Coffee Shop Bombs
Grace wound her way through the mass of teeming Uni students, all trying to get their late morning fix. She easily spotted the noticeably black hair of her best friend in the world of blondes and brunettes at the back of the ANU coffee shop and used her petite figure to slip through easily and make her way over.
Her long chestnut curls bounced as she plonked herself down onto her chair and unceremoniously dumped her loaded Mimco bag, an extremely generous gift from her parents and younger brother for her eighteenth birthday, next to her feet.
“I just had the worst lecturer, he had the worst Asian accent ever, couldn’t understand a word he said and then this obnoxious guy put his rank feet up on my armrest. I kid you not, they smelt worse than my flats after being walked in by my sweaty feet all day,” Grace told Clara after grabbing a spoonful of her friend’s caramel tart and popping it in her mouth.
“Hey!” Clara exclaimed before snatching the spoon back. “My tart,” she said possessively. “And you know that you are talking to an Asian right?”
“You know for a moment there I would have mistaken you for an Englishwoman with your black hair, tan skin and dark brown eyes,” Grace retorted, her dark blue eyes twinkling.
“You know just for your sarcasm, I’m not going to tell you about the news I had,” Clara said, her mouth twitching. She knew that Grace would fall for her bait. She’d be hooked and caught anytime now.
“No! You know I’m kidding,” Grace said. “Please tell me Clar,” she continued. She lifted her blue eyes to her friends amused ones and pouted.
“I let you get away with so much,” she sighed mockingly. “You take such pleasure in vexing me Grace Dalton.”
“Stop trying to quote Pride and Prejudice and just tell me!” Grace laughed at her friend.
“Okay. Guess who decided to ditch Sydney and transfer to the University of Canberra because he got the Brumbies Rugby scholarship and because you know so many rugby players I’ll give you another clue… He’s also known as the best friend of my boyfriend and the only guy that you’ve ever cried about,” Clara said. She tipped her head slightly to the right, assessing her best friend’s reaction.
“Leo?” Grace said, her forehead crinkling in confusion after a stretch of silence. “Leo?” she repeated, making sure that she heard right. “Why is he back?”
“His mother missed him too much,” Clara grinned. “I saw him at Nate’s place yesterday night, he apparently needed some space from her,” she laughed. Her face turned serious and she said softly, “He asked about you Grace. I think that he wants to see you again.” Clara watched as her friend took in the news. She looked like a little girl who lost her mum for the first time at the supermarket, lost, confused and scared.
“Look thanks for telling me Clara. I need to get to the hospital now. I’ll see you later,” Grace said, standing up and hauling her bag back onto her shoulder.
“Are you going to come out with the group tonight? They’ve been really worried ever since you know, you…” Clara trailed off. She had stood up as well and crossed to her friend’s side.
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me, I’m a big girl. I’ll text you about tonight okay?” Grace promised her friend, reaching out and enclosing her friend in a tight hug. She then turned and walked out of the still busy café, out into the autumn day that still clung onto the last vestiges of summer.
Clara watched her friend’s retreating form, noticing the considerable difference between Grace’s countenances as she walked in and as she walked out.
CITEȘTI
Now You're Back
Ficțiune adolescențiExtract: She was not surprised by what she saw. In the course of two years, his status had changed from are you a fruit, because Honeydew you know how fine you look right now to babe, your beauty makes the morning sun look like the dull glimmer of t...
