The next thing I know I turn in my bed and slightly open my eyes seeing the light shining through the window, it's morning.
I get up straight to the bathroom brushing my teeth and washing my face before I go check on Michel, seeing he is still asleep. Rachel as well.
I make myself some coffee and I continue working on all the things I have left for Alex's birthday surprise.
"Good morning," Michel says. I turn over to look at him as he takes the blanket I gave him watching him snuggling into the couch with his eyes closed.
I smile as I go back to my decorations and my coffee.
I hear him groaning and when I look at him the blanket is off, and now on the floor showing me his perfect body, wearing grey boxers which are way too tight in my opinion. I stare at him, at his tan body and I want to look away but I can't.
"I want coffee too," He says getting up distracting me from my stare. Thank god, for that. It was getting awkward. I need to focus on. "I'll make you one," I say and turn around to the coffee maker Alex bought forever ago.
"Move. You don't know how to make good coffee" he wanders over to me and he pushes me away.
Whatever. I roll my eyes at him.
Michel makes himself a cup of coffee. "try it" he says full of pride.
I chuckle "It's the same coffee maker. It probably tastes the same"
"Try it" he repeats. "fine" I take his cup from his hand taking a sip. It's actually really good. But not better than mine. Obviously.
"It's ok," I say and he laughs taking his cup back and drinking his own coffee.
"Ok. Let's start" I say finally.
After Michel got dressed and finished his coffee we continued to decorate the house. Now the whole house is filled with balloons and other decorations.
I'm actually proud of us. The place looks amazing. The birthday surprise is finally ready.
"Ok, now we can rest," I say. I look at the clock, it's 20 minutes before 1 pm. I walk to my room to get changed seeing Rachel is still asleep. Not surprised.
When I get back to the kitchen wearing black jeans with a yellow tank top and a Jacket because it looks, chilly outside today. I tell Michel about my plan for the day. "Ok, so I'll take Alex to the shop. We'll come over at 5 or something like that, ok?" I think if I remember correctly she needs to finish the class in like an hour..?
"sounds ok. I'll just stay here watch a movie or whatever" Michel says. I take out my phone texting Alex.
- "Wanna go with me to the shop? We could spend some time catching up... feels like we haven't talked in forever"
- "Sure. I'll meet you there in an hour." She texts back.
An hour has passed, I studied a bit... Michel as he said he'll do, watched a movie. After saying goodbye to Michel telling him to make sure Rachel gets up in time for the surprise I start my way to the shop. I don't think Rachel knows that Michel is here. Or that the house looks completely different because of all the decorations. I mean, how can she even sleep for so long, doesn't she have classes today?
I walk to the shop and order myself a cup of Caramel coffee and sit down. I don't care I drank coffee earlier this day. I like coffee.
I just sit there and wait for Alex to show up. As the minutes go by my mind drifts to Shawn. I remember him calling me last, I remember how I felt talking to him. hearing his voice. How happy I was.
I contemplate sending him a text or giving him a call but it feels weird. I don't know why I still don't really feel completely free around him. It just feels different because he's famous. I don't know how to act with him. if he wasn't this amazing famous popstar sensation, I wouldn't feel like this. Like I am embarrassed to text him. I feel so stupid even thinking about this too much but I can't help it. I don't know how to act around him. I don't know what he is looking for. This situation is just so confusing. I take another sip from my coffee telling myself I'm brave enough to send him a stupid text. I should just act like he is a regular guy. Not this singer who is currently on tour around the world. I have to be brave.
"How was your day?" I text him feeling my cheeks blush for no reason whatsoever. Before I know it I hear a ping, and I got a text.
- "kind of crazy. I just landed here 3 hours ago, and we came straight to the arena. Still doing sound checks."
I don't know why, but I smile. He answered me. He didn't think I was a stalker. I think of what I can reply to him when I see out of the corner of my eyes a shadow walking my way, I turn my head up seeing Alex's walking in the shop. I let go of my phone and I look up to see her wandering over to me.
"Hey," she says putting her phone on the table and she goes and orders a coffee and a croissant. Like she usually does.
"So?" I ask her as she comes to sit next to me with her coffee and almond croissant.
"What?" She asks as she takes a bite. I roll my eyes at her Like she doesn't know...
"You and Dylan.," I say for her to understand.
"Oh, that" she rolls her eyes. Yeah. That.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask.
"He called me 2 days ago. The day after the concert. The night that I thought you slept over at Maya.." she says. Yeah, Ok. Got it the first time. Is she mad at me?
"And yeah. I think we're cool now" she says. Who is she talking about?
I ignore my thoughts and I assume she is talking about Dylan and herself.
"Wait. So are you guys back together?" I ask. I can't believe this. I mean, she was happy with him and all but he was the worst. Everyone hated him. Even her. She hated him. What changed?
"I don't know, I guess" she shrugs. She doesn't know if they are together? Didn't they talk about it? Especially after what happens last time...
We continue to talk. Somehow we start talking about me... she is trying to convince me to spill everything about Shawn and I'm trying so hard to stay quiet. I can't tell her. I'm not even sure what we are. Are we together? Are we not? I don't know. What if he doesn't want anyone to know? What if he wants to make the mystery girl that he writes all his songs about jealous?
"Come on. Just tell me" she insists. My phone vibrates telling me I have another text. "Please just drop it" I beg. I look at my phone thinking it might be Michel but it's Shawn. And he sent me a photo. Oh wow.
I stare at the picture, his cute face holding a cup of coffee, I hear another ping and there is a text from him too.
- "Went out to drink some coffee... A few guys and I ran out to buy some coffee for everyone. And I got your fav. Iced cappuccino with a dash of cinnamon "
My cheeks heat up. How did he know what's my favorite?! Oh right... I smile. At the restaurant, he asked me how I like my coffee. Iced cappuccino with a dash of cinnamon on a hot day and a Caramel coffee on a cold day. I forgot about that. How did he remember? I giggle as I think of my response.
- "The coffee looks so good!"
"Ok, what the fuck is going on?" Alex snaps bringing my back to reality. Oh fuck. For a moment I forget she was here.
"Nothing," I say. Putting my phone in my purse. This is so unlike me to keep secrets. But I'm so confused about everything. I just don't know how to react to this. I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with all this.
"You completely ignored me. I thought you said you wanted to catch up.."
"I do, I'm sorry. It was nothing." Luckily for me, she lets go of this topic quickly and we start talking about school. The conversation floes and she tells me all about how Dylan called her drunk in the middle night begging for her forgiveness. An hour has passed and it's a little after 4 now
"Ok, so I'm gonna go... I'm really tired, and also I need to tell Rachel about Dylan I haven't told her yet, I want to ask her what she thinks, I know you guys don't really like him..." she says and I stay quiet. " Ok, so do you have plans? Or are you coming with me?" she asks.
"yeah let's go," I say. for a minute forgetting, I am supposed to stall her until 5.
"This was nice, I feel like we haven't talked in forever." She says. Yeah, it was fun. Since the concert, I feel a bit distant from everyone. Since I met Shawn I feel so confused and not myself around everyone else. We start walking back to our room when finally I remember.
Wait. "NO!" I yell. She jumps at my yell with the rest of the people around us. "what is wrong with you?" She asks trying to hold herself from laughing at me.
"I want more coffee," I say.
"Ok, you could have just said so, why did you scream like a psycho Just go take another coffee I'll meet you back in the room," she says. She looks at me and I can see in her eyes she thinks I'm crazy.
"Uh..." I say looking around for something. Anything really.
"Are you ok?" she is looking at me terrified. Moving her sided with me as if to help me search. Why does she look so frightened?
I freak out so I just say the first thing that comes to mind. "Can you buy it for me?" I give her a 5$ bill "Gotta go" I stare at her for a moment before I sprint back to the apartment to find Michel and Rachel on the couch watching a movie eating popcorn.
"Ok, we need to get started. Alex is on her way here" I say trying to catch my breath from the sprint. I walk in and I close the door behind me "Are you ready?" I ask Michel, knowing Rachel did nothing to help, so I just ignore her.
"For what?" Rachel asks.
"Hell yeah," he says. Ignoring her too.
I can't believe Rachel can be so oblivion sometimes. "Are you blind?" I ask my hands showing her all of the decorations Michel and I put last night and this morning. "oh" she says eating from the popcorn I bought for the party.
"whatever, Rachel you call Maya and Ben. Michel, you call Jeremy and I'll clean up. Come on we have like 5 minutes."