The weeks flew by as teachers and students alike flurried about, struggling to get loose ends tied up before the last day came around. As for me, I didn't worry much and did my best to balance my activities and friends which eventually evolved into study dates where we'd do our best to socialize and work, which mostly didn't turn out very well.

"My B!" I heard Daniel holler over the final bell of the day. "You got anything planned?" I paused to let him catch up, smiling to myself.

"Yeah, actually," I began, resuming my stride. "Study date with Pax tonight." I found it odd how the pair of us, at different ends of the spectrum had managed to bond so tightly within less than two weeks in meeting. As someone who almost never bothered taking the initiative with strangers, this was an unfamiliar path that I had yet to see if I liked.

"Well, you should cancel and come with me; bet my study date would be more interesting," he challenged. Daniel pulled once gently on my ponytail as though that in itself would convince me. I reached up to tousle his own auburn hair, so carefully styled.

"You're insulting my best friend right there," I warned semi-jokingly. "Watch your back."

"Hey!" He complained, swatting my hand away. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get curly hair to stay put?"

I shrugged. "By the way, track season's ended, right?" Daniel ran cross-country in the fall and track in the spring, but while I didn't know much about either, I had to at least acknowledge his willingness to run that much.

"What're you talking about? It ended ages ago, just like the local volleyball season." He shifted the weight of his bag to his other shoulder. "So? Whaddya say?"

I licked my bottom lip. "Sorry, Pax would get butthurt if I just up and ditched her like that. Maybe after?" I didn't miss the way Daniel's eyes darted briefly to follow the action, reminding me just how much of a man-child he still was.

Seemingly at a loss for words, he shook his head as if to clear it. "Alright, fine. Can I get one of those Gio hugs instead?" He held his arms open, asking the question with them too.

"No, but you can have the Daniel-is-a-daddy-long-legs hug," I joked. Daniel stared at me perplexed. I indicated for him to give me a hug. Face lit with understanding, he wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly for a second longer than he should have.

"Really Thisbeprived today, huh?" I smirked, letting go and patting his shoulder. "It's okay, the withdrawal symptoms will go away sometime between the next few months, or never. My longest diagnosis has been my mom; she's still very protective." I snickered.

"Well, I'm not desperate enough to be making up my own words," Daniel shot back, smiling broadly.

"Wow," I dragged out. "I've been roasted so hard. Better go throw my crisp marshmallow self away." Daniel snorted and waved as I took off to where Pax was waiting by the front office.

"Who's not boy crazy now?" Pax joked, slinging her arm over my shoulder. I put my own on her head, reminding her who was the shorter one. Pax pouted and settled for linking arms instead.

"Me," I returned. "Surely you jest." Pax shook her head at my posh accent and shoved my shoulder.

"Shut up, we both know that you have Gio and Daniel wrapped around your pinky." She cocked her head towards me, daring me to contradict her.

"Gio? Maybe. But Daniel? Where in the good universe did you come up with that idea?" I asked, genuinely baffled.

"Never mind," Pax huffed. "Let's just hurry before all my skin burns away." Of course, that 'hurrying' lasted a total of a minute and a half until Pax started to encounter people she knew from school or other places and made it her mission to exchange lengthy pleasantries with each and every one of them.

Pax completed her latest conversation with Miki Okudera, a popularly attractive Japanese-American girl in our grade, beginning to gripe to me, "Ugh, I'd hate Miki for being so pretty if she weren't so sweet." She fingered her own wavy, blonde hair with an unsatisfied expression.

"I'm fighting the urge to hit you," I told Pax bluntly. "As an Asian, I think I can speak for the collective when I say we've all wished at some point to have had hair like yours. 'Sides, not like you can do much about it unless you're willing to ruin your hair with dye."

"Might actually try that," Pax mulled. She dashed forward to open and hold the door for me and entered right behind. "Let's reconvene after a brief recess." I grinned at her reference and flipped through my folder, setting my pencil case to the side. Pax made herself comfortable in the seat across from me with her own papers stacked in front of her.

"Oh, exam season," I mumbled, pencil poised.

"Thissy," Pax moaned, her head on our table half an hour later, "Give me attention!" I tugged at my earbuds, pausing my podcast and discarding it and my phone to the side.

"Pax," I mimicked. "I already pay attention to you every day!"

"Thissy," Pax moaned, her head on our table, "Give me attention!" I tugged at my earbuds, pausing my podcast and discarding it and my phone to the side.

"Pax," I mimicked. "I already pay attention to you every day!"

"Yeah, but you pay attention to Daniel more now," she retorted with a pout. The tone of her voice shifted for a split second and I didn't fail to notice.

"Is Pax Greene jealous?" I asked incredulously. "Since when does that happen?"

Instead of answering, she switched the side of her head that was on the table to face the other direction like a wounded puppy.

With a half-snort, I poked her head with my pencil and said, "I'll stop our homework. Let's go do something fun. Wanna go visit V?" Instantly, she was up and packing her notes and pencils. My smile grew wider at the sight of her anticipation.

"When don't I ever? Hurry up, slowpoke!" Pax tugged at my shirt once before heading for the library's doors. I sent the librarian, who wore a rather unpleasant expression, an apologetic face as I put away my own things and followed Pax's trail.

"You're kidding, right?" Pax's voice was filled with disbelief at the sight of my umbrella.

"An umbrella can have multiple purposes, you know," I sniffed pompously. "If it can protect me against rain, it can give me some shade too."

She slid a hand down her face. "Permission to walk ten feet behind you and on the opposite side of the street?" I looked at her as though she were the strange one when we both knew who really was the weird one of the two.

"Granted," I laughed, unable to hold it back any longer. "Meet you at the café!"

Less than fifteen minutes later, we arrived at Tea End's doorstep. Pax was sweating unreservedly and she started to sputter in protest at the sight of my mostly dry face.

"No fair, you...you waterless monster," she cried, hints of humor appearing at the corners of her mouth.

I shrugged. "What'd I say?"

"Hey girls!" We approached the counter and Vanessa gave the both of us hugs over the counter.

"Looks like we just missed rush hour," Pax noted with relief.

Vanessa winced. "No, it's just starting. Look." Sure enough, there were cars piling into the parking lot and a few stragglers who were daring enough to brave the ever so hot weather were coming into view.

Pax groaned. "I hate crowded places—"

I cut her off before she finished her sentence. "No you don't. You hate places where it isn't proper etiquette or common to sit at a random table and start talking to total strangers like you're the best of friends." Vanessa nodded in agreement.

"Fine," she conceded. "But you gotta at least admit that it's kinda fun. Anyway, let's grab a table before we're trampled."

"Specials for us, please," I called as we hustled to a table near the café window. "If you can, make 'em cold."

"Anything for my lovely ladies!" Vanessa vanished into the back, where her engines began to hum to life. I could just hear her whistling over the cacophony of the machines.

But the first person to come into the shop wasn't a customer. In fact, just as Pax had begun to speak, her eyes went wide focused on something over my shoulder and her mouth opened as though she had been paused in the middle of a comment.

"You didn't tell me he worked here," she hissed. "I—" A ding interrupted her. "Shoot, my mom needs me home," she muttered with a quick glance at her phone.

"Okay," I answered slowly in confusion. "Love you!"

"Yeah, love you too." She ducked her head and rushed through the door.

"Poor Pax," a guy said sympathetically. "I wouldn't want to run to my house in this weather."

"Hey, Ellie," I greeted mischievously, "Fancy seeing you here."

'Stop calling me that," Daniel pursed his lips in mock frustration. "And I can't believe that out of all places, we run into each other here." He casually slid into Pax's seat.

"I wonder what my employee, who I pay, might I mention, is just lounging here," Vanessa pondered loudly, an eyebrow arched high.

"Here, Tee," she directed at me. "Your specials." She set down a pair of orange soda pops, undoubtedly made from her own oranges, on the table.

"Thanks," Daniel responded pointedly. He gripped a soda and took a purposefully loud, long sip.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Okay. You can have your quote-on-quote break right now, but hands down, you're totally closing up shop today."

Daniel scowled, the idea of having to lock up unnecessarily responsible. He consented after a few moments of consideration and Vanessa gave him a firm smack on the head before heading back to begin taking orders.

"So, anything new to report for another Beginnings at Tea End?" He steepled his fingers and watched me expectantly.

"I finished reading All the Light We Cannot See." I pulled the book from my bag and set it in between us on the table.

"And?" He prompted, leaning closer.

"It's really good. I don't normally read historical fiction, but damn," I grinned. "But I doubt a jock like you would find any fun in it."

Daniel's eyes gleamed at the unspoken challenge. "Bring it on."

That was all I needed. "Bet. You gotta read The Goldfinch, and for every time we have another meet like this, you should have something to start a talk with."

There was a second of silence and he took the bait. "Okay. Do you have it with you?" Instead of answering verbally, I reached back into my bag.

At the sight of it, Daniel's eyes became as big as saucers. "You want me to read all that? And have something smart to say? Please. I'm as stupid as they come!"

I waved it off. "Yeah, yeah. You took it and now you gotta come through." I raised my eyebrows, another unspoken thought shining in my eyes. He read it correctly and grabbed the book from my hands.

"Okay, whatever." I gave him a satisfied smirk. He made a face of his own before directing his attention to skimming through the book.

"Coffee?" I looked at the now empty sodas and back at Daniel, who was biting his lip in concentration. Oh, boy. There was that familiar twinge of whatever it was that I was starting to feel whenever I was around him. No, a crush was bad news. Better to keep it under wraps and try to leave it at a friendship. Besides, I was almost 80 percent sure that he and Pax had a thing. No reason to start anything not needed.

"Sure," he agreed faintly. "It's on me." I didn't bother to protest, having learned that he wouldn't have backed down even if I did.

"Be right back." I pushed out of my chair and gave Vanessa our orders, Daniel's money with it.

"Please don't go all soft on me," she sighed. "I can see it in your eyes. He's bad news, love. At least if you're wanting something in, you know, that way."

"What? No! No way," I denied quickly. "I'm smarter than that. I promise I'll be careful." She let me off with the drinks, bittersweetness laced into her smile. I stuffed whatever feelings I could even possibly harbor for or against Daniel into a box deep down and prepared to engage in some more talking.

"Thanks," he beamed. "I think I can start one now."

"Good." The corner of my mouth tugged upwards. "Let's have some fun."

Somehow, hours later, cups empty and souls full, we found ourselves gazing at the setting sun and the occasional car on the road pass by. Vanessa was already gone, entrusting the pair of us to close. It was peaceful and I was content. My thoughts trailed back for a moment to exactly two weeks ago when Candice had left and when there had been many a sad time.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Daniel held up a copper coin to my line of vision.

I breathed deeply. "Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a fairytale? Where fantastic things happen and you get to be part of something amazing."

He tilted his head. "I think the people with books live as though they are the fairytale. I wonder what it's like in the heads of people like you."

I reached over to punch his shoulder lightly. "What in the world happened to the f-boi in you? Where's the player? Cause this is more like philosopher Daniel."

"Special person, special side," he winked.

"I think I need to get home," I considered. I snatched the penny and picked up my bag. "Good times as always." Even I frowned inwardly at the abrupt change I'd made.

"Hey, Thisbe?" Daniel murmured suddenly, eyes locked on the horizon. "Next time, we'll call it a date, alright?"

"Sorry, what?" I craned my ears, hoping I'd heard wrong.

"Nothing, it was a joke," he laughed halfheartedly. "Lighten up. It's like one of those fantasy worlds of yours."

"Mine, right," I repeated, smiling softly. "Well, thanks again. We really do work well together."

"See you Monday," he waved. "Hopefully there'll be a big difference in this book by then."

We let our laughter trickle out along with the lights.

I feel like this is where it started to get darker and more serious. Still good times, but there was something in the air.

I wouldn't know because you didn't really let me in.

Are you being serious right now? Okay, whatever. You'll understand why later, I hope.

Or you'll see why I should be forgiven.

[word count 2475]

[(re)published 11:01 PM Wednesday, September 12, 2018 (GMT+9)]

cover by mochitaiyakis. i owe her much thanks(her poetry and covers are amazing).