Just Another Love Story

06 • The Prank

The beginnings of autumn in Los Angeles had arrived! (Though honestly, it was nothing to use exclamation marks over.)

Southern California Septembers were punctuated with the occasional gust of wind pushing sand into coastal driveways, a stray storm cloud wandering lost in a blue sky, and of course, as the school year started to pick up— a schedule that always kicked my ass.

This autumn, my schedule was doing more than just kicking my ass. I would go so far as to call it whooping.

Ever since I ruined family dinner by running away dramatically for my tutoring session, life had been hectic.

I earned myself more hours in the coffeeshop as punishment for my "setting a bad example for my younger sisters." Autumn days fell into an aggressive pattern: early morning Track practice, school, after-school Track practice, coffeeshop shift, family dinner, math tutoring, and then the rest of my homework deep into the night (goodbye, beauty sleep!)

As if the bags under my eyes weren't enough, I was also forced to wear an apron over my Track uniform during shifts at The Happy Bean, and just pray that Jack couldn't smell my sweat when he made espressos next to me (come on, Gucci Bloom perfume!)

Despite these minor setbacks, my barista shift had become my favorite part of the day. There were lots of things to love about The Happy Bean. The stream of sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling windows, the smell of cinnamon, the Lauryn Hill playlist on loop, the constant buzz of background conversations— as a city girl, I loved the thrum of all this energy. I preferred lively tables over quiet solitude, even if it meant mopping the floors a few extra times.

An added bonus was the surplus of cool customers. Due to my membership in so many school clubs, news of my barista-ship had made its way around the Beverly Hills social circles. A fresh wave of regulars had turned the Happy Bean into a trendy hangout spot.

My two best friends were a part of this wave. Currently they sat across the counter from me as I did calculus practice sheets instead of my job. Nearby were my relay teammates Ira and Jasmine, happily sipping on illegally discounted vanilla lattes. Other classmates lazed around on beanbags.

Even the football goons and their fangirls were here, shoved into a booth, watching videos of old Coastal Prep football matches on laptops. It seemed the Back to School Bash Clash (that was what people on Twitter were calling the video of Amir hitting the Coastal Prep linebacker) had only rubbed salt in the wound of the two schools' rivalry.

"So now what? You and He Who Must Not Be Named are... friends?" Andy sipped on her espresso, gesturing at Amir.

I looked over to see him typing up a paper with an impressive level of calmness, unaffected by the noise. If he was worried about their upcoming Homecoming game, he didn't show it.

"I wouldn't say we're friends," I sighed. "But we can certainly use his name now that our tutoring sessions are going well."

"Wow. It's been so long, I think I forgot how to say it," Cam chuckled. "Amiiiiiir."

Across the café, Amir tore his chocolate chip eyes off his laptop to look at me. Immediately he smirked.

"Interesting," Cam hummed, rapping her fingers on the bar.

"What?" I said, going back to my paper.

"Nothing. Just that face Amir made. He looked pretty friendly to me."

Against my will, the conversation I had in Amir's room came to mind.

Him asking if he was my friend. Him teasing me. Me blushing.

"Riya, you've been staring at that problem for forty seconds and your face is pink. Should we get Amir to come help?" Andy chuckled.

I hit her shoulder. "No! Please. I see enough of him as it is."