Caffeine | PUBLISHED

06. Black Coffee

I paused. He was right. I was always living by the rules. When was the last time I actually got into some trouble? My mind drifted to my mother, her constant urging for me to live the life of a regular teenager. I fought back a snort – look where that life got my mother.

Nevertheless, I pursed my lips, putting my coffee and biscotti down as I took my seat again, earning a triumphant smile from Isaac.

I looked down at the table, noticing this was the first time I had seen him actually drink his coffee. His sketch pad was closed, the cover black with his name written in a messy white scrawl on the top corner.

I couldn't help but wonder what's inside.

"So, what's up?" I asked. My throat felt insanely dry so I took a casual sip of my coffee, pretending my heart wasn't going into cardiac arrest. 

Here I was, skipping class in a café with one of the cutest, most popular boys in school, making casual conversation over a free coffee. Riley would scream if she found out.

"Nothing much," Isaac replied. "What about you?"

"Nothing much," I shrugged uncomfortably. An awkward silence ensued, and I sipped my coffee again. A second passed. "What about you?"

Isaac raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Nothing much," he said. "What about you?"

I blinked, not entirely sure what was going on.

"Nothing much..." I trailed off. "What about-"

"God, Aspirin," Isaac began laughing loudly, his eyes crinkling. "Is this the first time you've had a conversation with someone? Cause it's not going very well now, is it?"

I pursed my lips at his laughter and averted my eyes.

"No," I murmured quietly. My heart pounded in my chest. I could feel his piercing green eyes staring me down as he chuckled.

Isaac's laughter died down and he took a sip of his coffee, prompting me to do the same. I pushed a strand of my hair back behind my ear and looked around the café. This encounter was turning out to be incredibly awkward for the both of us.

When I turned back to face Isaac, I noticed he was staring at my rather lacking chest.

"Um," I brought his attention back to my face. "My eyes are up here."

He laughed at me, his chest vibrating. "Nice shirt."

My eyes widened as I looked down at my shirt, realising I had pulled on an incredibly stained pyjama shirt featuring the Sesame Street gang on it. My cheeks turned bright red and a lump rose in my throat.

Why hadn't anyone said anything? My throat felt strangled, my head beginning to spin.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered, "I can't go to school like this!"

I stood from my seat abruptly, pushing the table and almost spilling our coffee in the process. I reached for my backpack, stumbling around the chair. Isaac quirked a brow at me.

"You're going all the way home to change your top?" Isaac asked, stopping me in my tracks.

"Obviously!" I exclaimed, my mind racing. "I can't show up like this! I'm already late for my first period; I don't want to bring even more unwanted attention to me. I'll be a laughing stock!"

I turned to leave only for Isaac to grab my hand once more, pulling me back roughly. I let out a quiet grunt at the sudden pull.

"I think it looks cute," Isaac smiled genuinely, letting go of my arm.

"I doubt anyone else will," I murmured, crossing my arms with a pointed look. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to run home now or else I'll miss first period completely."

"You'll miss it either way," Isaac replied, folding his arms.

"I live close," I shot back, my head spinning.

"Oh, yeah? How close?"

I paused, my mouth dry as the realisation hit me. He was right again. Even though my house was within walking distance, by the time I would reach home and back, I was sure to miss first period.

"Well, I can't go like this!" I practically shouted, despair washing over my voice as I threw my arms in the air dejectedly.

I stood there, the lump in my throat growing as I searched for a solution. My heart began to race, and I clutched my chest, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. The room around me began to spin, my palms shaking as I clung to my shirt.

I released a shaky breath and moved to look at Isaac.

He stayed quiet, his eyes soft as he watched me, fully taking in my panic. A second later, he began to take off his leather jacket.

"Here," he said, handing me the jacket.

I stared at it, struggling to speak as the ground shook beneath me. "Excuse me?"

"Here," he nudged it towards me. "To cover your shirt. If you leave for school now, you'll make it for first period, but if you go home, you won't be back until second."

I slowly took the jacket from him, my brow raised in suspicion. My heart began to slow, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, the room beginning to steady. The jacket was still warm in my hands, the leather smooth and dark, contrasting against my pale skin.

"Thanks," I dragged my croaky voice out, still unsure whether to trust him or not. He nodded nonchalantly, taking a sip from his coffee before gesturing me to put it on.

I pulled the jacket over my shoulder, zipping it up to cover my shirt.

The sleeves fell over my hands and the jacket sat too big on me. It smelled of him – coffee mixed with cigarettes and cologne. I inhaled it, the scent somewhat calming.

Tilting my head, I looked up at him to find him smiling down at me. I let out a weak chuckle, waving my hands with the too long sleeves flapping over my fingers.

"It's a bit big."

He laughed with me, grabbing my arm and carefully folding the sleeves for me so that it appeared to be the style of the jacket. I blushed at the kind gesture, the gentleness of his hands as his fingers brushed my wrists.

Surely, he was just being friendly. But that was the question. Why was he being so friendly to me? I barely knew him.

And his reputation was less than kind. I was a first-hand witness to the girls he had played around with, Lacey being the latest subject of his games.

"What's wrong?" Isaac's voice made me realise he had been watching my eyes as I stared at his hands. "You seem like there's something on your mind."

I let out a quiet sigh, debating on whether I should voice my thoughts. He let go of my arm and sent me a smile. My heart fluttered, and my arms fell back beside my legs, my face warming.

"I was just wondering..." I began slowly before looking up to face him. "Why are you being so kind to me? I barely know you. Hell, I only know your name and your coffee order."

"You know my coffee order?" he cut me off.

My eyes widened, and my cheeks heated up at the realisation of what I had just revealed.

"Well," I stumbled for words. "You know mine."

He grinned cheekily. "Touché."

"Well?" I cleared my throat, my voice faltering with hesitance. "Answer the question."

He turned and took a final sip of his coffee, slinging his bag over his shoulder and collecting his notebook.

"You're," he paused to smile at me, his eyes swimming with an unreadable emotion. "Interesting."

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a u t h o r ' s  n o t e

Thank you all so much for 200 reads and all your lovely votes and comments! Always appreciated <3 here's a super long chapter as a thank you!