Watched

Chapter 2

Huffing and puffing, I pushed open the door to the Shack with exactly five minutes to spare. 

 Just made it! I thought to myself.

 Looking around I saw that the place was rather empty, with only one or two couples occupying the otherwise vacant seating areas. The coffee shop for the most part looked like any other, with its sleepy atmosphere and cozy feel, even though the service counter was a screaming neon-green and stood out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the shop. At first glance it just looks odd but after a while I have come to appreciate the juxtaposition it creates with the rest of the space, and plus I like green. As I made my way to the counter I was greeted by Madison, I took in her appearance her long chestnut hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. As she smiled at me I caught a glimpse of her slight gape.

“Hey Ari,” she said in a chilled tone.

“Hey,” I replied mirroring her tone and smile.

“I'm not late am I?” I asked raising an eyebrow at her while simultaneously slipping of my sling bag and replacing it with the black and green employee aprons of the Shack.

“Erm not really but you know how Joe is, if you’re not fifteen minutes early that means you're late,” she said doing a good impression of him at which point he decided to walk through the double doors of the store room. Madison and I both let out a giggle. Joe -who was somewhere in his early twenties with a tall lean frame and a charming smile- strolled up to us.

“Well, look who finally decided to drag her tragic as in here,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. Joe was the owner’s oldest son and as such he took a gap year after high school to help he’s dad manage the shop.

I rolled my eyes at him before I decided to play along.

“Hey we both know the only thing that’s not tragic about me is my ass,” I said in a playful tone. This was my favorite line from the sitcom two broke girls.  

“True that!” Madison added, and we high fived each other. All three of us let out a chuckle; Joe exchanged a few more words with us before retreating back into the store room as soon as he left the bell that hung on the door chimed as new customers entered the café. With one look at Madison and a sigh, I grabbed a few menus and made my way towards the customers.

Ah, this shift has officially just started. 

                                                      ****

Exactly Three hours and fifteen minutes later, my shift was coming to an end and I was given the task of wiping down the tables and counter. As I busied myself with the last table I heard the chiming of the bells and instinctively turned my head towards the door. Low and behold it was Randy and his crew, carrying with them a whole array of instruments and sound tech equipment. Quickly my eyes scanned the group of boys dressed in black from head to toe. Some faces I recognized and some I didn’t but my eyes came to an abrupt stop when they landed on an all too familiar face. Jordan Blake!? In Randy’s Band! It took me a couple of seconds to register this information. Then turning to steal a glance at him again I found his eyes were on me. I felt a blush creep up on me when I realized Randy and his crew was making their way towards me. Oh my god! What does he think he's doing! Oh no, no, no, no he's coming to say hi with Jordan! Ok, ok Aria don’t lose you're cool. Stay calm, just breath it’s just a boy, Right? My thoughts were cut off by the sound of Randy’s voice.

“Nobel,” he said flashing me a grin.

Composing myself I tried to seem cool and easy going. “Hey Randy what’s up?” I asked, feeling a bit of my anxiety start to dissipate at his presence.