the loads of articles that grace the newspaper from various students. But then, what he just said makes me turn back to Flynn with widened eyes.
"You told him to come because I like to write?"
"Actually," Daniel cuts in. "He told me there was a sales or something at this store? But I'm glad I met you."
"Wow, okay," I blush and fold my arms across my chest. "Thanks." I clear my throat and unfold my arms. "Would you like me to show you around and stuff?"
"Sure," he bedazzles me with another smile that makes me weak in the knees and walks ahead. Discreetly, I turn around and give Flynn the finger and then a thumbs up. He rolls his eyes and bites his smile into the last cake on the tray.