Late Night Talks ✔

chAPter th!RTy fIVe

     I realized Shayna was looking at me. "What, me?" I asked confused. "Why me?"

     "I feel like you could talk to him about me."

     That was a very vague answer. But I could talk to him about Shayna. That's what friends do. "Yeah, sure. If I talk to him," I said and smiled at Shayna. Maybe Derek told her that we talked. That's what she's got to mean and that's what her look was telling me.

     I gulped down the rest of my cappuccino and felt the warmness in my throat and body. We were getting ready to leave when the door to the coffee shop opened and three pairs of footsteps walked in. When one of them stopped near me, I looked up to see that it was Cabe.

     "Um, hey," I said.

     "Hey, there," Cabe said. He bent down and gave me a kiss on my cheek. I smiled awkwardly.

     "Hi," Tiffany and Shayna said together.

     "We were just leaving," I said to Cabe.

     "Ok, I'll see you later. I got to run too," he said. After saying our byes, we left the coffee house. Once we were outside, I turned my attention to Tiffany and Shayna to see two bewildered faces staring at me for answers.

     "What was that?" Tiffany blurted out. "Why didn't you tell us that you're dating him again?"

     "We're not exactly dating," I said. How do I even begin to explain what it was. The last time I met Cabe, we made out in Taco Bell. We didn't even talk once all these days. How do you define that relationship?

     "We're waiting . . ." Tiffany prompted me.

     "We're just hooking up. It's not important."

     Shayna and Tiffany exchanged a look, probably wondering since when did I start 'just hooking up'. Tiffany blinked her eyes. "If you say so."

~~~

     Like a daily routine, Derek called again that night. I jumped on my bed and grabbed the phone. "Hi!" The jump made me a little breathless.

     "You almost sound excited to talk to me."

     "Oh, no. I'm breathless because I," I said trying to think of an excuse, "went out for a jog."

     "At one in the night?"

     I should've known that I made up terrible excuses. "I couldn't sleep."

     "Hey, how do you think I'd look in glasses?"

     I immediately remembered the hot college guy from the coffeeshop. "Like the college guy. But since you don't know him, I'd say you'd look pretty good. Why?"

     "Because I'm getting glasses. I knew I should've eaten more carrots!" he groaned.

     "Oh. Nice. You'd look good in glasses," I declared.

     "Are you kidding me? I'm freaking out here. I hate glasses. It's so difficult taking photos while wearing glasses. Don't even get me started on contacts. I hate putting things in my eyes," he complained.

     "And you tell me that girls make a big deal out of nothing. Look at you grumbling like a baby."

     "Glasses are bad for my reputation," he said in a high pitch voice.

     I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "You'll get used to it. And Shayna likes glasses. Speaking of Shayna, what's going on between you two?"

     "Glasses are bad for my reputation!" he said again in a shrill voice.