Jae Ham
Next Sunday..
"What the hell? I didn't invite any of you," I say to my friends looking at home in the backseat of my black Mustang.
Penelope looks at me briefly, then studies her fingernails complacently. "You should be grateful that some of us made the time to watch you in action. Flair is busy helping Sparkle and her fiance with the wedding preparations. And no fucking way were Core, Chess, and Arrow risking their lives in this situation--"
"Hey!" Sage objects, anxiously drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.
"--Everyone else is busy with their part-time jobs. So it's just me and Cole today." She flips her wavy ginger tresses over her shoulder, then makes a 'go on' motion with her right hand.
I look at Sage, her shoulders stiff, her knees trembling. Today, she tied her golden hair up into a high ponytail, her side-swept bangs kept in place by the black H-clip that my sibling's gifted to her during her volunteer days at Treetop Academy. She's wearing short green sleeves over long white sleeves and skinny blue jeans that make her skin look paler than usual.
"Are you ready?" I ask.
"I think so," she says, concentrating.
The morning sky is clear and, despite my reservations on conducting this tutorial in the same place where I taught Res last week, it's still the only isolated spot in LA where no one will bother us.
"Since it's not a manual transmission, you use only one foot. It's either the accelerator or the brake, okay?"
"Okay," she says, moving her left foot near the door.
"Now, push down on the brake and start the car. When you're ready, keep the brake on while you put the transmission in reverse. Don't use the accelerator, and slowly release the brake. Then turn the wheel to back out, keeping your foot lightly on the brake."
She does exactly as she was told, backing the car out gingerly before guiding her way out of the abandoned parking lot. For the first time, she pauses. "Are you sure I should drive onto the main road?"
"If there was any traffic, I'd say no. If you were fourteen, I'd say no. But you're seventeen and I think you can handle it, and I'm here to help. You ready? What you're going to do is turn right, and we'll follow that until the next turn. Then we'll turn right again. I want you to get a feel for the car."
We spend the next hour driving along rural roads. Like most beginners, she has trouble with over-steering, she sometimes veers onto the shoulder, and parking takes a little while to get used to, but other than that, she did better than probably either of us expected.
As we get close to finishing, I start giving her directions back into town.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere I think you'll like. I figured you might want to celebrate. You did well."
"I don't know," she says, her face uncertain. "I didn't feel like I knew what I was doing."
"That comes with practice." I smile reassuringly. "The more you drive, the more natural it feels."
"Can I drive after school tomorrow?" she asks.
"Of course," I answer. "I'd prefer if we did it in the morning, but now that I have a car, my siblings keep bugging me to carpool them to school."
Sage gives me a smile before gazing at the wheel between her hands. "Thanks for this, by the way."
"I'm glad to help. Even if you don't have a car, it's something you should probably know how to do. Why didn't you..?"
"Learn to drive when I was sixteen, like everyone else?" She shrugs. "I never owned a car, and even if I got my license, I couldn't afford a car, so I didn't bother."
While Sage is still driving, Cole finally breaks the silence. "So are you ever planning on getting a car someday?"
The blonde doesn't answer right away. "I..." her voice trails off, and I don't think she intends to finish her sentence.
"Oh look we're here," I say, earning a grateful gaze from Sage.
But the relief in those brown eyes suddenly melts into apprehension when she notices where we are.
The bell rings when the four of us walk into the coffee shop, causing the barista behind the counter to look up. "Welcome to Jim's Coffee--"
His smile freezes on his lips. Perturbed, Cole, Penn, and I gape at him, clueless, but then I realize he is staring pointedly at the only blonde in our group.
Sage recovers first, a smile stretching her pink lips. "Hey," she says, approaching the counter. As if she knows the barista personally, she talks to him for a moment before smiling over her shoulder. "Guys, this is Park. Park, these are my friends, Jae, Cole, and Penn."
The three of us take slow steps toward the L-shaped counter. We sit down on the stools and watch, transfixed, as Sage continues to speak with the barista.
"You just left," he whispers to her.
"I'm sorry, but I was in a hurry, and it felt kind of embarrassing since we just met."
"It wasn't embarrassing at all. I just--that drawing--"
Cole clears his throat loudly, interrupting the subdued exchange. Park and Sage look at the black-haired, hazel-eyed teenager in a stripy sweater. "Can I get some service now?"
Penn stares at Cole while I just remain quiet. Park's cheeks flush red in mortification. He rushes over to where Cole is and inquires, "What would you like to order?"
After Cole recites his order, the three of us follow suit. Park's movements are swift and professional as he prepares our coffees. Less than thirty minutes later, he smoothly serves the four drinks in front of each designated customer.
After Penn takes one sip, she gasps. "This is amazing!"
Cole and I sample a taste of our drinks. His lips twitch in controlled delight.
I notice Park is waiting expectantly for Sage's verdict. He breathes in sharply after seeing the blonde purse her full lips.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asks him innocently.
Park swallows. "No reason." He holds her gaze. "So how is it?"
"Good." A tranquil smile crosses her lips.
The barista's shoulders droop in disappointment. "Just good?"
Gently, Sage puts her cup down and looks at Park. "You shouldn't easily assume that good is the opposite of great or fantastic. I know I could have used bigger words like incredible or exquisite, but to me, Good has the best impact. It's the opposite of bad, and you might assume it's better than Good Enough, but it's another way of saying Wonderful, and that's how your coffee made me feel. You did good, Park. The blend brought a smile to my face and my heart. Thank you."
It's impossible to look away from Park's expression. Astonishment. Vulnerability. Then finally, gratitude. His light brown eyes are on the verge of tears.
Alarmed, Sage turns to us for help, whispering urgently, "What do I do if he cries?"
"Uh, Sage?" Penn aims a finger somewhere. "He's already fled to the bathroom."
