Date and hugs

Louis Partridge as Mark Reed. Also, I changed story a bit in Carter's POV in the first chapter.

Enjoy♥️

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I waited for him to notice me but his eyes were focused on Becca. He ducked down and she said something in his ears. He laughed and looked at the shop owner, that will be me. His smile immediately faded and he stared at me for about two seconds before shifting his attention back to Becca. I knew her. She is a sweet shy type girl but not really who I would picture with Carter. But still, people have a way of surprising others in different ways. I can't judge someone, that would be wrong.

Shrugging my thoughts, I smiled widely at them.

"Hey Olivia! I didn't know you work here!" Becca said. I sensed a bit of judgement from her side but I shrugged it off.

"Work and own." I said and bowed. I saw Carter smiling at me, his eyes filled with respect. Our eyes met and we stared at each other longer than we should have. I felt myself drowning in his eyes and his smile was more beautiful than I was comfortable admitting. We heard Becca clear her throat and we both shifted our attention to look at her. She signalled him to sit on one of the seats and he followed her.

"Hello, what would you guys like to have?" I asked them politely keeping my notepad with me.

"What do you suggest?" Carter said winking at me and I rolled my eyes. Typical guy; Has a date right in front of him and still flirting with me.

"So since I own the shop, I also cook here. I experiment a lot so you might not have heard of a lot of things I make. I suggest Cheese Chocolate Sandwich, Death by Chocolate Pancake and today's special that I made last night, Caramel Green Apple Vodka if you wanna get drunk but in a classier way." I finished and chuckled. Through this whole time Carter kept glancing in my direction and Becca nodded and smiled at whatever I said. I clutched the notepad in my hands and waited for them to process whatever I said.

"Okay. It's weekday, so I won't be drinking but I would like to try Death by Chocolate Pancake. And you Carter?" She asked and we both looked at him. This whole time I was concentrating on Becca but when I looked at him, he quickly diverted his attention from me and buried his face in the menu. I noticed his ears changing into a faint shade of red probably cause he got caught staring at me. I chuckled lightly and his face got even redder.

"Yeah, uh I would like to have a chocolate sandwich but less chocolate and more cheese." He said and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't like too much chocolate." He replied reading my mind. I noted their order and smiled at him.

"Understandable. Your order will be right out." I said and went back to the kitchen. It's a small and cozy shop so people sitting in their seats can basically see how and what I am cooking. It also gives my shop a different vibe. I was done with chocolate sandwich first so while the pancakes were cooking, I went out to serve them. I added extra mozzarella and cheddar cheese so I am hoping he will like it. By the time I served the death by chocolate pancake, Carter was already half done with his Sandwich.

I didn't realize there was a guy sitting on the side waiting for his menu. I quickly grabbed one from the counter and walked up to him. When I saw the familiar face, I smirked at him.

"Hey Mark! How is the jaw?" I asked him. He opened his mouth thinking about a comeback but nothing came out. Boy, someone people just don't have it in them, I thought to myself. He kept opening and closing his mouth as if trying to form his first sentence like a baby.

"Did you just learn how to talk?" I asked and I heard Carter's chuckle from behind me. Mark closed his mouth and took a deep breath to relax himself.

"I will take my usual, thank you." Mark said giving me back the menu.

"Sure." I said and went back to the kitchen. I made his cheese corn toast and chocolate shake. I thought about the time when Mark first came to this cafe. I was so excited to show him. He knew I owned this place. He had these crazy ideas about new recipes and we cooked together almost everyday. I liked him but ever since he started hanging out with those football jerks, he has been a real pain in the ass. One thing that didn't change is the fact that he still likes my cooking. He completes all of his assignments and projects here while drinking coffee or shakes. He even hangs out here for a while just talking with people on his phone. I think he likes it here better than his home.

When I was done, I went back to serve Mark. I turned around to get the bill for Carter and Becca when I felt Mark grasping my wrist. I turned around and raised my eyebrows in question. He immediately let go of wrist and scratched the back of his neck; I remember he does that when he is nervous.

"Hey Liv, can we talk??" He asked. I pondered about his suggestion. I have known him for a very long time. We have been friends since we were in seventh grade, I think and we were almost always together. We were inseparable. That is until he got selected in the football team and became their captain. After that, his personality changed to a whole new level, or maybe he was just trying to blend in with them. I honestly don't care. Still, I don't see any harm in talking to him. I don't have any customers coming this way either.

"Sure. Wait in the kitchen, I will be there in a moment." I said and grabbed the bill for the couple. He had a frown plastered on his face, God knows what happened to him in such a short while. Maybe Becca said something, I thought. He grumpily handed me the money for their food and practically dragged Becca out. His mood swings change faster than mine and on my periods, I cry at a diaper commercial.

I went back in the kitchen and saw Mark looking at his surrounding, particularly at the list I had stuck to the fridge that has the list of all the new recipes I plan on experimenting with. I cleaned my throat and his head whipped to look at me.

"So, you wanted to talk to me?" I said dragging the 'so'.

"Yeah um... Liv, I will get straight to the point. I am very very sorry about the way I acted these past few months. I have no good reason for my behaviour, just that I wanted to fit in with the football jocks. But still it's just an excuse. You have been my friend since we were in like 7th standard. You have always looked out for me and I have just been a douché to you. I paid for my behaviour towards you.." he said massaging his jaw and I smirked, "but still I have been a bad guy to others as well. I hated being that and today, when you stood up to me, I felt like a real jerk. I am so sorry and I was sort of hoping if we could start being friends again." He finished and I sighed. He looked at me, waiting anxiously for me to say something. Ever since we have been friends, we have took care of each other. I taught him how to cook and ride a bike. He taught me to fight. We went to jogs together and shared music with each other. My friends have always been busy with their family stuff and I can't blame them. They have their own shit to deal with, I can't expect them to be with me all the time but Mark was always there. Maybe because we both were practically alone. My mom and his parents had to work a lot so we were almost always together.

"It's fine Mark. It hurts but it's fine. I get it. But don't do it again. Don't change your personality just to fit in. Feel proud to stand out. You are their captain even if they don't like you cause you are their best player and if they want to win, they have to listen to you. You don't have to hang out with them, you have me." I said and he smiled widely at me.

"I have you?" He said like a small boy.

"You have me." I smiled and hugged him. He hugged me back.

"Okay so now that everything is back to normal, have you been working out cause I think you dislocated my jaw." He said and we laughed together. We kept talking about silly stuff and he helped me with other customers. I missed hanging out with him. This felt good and familiar and comfortable. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss Mark.

After we were done, I cleaned everything up and closed the shop. When I came in front of my house, I saw my mom's car already in the drive way.

"I am home." I announced when I walked in my house.

"Oh welcome home honey. How was school and work?"

"Uh nothing new really. I punched Mark, I got detention for a week, you need to sign the slip by the way, I flirted with this new guy Carter and Mark apologized to me in the café for being a jerk for the past couple of months." I finished. She creepily smiled at me; the smile that said I need more details.

"Why did you punch Mark?" She asked

"He was bullying this kid because the kid didn't do his homework. I got irritated and punched him. Hence, the detention."

"Who is this new guy?"

"Carter Grayson. He is a year senior and he just came in school. He is friends with Noah and oh, he was on a date with this girl Becca. They came to my café for dessert I am guessing. They looked cute together."

"Do you like Carter?"

"He is fine I guess. He was easy to talk to in school but he had a mood swing when he came to café. I think he is on his period. He became grumpy for no reason." I said and she laughed with me.

"Boy, that was an eventful day." She said.

"Yeah I know. Anyway, what's for dinner?" I asked.

"Oh honey, I had to work late so I ordered Pizza."

"Perfecto. I am gonna go get changed." I said and she nodded.

I quickly took a shower and changed into boxer shorts and a loose t-shirt. When I came down, mom was already taking out pizza slices for us. While we were eating, a thought popped in my head.

"Mom, do you think Taylor is the one for me?"

"Oh thank god finally! Not at all." She said shaking her head while eating like I have asked the easiest question of all time. Like I just asked what is 2+2.

"What!? Why!?"

"Cause honey he is sweet and simple kind of guy and no offence but you are literally opposite of that. I never thought you guys should be together in the first place. But he is respects you and treats you right and you didn't ask for my opinion so I didn't say anything." She said and shrugged. I stared at her for a while then kept eating while thinking. Okay, so my mom and my friends think that Taylor is not the one for me and even my deep subconscious knows that.

"So you think I should be with him?"

"Oh god no. But I think you are asking me this not to confirm my opinions but yours." She said and stood up to get coke from the fridge.

"I don't understand." I said. She poured me a glass and looked at me.

"Liv, I feel that you already know that he is not the one for you but you just can't bring yourself to break it off with him. You are stretching this relationship for some reason, maybe you are afraid to break it off with him, maybe you don't want to hurt his feelings, maybe you think you can make it work or maybe you just afraid to be alone." She said and took a sip of her coke like she just made a list of groceries and not my deepest flaws.

"So what should I do?" I asked her. She obviously knows more about me than I do.

"Oh honey, I can't make that decision for you. It's your life and you have to figure it out." She said. We ate in silence and I helped her wash the dishes. When I was walking up to my room, I called her.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I will go to meet Taylor this weekend." I said.

"Good to know." She said. I can hear her smiling if that's even possible.

I texted Taylor that I will be coming on Saturday. He texted back with three heart emojis. Oh god! I really don't wanna do this to him, I thought.

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Soooooo, what do you guys think? Lemme know!!!!