Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop

Falling in Love Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Andy

I wake up with a headache. The curtains in Cece’s guest room are drawn open, sending blinding rays of light through the room. I click my phone, checking the time. It’s 10 in the morning. I don’t remember dozing off last night. Sleep must’ve come somewhere along the dying party noises and thoughts of Gillian Fort laughing.

Gillian’s laugh was different but in a good way. It’s sincere. Like he could laugh at anything but then he’ll find a real reason—not just because someone did something stupid—why it’s worth a laugh. Last night, someone tripped by the pool side and went dunking in the waters. People laughed. I laughed hard. But Gillian said he laughed mainly because the guy was supposed to take his friend with him, but the friend knew what was going to happen and so he backed out at the last second. ‘Perhaps friend was thinking it would be embarrassing to trip in front of all the people and so he’d let his friend take the dive alone.’ He’s reckoned. Friend laughed at the guy too. Talk about real friendship. I told him that I think the guy’s friend was trying to impress some girl from the crowd whom he stole a glance at before deciding to abandon his friend. We both laughed at the thought.

Besides his smile, Gillian Fort has a really nice laugh too. I could listen to it all day.

 I realize I started chuckling a little when Cece suddenly shouts behind the door, “Good morning sunshine! Are you awake?”

I slump back to the bed. “Shut up! I have a headache.” I remember I should be mad at her.

“Oh, no way! We’re going to the movies at 4 p.m.”

“Ugh, no!” Cece enters the room.

“Yeah we are. Gillian Fort’s coming.” She winks at me.

“How did you know?”

“I added him on Facebook last night. He’s got tagged in a status of some boy named Charles and it says the South’s swim team’s off to watch Spiderman at 1 p.m.” Cece’s smile is overly eager, making me think this isn’t just about Gillian.

“Who else is going to the movie house?”

“Well, Chris invited me. He’s going with Leonel and Priscilla. Didn’t he invite you?” She calls her Chris now? I grab my phone to check my messages. I’ve got two.

One was from Chris which reads: You up to see a movie @ 4  p.m.? I’m going with the gang. I think your friend Cece’s going to follow, too.

The other message was from my mom: Get home, sweetie. Need to talk to you about stuff, asap.

“I do have a headache Cece.” I reason out, hesitant whether or not I should say yes to it. I’m hesitant not because of mom’s “urgent” message, but because I don’t think I’m ready to cross paths with Gillian again. Sure, last night was fun, with all the laughing and talking. But then, I also remember the embarrassing last part where he helped carry me up in this room because I’d been tipsy to stand and walk on my own.