Cherry Blossoms | ✔️

Stopping for Coffee (Kai)

After the embarrassingly vulnerable conversation my family? had during lunch yesterday afternoon, we all decided on the three of us—Roni, Trenton, and I—staying home from school for the rest of this week. So, today, we're all heading to the school to get any extra homework or books we'll need while we're gone to stay caught up.

I just hope we don't run into any of the goons.

"Kai, you coming?" Roni yells over the top of her Jeep, signaling with a nod of her head to get in the car.

"Yep!"

"Hey, what's going on through that head of yours?" Trenton asks from the front seat, looking back at me as I get into the Jeep.

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell you're thinking about something, I just don't know what." He replies, squinting his blue eyes at me suspiciously.

"Oh . . . nothing." That's not technically a lie. I'm just nervous about running into Jake, but with Trenton and Roni there with me, I'm sure everything will be fine, so it really is nothing.

Trenton doesn't reply, he just continues squinting at me as Roni starts her Jeep and begins the trek to school.

I'm taken by surprise when Roni pulls into the driveway of the café near our school. I thought we were just going to the school real quick and then leaving?

"What are we doing?" I ask curiously. Sure, I have no idea why we're stopping here but, that doesn't mean I don't want to stop here.

"We're gonna get iced coffees!" Roni cheers, unbuckling her seatbelt and rushing out of the Jeep.

"Come on, Kai. You like the caramel ones, don't you?" Trenton asks, softly smiling at me from the passenger seat—we have yet to get out of the car.

"Uh . . . y...yeah." I stutter, ducking my head in embarrassment as Trenton chuckles. He remembers!

"You're so cute, Kai." Trenton coos.

I'm pretty sure my face exploded with that comment.

"Awww, you're even cuter when you're blushing!" He teases, making me roll my eyes and jump out of the car before my face turns even redder than it already is . . . if that's even possible.

"Just come on already, damnit!" I snap weakly, too embarrassed but also too shy to actually yell at Trenton.

"Okay okay, let's go get you that iced coffee." He smirks. This man.

Walking into the cafe, the first thing I notice is—fortunately—how empty the place is. Probably because kids are in school by now.

The cafe has a neutral theme with a beige colored tiling on the floors and eggshell white walls that match the popcorn ceiling. The booths and chairs are more of a coffee brown while the tables are a pretty shade of olive green. Overall, the cafe is quite cute.

"Why don't you two go sit down while I order our drinks, okay?" Trenton says, looking at Roni and I expectantly.

"Fine with me, I'm gonna go sit over there." Roni starts, turning around and beginning to walk in the direction of one of the booths, "You coming, Kai?"

"Actually, I think I'll stay with Trenton." I smile shyly. "I don't want him having to carry three drinks by himself."

"Okay! I'll be over here then." Roni says, winking at me discreetly enough that Trenton doesn't notice . . . hopefully.

Awkwardly clearing my throat, I speak up, "So, um, what are you getting?"

"I like their vanilla iced coffees." Trenton responds as we walk up to the counter.

"Really? Are they any good?"

"Sure they are, why would I get them if they weren't?" Trenton replies sarcastically.

"Well, I don't know." I chuckle. Trenton laughs in reply, turning his gaze to the very curious looking girl behind the counter.

"Hey there. What can I get for you today?" The girl asks, I think her name is Avery, if her name tag is anything to go off of.

"Hello, just some iced coffees for today. One caramel, one mocha, and one vanilla. All mediums." Trenton starts, flicking his gaze back to me, "Unless you want something to eat?"

"Oh no, I'm fine." I smile shyly. I'm not used to this kind of attention. I could get used to it, though.

"Are you sure? There's muffins and donuts, I think they even have cookies."

"Cookies?" I look at him, my eyes surely sparkling at the pleasant discovery.

Snapping his stare back toward the cafe employee, Trenton says "Alright, add on a chocolate chip cookie to the order, please."

The girl looks at me suspiciously before giving Trenton the cost of the order and preparing it, handing me the cookie in a bag first that I already have eaten before the iced coffees are placed in front of us.

"Wow, you must really like cookies." Trenton chuckles, looking at me in amusement while handing me my coffee.

"Well, I don't get them very often." I say, looking down at the tiled flooring.

When I have the nerve to look back up at Trenton, I catch a slight hint of sadness in his eyes, but it's gone just as quick as it appeared.

Finally reaching the table, Trenton and I sit down across from Roni after handing her her drink.

"What's that?" Roni asks, pointing toward Trenton's iced coffee.

"What?" Trenton asks, clearing his throat in the process.

"Is that a phone number?"

"Roni. It's nothing." Trenton grits, glancing over at me nervously.

"Oh my goddess, did that employee write her number on your cup?!" Roni exclaims, looking over at said girl who is now busy with another order.

"It's not a big deal, Roni. I wasn't even gonna mention it because of . . . reasons." Comes Trenton's reply, obviously glancing at me as he finishes that sentence.

"Ooh." Roni gasps, covering her mouth as if she just spilled the world's deepest secret.

"Guys, it's okay. Of course girls are going to hit on you, Trenton. I mean . . . have you seen yourself?" I quietly add in. I don't want Trenton feeling bad for something he can't control. Besides, who's Trenton's mate? Me. Not her.

"You're feeling a bit more confident, aren't ya?" Roni sasses, winking at me.

"I like it."

I look at Trenton, my face beet red yet again, only to catch the slight blush coating his cheeks as well.

I think I'm falling . . . hard.