𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏; R. BOWEN

04. CURIOSITY (NOSINESS)

"Why do you feel the need to talk about my stomach problems bro, you're so weird—"

Just as the two had begun to bicker, Lucia sat quietly watching as they went back and forth. The usual chatty nature was comforting, better than the previous quiet they sat in. Besides, it gave Lucie less space to continue overthinking as she was highly amused by Andie's daily offer of fighting Nic in the back parking lot.

The small chime indicated that the front door was opened. With an incoming customer entering, the three teenagers turned at the sound, the former two automatically hushing their argument in the sake of service with a smile while the third made an attempt to abruptly stand up.

Only that didn't work. Lucia's sudden movement caused her to loose her balance on the high stool she sat on, the chairs behind the register tall in order to compensate for the equally tall counter. Falling back from her seat, the young girl landed with a small thud to the ground with a refrained yelp escaping her lips.

Bitting back a groan at the spreading pain from her tailbone which got a majority of the impact, her fail gained the attention of everyone within the room.

"Dude, what the— are you okay?" Correcting her language, Andie turned to her friend with a concerned gaze.

"Only this would happen to you," Nic mumbles with a shake of his head. In the midst of her overdramatic reaction, the boy had moved in attempt to spare her from the fall. He wasn't quick enough to entirely catch her, but he did manage to slip his hand behind her head, protecting her from slamming it into the wall behind them. Carefully helping her upright to her feet, one of his hands clung to her arm to steady her as Lucia swayed slightly.

"Are you okay?" The customer who was involuntarily the cause of Lucia's mishap spoke up. Glancing her eyes upward, she took fully account of the younger teenage boy, his eyes wide with concern and still standing by the front door. Letting out a small sigh, she nodded softly.

"I'm alright, sorry about that," Lucia painted a smile across her lips, ignoring the aching pain that spread throughout her lower back. "I'm just clumsy, but welcome in! Please go ahead and continue with your shopping,"

With an awkward smile, the young boy shuffled his way further inside the building. Disappearing within the rows of books that lined the shelves, Andrea waited until she deemed him far enough away to let out a snort followed by a series of laughter.

"Dude, what the hell was that?" She questions, not bother to attempt to settle down even after Nic kicked her chair (although he himself was biting back a laugh, being more considerate of Lucia's embarrassment than the other).

Rolling her eyes at Andie's amusement, Lucia picked up her fallen chair but doesn't move to sit upon it again. Messaging her back, the girl lets out a huff.

"I thought it was Ricky," She admits, pinching her eyes shut knowing how humiliating it was to admit. The confession only caused Andie's laughter to grow, her hands failing around as she clapped and held her stomach.

"Ricky Bowen?" Nic asked only to get a meek nod back. The confirmation made him snort, a small laugh leaving his lips. "What is he haunting you now? One kid comes in with brown curly hair and a skateboard and you end up falling out of your seat Luce,"

"It's-it's cause sh-she saw him t-today," Heaving the words through her laughter, Andrea pauses to catch her breath. Wiping at the corners of her eyes and panting slightly, the girl slowly begins to regain her composure. "They have a class together and she had a breakdown in my car because she spoke like, 5 words to him,"

"You have a class with him?"

"Yeah, because someone scared me out of taking APUSH, I'm stuck with him in History,"