Invading Radiance

Chapter 6

The drive to Safeway is filled with chatter and laughter. The people in both vehicles are having engaging conversations. But two individuals in the van Jonah is driving are having an unsubtle discussion about a fellow passenger.

"Hey, eSs," Daniel leans over to whisper to the girl that is sitting on the other side of Jack. "Did you notice how Jack was around your friend?"

"Who, Clay?" eSs whispers back over Jack to Daniel. "Yeah, I noticed."

"I think he likes her," Daniel responds with more of a whisper yell since he could tell that Jack was listening now.

"Oh, he definitely does," eSs asserts, raising her voice the slightest bit as well.

"Okay, can you guys stop whispering over me?" Jack asks with a hint of lighthearted irritation.

"But we have to whisper Jack," Daniel says, now in a normal voice. "We're talking about you."

"You know I'm right here, right?" Jack asks while raising his right eyebrow.

"No, we thought you were in Kansas petting your dog named Toto," eSs responds. Jack is about to shoot back, but then he sees the look on her face and can feel the sarcasm radiating off her.

"For your information, I do not like Clay," He says while looking back and forth at eSs and Daniel.

"Your words may be saying that, but your bright red cheeks say otherwise," Daniel responds before pinching Jack's cheek lightly.

"It's warm in here that's why my cheeks are red," he says trying to make an excuse after swatting Daniel's hand away from his cheek.

"It's 60 degrees in here. There is no way it is hot in here," eSs says after looking at the A/C.

"You are also wearing a t-shirt so you can't be hot," Daniel says adding to the point.

"Okay fine I like Clay. But so what? It's not like she would like me back," Jack says while pulling his shirt up over his face and crossing his arms.

"God boys are clueless," eSs mumbles before pulling Jack's shirt back down.

"I have known Clay for three years. I know the minute she likes someone. And trust me, she likes you," she says while looking at Jack intensely. Jack automatically sits back up after he was slouching.

"You aren't just saying that to cause me to embarrass myself by trying to get with her and then have her tell me she isn't interested or taken or something, right?" Jack asks, a little suspicious of eSs' niceness about this situation.

"I am not doing that. You are just going to have to trust me on this. I would never try to set people up for failure when it comes to their love life. Other things, yes, I will set people up," eSs says while looking at Jack with a serious look.

"Okay, well then, I better get to know Clay better," Jack says, smiling and trying to hide his happiness. Daniel and eSs smile and shake their heads at Jack. But back in the front of the car Gem and Jonah were having a conversation about coffee.

"Have you ever been to Shane's cafe in San Francisco? They have some of the best coffee I have ever tasted," Jonah asks while looking over at her while they are stopped at a red light.

"No way. My uncle owns Shane's cafe. My uncle is Shane," Gem says while looking at him.

"What a small world," he says while smiling over at her. He was happy because she got excited when he mentioned the cafe and Jonah found it super cute.

"The last time I was there they had a band performing called Artificial Lavender," Gem says before looking out the window.

"Wait, when I was there, Artificial Lavender was playing. There was an annual battle of the bands going on," Jonah says before focusing back on the road.