I turned my body slowly because I didn’t want to believe that he was standing behind me. I was cringing slightly until I plastered an impassive expression on my face when I was finally facing Tony.

“I knew it was you.” He smiled.

“Yeah.” I said since there really was nothing I could say to that.

“You look—you look nice.” Tony complimented.

I was hesitant with my next choice of words because I didn’t want to sound like a complete asshole. “Thanks.” I said blandly.

Tony rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous tick that he does, or at least that I’ve noticed these past few days. “I mean, you look nice every day, but you’re wearing makeup…” He stammered.

An involuntary smile slipped on my face as I saw him trip over his words. “Did you follow me or something?” I asked.

“No, I was on my way to work and saw you.” Tony shrugged.

I nodded. “Okay.” I then turned back around to move up in the line which was slowly dwindling down.

“Are you still mad at me?” Tony asked in a small voice.

I looked at him with knitted brows. The rumors that I’ve overheard through my years at Clairemont High didn’t match compared to the boy I was currently looking at. The Tony Perry I heard about wasn’t necessarily a sincere guy who resembled a little boy when he spoke softly. No, instead I expected sarcasm and misogynistic jokes to spew from his plump lips. I expected sexist jokes and cheesy comments directed at girls. However, none of the above was what I was witnessing just now.

I sighed. “I’m not mad. I’m just naturally unpleasant.”

Tony looked confused. “But yesterday you sounded upset.”

“That was because some bimbo assumed that I hooked up with you at Austin’s party. I’ve never had rumors directed at me like that, so yeah I was justifiably upset, and I don’t like lies and I don’t like liars.” I answered.

Tony smiled this time, showing off his pearly whites. “Does this mean we’re cool?”

He looked hopeful. “I guess.” I shrugged.

The line had finally shortened enough that I was the next to order. “I’ll take a large coffee with an extra shot of expresso and two pumps of white mocha and a medium mocha frappucino with extra whip cream.” Unlike Starbucks, this place didn’t use fancy names for their sizes.

“Charlie’s regular?” The tiny blonde girl asked me.

“Yeah.” I answered while giving her the money. “You can keep the change.” I added with a small smile.

I waited to the side as I heard the blending machine whir in the background. Tony ordered before standing next to me with a disappointed look on his face.

“Is Charlie your boyfriend?” He asked.

I laughed while deciding in that moment to mess with him. “No, she’s my girlfriend.”

He stared at me in disbelief for a few moments. “You’re a lesbian?” He asked with astonishment in his features.

I guffawed before saying “I’m kidding. Charlie is my manager.”

A smile spread across Tony’s face like butter on a hot biscuit. “Where do you work?”

I shook my head. “I’m not a sharer.”

Tony sighed. “No, but you are a difficult person to get to know.”

My order was called and I grabbed from the attractive guy who handed it to me. “It’s all a part of my charm.” I smiled widely before walking out.

---

My lunch hour came around slowly as there were only a total of five sales for the day. I didn’t mind it though since during our time of not helping customers or stocking the place, Charlie and I kept our noses in our textbooks while have stimulating conversations about Women’s Suffrage—Charlie’s a hardcore feminist.

Since I had Calculus, Physics, and World History to study for, I ended up walking to the library just down the block from the shop. It had a small café in it that offered lunch sandwiches so I was in luck. Ordering myself a turkey sandwich and a bottled passion fruit juice, I snagged myself a small table in the corner of the café before opening my World History text book to our last lesson we discussed in class. I took small bites of my sandwich, chewing slowly as I scanned my textbook for important dates of the Roman Empire’s expansion and who led this to happen.

“This time I did follow you in here.” Tony announced while standing in front of me.

I nearly choked on my food. “Are you kidding me? Do you just pop up everywhere?” I exclaimed while holding back the volume of my voice so I wouldn’t attract attention.

“I saw you walking down the street and figured I could pick your brain.” Tony shrugged while sliding in the chair across of me.

I shook my head. “No, I have to study.”

“I won’t bother you then. I’m on my lunch break and didn’t want to eat alone.” He replied.

“Well I won’t be much company since I will be studying, which to be frank would probably feel like you’re eating alone.” I explained before taking another bite of my sandwich.

Tony smiled. “I love your honesty.”

I sighed and continued to read the chapter. I took out my notebook and clicked open my pen, scribbling down the important details of my reading.

“What are you reading?” He asked.

“World History.” I replied blandly.

“Mrs. Calvers class?” He asked.

“No, Mr. Wilkins.”

“That’s AP, right?”

“Tony, I’m studying.” I reminded him because clearly he didn’t take the obvious hint that I wasn’t gonna be sociable—not that I ever am.

“Are you always this serious about everything?”

“Are you always this inquisitive?”

Tony smirked. “Do you always answer a question with a question?”

“Do you?” I challenged; not glancing from my reading.

“I’m just trying to get to know you.” He shrugged.

“And I’m trying to study, but it seems that none of us are getting our way.” I snapped.

Tony laughed as I too found myself letting out a small chuckle. “I started reading that book.” He said.

Looking up with a blank expression, I said “What book?”

“The Looking Glass. It’s pretty great.” He answered with a triumphant smile on his face since I was participating in this conversation.

I stopped what I was doing and looked at Tony. “You’re actually reading the work of Hubert Finnegan?”

I was speechless because that’s my favorite book in the entire world. A story of star-crossed lovers; one facing the pale face of Cancer while the other faces the pressure of society to follow his father’s heavy footsteps that blaze along the path of politics. Harper is the girl who comes from an artsy background while James walks the straight and narrow; however, the two couldn’t deny the tension which formed their relationship. The ill-fated tragedy made a believer out of me; a believer that maybe ‘love’ was more than a four letter word. However, I could never see myself as some whisked away, love struck teenager. I was much too cynical for that.

“You make it sound like I’m some idiot who can’t read.” Tony said defensively.

I shrugged. “Hubert Finnegan is someone who doesn’t write pretty good books. That man’s a genius.” I said vividly.

“Wow, I think this is the most enthusiastic I’ve ever seen from you.” Tony commented.

“That’s because we’re talking about something that’s actually interesting.” I remarked.

Tony smiled. “Well if I might be the ‘sharer’ you know me to be, then I’ll say that so far the story sounds sad.”

“But that’s what makes the story so perfect.” I pointed out.

“Really? The cancer kid bit is perfect to you?” He pressed.

“No.” I answered bluntly. “The fact that Harper accepts her fate and that James chooses one for him and not because he’s been told to—that’s what makes it beautiful.”

Tony sat with a thoughtful expression on his face. “You are something else.” He smiled at me.

I rolled my eyes. “I am slacking because half of my lunch was spent talking to you.”

“Fine, I can take a hint. I’ll be quiet.” He said while pantomiming the motion of zipping his lips.

Yeah, sure. I thought to myself but kept quiet as I returned back to my textbooks.

Notes

Your comments made me eager to post this chapter.

Let me know what you think! :D

Thnx for reading <3