Dania {18+}

Chapter 6

Tess and I were slumped in our chair following the dense lecture.

"I need a coffeeeee," she groaned. My limp body followed her lead as she grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door. My head hurt and I couldn't process any of what was happening. Next thing I knew, my mouth was watering at the permeating scent of espresso. By the entrance of the building was a café. In the fifteen minutes before our next lesson, we sat at a table desperately cupping our steaming fuel, surrounded by similarly drained students.

Tess grabbed my hand, her head laying on the table.

"Why are we here," she complained, "just to suffer?"

I giggled at her dramatics before a voice interrupted us.

"Hey, I saw you walk in this morning. Your boyfriend has got a really nice car," she paused before considering something. "I mean... he is your boyfriend, right?"

"What are you trying to say?" Tess squinted her eyes, assessing the girl in front of us. Her short, brown hair was styled into a neat bob. She wore a pair of brown jeans, ankle boots, and a white shirt with a beige blazer on top. Her hand rested on her Longchamp tote bag that looked empty. Everything about her screamed rich New Yorker in that designer-without-the-branding type of way.

"I mean, I'm not one to judge but, who knows these days right? What is he? Your sugar daddy? How many other sugar babies does he have?" Her condescending laugh grated at my bones. Tess and I glanced at each other sharing a thought. This bitch.

"Fuck off," Tess glowered.

"As I said," the girl continued after flicking her hair over her shoulder, "I'm not one to judge. All I ask is that you hook me up, too. It's not easy to find one that young and good-looking."

"He's not my sugar daddy." I insisted. Her eyes scanned me up and down. For someone who kept saying they didn't judge, she sure did a whole lot of judging. I didn't even know this girl, why was she being like this? Is this how everyone who was watching this morning thought of me? This was exactly what I was afraid of. Their assumptions, their negative thoughts.

"Oh, please, you think a man like that is gonna stick to just one girl? Just wait. You'll see."

Tess and I watched in confusion as she turned on her heel and walked out of the café leaving as quickly as she had appeared.

"I feel like I'm missing out on a lot, here. You're telling me Reyn dropped you off this morning? Don't give me that shy smile. Fill me in. Now."

I moved my chair closer to her and we huddled together as I told her everything with an excited smile. My previous worries vanished as I reflected on the time I spent with Reyn. I told her about how we met for lunch (minus what occurred in the car afterward). I told her how I went to his house to study the next day at which she looked at me with suggestive, knowing eyes. I told her how I fell asleep in the hot tub after a heavy make-out session. Neither a lie nor the whole truth. I told her about how kind and attentive Reyn has been towards me. How he felt unreal, too good to be true.

"You guys are too cute," she fangirled. "I never knew Reyn had it in him. He's always either so serious or fighting with Sylv." I looked down happily.

My eyes bulged when I tapped my phone. There were two minutes before class started.

"We gotta go," I insisted. I stood up so fast the chair nearly tipped over.

Since we both had different electives, we separated and agreed to meet back at the café when our classes were done for the day.

Halfway into my third class of the day, I felt my phone vibrate in my bag that sat on my lap. I took it out to check.

R: How are you doing, babygirl? Everything okay?