Second Chance

One: An Unexpected Customer

This is my first (and probably last) attempt at teen fic/romance so feedback is really welcome. Also, this story is going to be a bit more realistic and unpredictable.

©2012 The_Black_Butterfly 

All rights reserved

One: An Unexpected Customer

Clink.

A wave of warm air hit her abruptly, replacing the icy December wind. The scrumptious aroma of cinnamon and coffee blended perfectly together, wafting out of the small and cozy coffee shop. She smiled softly to herself. Her eyes gradually adjusted to the dimmer lightings within the shop as she stepped inside, and she made her way to the counter. Her heels clicked softly against the tiles, causing the brunette to look up from behind the counter.

“Welcome to – Oh! Ciara!”

“Ciara?” another brunette asked, popping her head around the coffee machine with a grin. “You’re early.”

“Hey, Mona. Yes, Avril, I am, by three minutes. ”

Avril chuckled, and Ciara grinned. Humming to herself, she went around to the backroom. She pulled her shirt over her head and put on the black uniform. Seconds later, she was out, her blonde hair in a neat ponytail.

“You’re never early. You can’t blame me for being surprised.”

“Avril, you’re the one who’s never early,” she shot back.

“Shush, wait till Sam catches you two arguing again.”

“Mona,” Ciara chided, “you party pooper.”

Mona rolled her eyes, muttering incoherent words under her breath.

“You guys have fun. I’m going to change,” Avril said, winking at the grumbling Mona. “Be jealous! I’m going to watch the new Vampire Dairies episode before you two do.”

“I’m so jealous.”

“Ciara, was that sarcasm?”

“Not at all.”

“Yup, that definitely was sarcasm.”

Mona sighed dramatically. Not for the first time since working here, she wondered why her co-workers were as mature as five-year-olds.

“I’m going! See you guys tomorrow!”

They both bid her farewell. The bell clinked softly after Avril’s retreating form. Seconds later, the bell sounded again. Ciara quickly went to the counter to greet the customer. She plastered on a smile. It was an elderly man.

“Welcome to Sam’s Coffee Shop. How can I help you?”

“One espresso. Medium, please.”

Ciara nodded and scribbled on the medium-sized cup. She handed it to Mona. The scent of coffee always calmed her. Ciara soon found herself smiling genuinely, and she entered the almost daily routine of serving coffees.

The sky darkened, and Ciara turned her head to the Pokémon themed analogue clock – Sam’s son’s idea – hanging on the cream-colored wall. Her shift was almost over. The sun’s ray entered the small shop through the glass window panes, encompassing the room in a beautiful shade of orange and red. A few customers sat at the corner, drinking their coffees and chatting quietly. Ciara let out a small sigh. Looks like this was it, her shift ends at five every day.

“Mona, I’m going to change -”

The bell clinked once more, signaling the arrival of another customer. Ciara caught Mona’s eyes and pouted. The latter smirked smugly in return. Forcing a smile to appear on her face like she was told, Ciara approached the customer.

“Welcome to Sam’s -” Her eyes widened. It took her a moment to take in the appearance of the handsome male in front of her. He seemed oblivious to her stare, his eyes intently focused on the menu in front of him. Ciara opened her mouth several times, trying to get the word out. Finally, after the fourth time, she succeeded. “Jared?”

The guy standing in front of her looked up from the menu. The bored look in his eyes instantly transformed into immense shock. A dazzling smile appeared on his face, making him seem ten times more charming. “Why, isn’t this Ciara?”

“How’s life?”

Ciara sipped the warm coffee in her cup, enjoying the bitter yet sweet taste on her tongue. Jared watched her. She caught his stare and gave him a questioning look. As if snapping out of some sort of daze, he grinned. He leaned forward, placing his mug down.

“I’m great, Ciara. I haven’t seen you in years. You’re working here?”

He looked around the small shop, a child-like innocence in his eyes. Ciara smiled. Jared, the quiet boy in the back of her English class everyone teased because of his braces and freckles, turned out to be extremely attractive. Hell, he was more attractive than Nate, the popular but rather dim bully. His short black hair had grown long, and it flopped pleasantly just over his eyes. Most of all, it was the same happy smile he always wore no matter how bad his life was. He had not once cried when bullied, not even when he had got several bruises and a broken arm. It just wasn’t him to get depressed. She was glad he hadn’t changed. He still saw the world filled with brightness. He was a true optimist.

“Yes, my friend’s Aunt owns this shop. I work here as a part-time worker.”

She didn’t want to voice out that it was unnecessary to work as she owned enough money to support her for a lifetime. Jared knew how rich her parents were. Unlike many people who approached her with ambiguous intentions, he saw as a normal human being.

Ciara did not know when exactly it happened, but before she knew it, she was falling for him. It was hopeless. The worst part was Jared always saw her as a friend. It made everything much harder because of his naivety. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him. Time passed quickly, and soon they were graduating.

It was a secret she’d never told anyone. She’d kept it to herself, hoping that it would gradually fade away. After all, time healed everything, did it not? It did, yet why was her heart suddenly beating so fast?

“Hey, Ciara, do you want to meet up? It’s been a while since I’m back here.”

Ciara blinked. That was right. Jared was exceptionally smart, and he – if Ciara remembered correctly – went abroad to a prestigious university to major in something related to nuclear power. It was dangerous, but Jared being Jared wouldn’t give away the chance and went to a country halfway across the world. It was one of the reasons why Ciara kept her feelings to herself.

There was something unfamiliar behind his playfulness that caught her eyes. Staring into his mesmerizing hazel-colored eyes, she knew he was genuine. She almost smiled. Just when she thought she was over him. The next sentence slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Almost as soon as it was out of her mouth, she knew she was going to regret it deeply.

“Sure, Jared.”

“Awesome, give me your number.”

Much to her protest, he insisted on paying for her. Jared grinned at her before the bell above the door clinked once again. Mona was by her side in an instant. Ciara held up her hand before Mona could hound her with questions.

“No, we are not dating. Yes, we know each other. Yes, he wants us to meet again, and finally, no, we are not dating.”

Mona’s face fell, and she looked crestfallen. Of course, Ciara thought wryly, she is after all the town’s biggest gossiper. Her eyes stared longingly at the door, the exact spot where Jared had passed as he went out.

“But he’s so hot.”

He is, thought Ciara proudly. Just wait till the others see how successful the most bullied kid turned out to be.

The sun had completely set now, and with another glance at the clock, she realized she was extremely late. She bolted up from the chair.

“I have to go, Mona,” she said, rushing into the backroom to change back into her normal clothes. She stumbled back out, adjusting her shirt and pulling her hair free from the bun. Ciara waved a quick bye to Mona and pushed the glass door open.