***

Mandy searched around for Cali, her eyes darting among the crowd. She nervously clutched her coffee and tightened her scarf. The hot drink in her hand was burning her skin, causing her to switch it around every few seconds. She didn't want to get a table without Cali, and her social anxiety didn't allow her to, either. Putting her bottom lip in between her teeth, she shifted her weight from one foot from another irritatingly. How could she always be late? Mandy didn't remember an occasion when Cali wasn't late, at least when she didn't come with Mandy. A tap on her shoulder scared har, her coffee tipping over and a part of it spilling on the ground. She groaned and turned around, seeing an apologetically smiling Cali. They both ran across the street and into the cafe, the cold wind hitting them and making them shiver. Pushing the door, they entered the warm, cozy atmosphere. Mandy rolled her eyes and nudged her shoulder, while Cali talked to a waitress about a table.

They sat down near a window, although there wasn't much to look at outside except a gloomy day and old, hideous cars with black smoke coming out of their backs. Cali shrugged her coat off and hanged it on her chair, while Mandy took her scarf off and set it down on the table. Taking a sip of her now warm coffee, Mandy asked her, "How're things going with Chad?"

Cali made an annoyed face, replying with a simple "Okay," making Mandy laugh a little. "Tell me, you idiot, what did he do this time?" Cali put her face into her hands, rubbing her eyes and sighing.  "You're an annoying little bitch, you know that?"

Mandy chuckled, raising her hand and pretending to hit her, causing them both to laugh a little. Something in Mandy's bag vibrated, which Cali with her big brain guesses to be her phone. She took it out, looking at the notification and letting out a loud squeal. Cali peeked over, wanting to see who it was, but she couldn't reach her eyes far enough. Mandy set the phone down, reaching over and grasping her hands, barely speaking from excitement. "It's him! Cali it's hiiim!" She emphasized the second him, stretching out the "I"  as if Cali didn't already know she was over the clouds with excitement. "He hasn't texted since my 17th birthday!" 

Cali slurped her iced coffee, her go-to order even though it was already November. "Exactly the point, Amanda. Your birthday was in June."

Mandy rolled her eyes and hovered her thumbs over the keyboard. Cali looked over again, pretending to not care but slyly asking, "What did he text you, anyway?" Mandy giggled and said with pride, "Wyd?", making Cali choke on her drink. It was funny to think how these three letters made Mandy happier than all of Cali's attempts to make her laugh this month. Her wish for Mandy happy didn't really go as planned. Fate really twist your wishes, isn't that true?

"Did you really just get this excited over "Wyd"? God, I really want to kill you sometimes." Cali sighed, finish the last drops of the cold drink, before urging Mandy to finish her brownie soon so she could go buy the new sneakers she had been eyeing. Mandy scarfed down the remaining brownie, while frantically asking Cali what to text him back. Cali rolled her eyes, put on her coat and replied: "Nothing. U?:)". Calling the waitress over for the bill, they split it and went back into the cold streets. Mandy smiled in triumph when she hit send, following Cali outside the cafe. Cali hummed to herself, while Mandy rambled on about what she was going to wear on the date that didn't even exist yet. She suddenly stopped talking about the cute crop top she was going to wear when the man walking beside them smacked her ass and said: "Nice ass you got there blondie." 

Cali stopped dead in her tracks,  turning around in a second and calling after the dickhead: "What did you say, you fucking prick?' As expected, the man turned around with anger in his eyes. "Keep your mouth shut," followed by muttering under his breath, "fucking sluts." Cali decided that was enough, walk-runned the small space between them, and punched him in the face. The man roared with all of his strength, while Cali just grabbed Mandy's hand and ran away. She looked back and yelled: "Fucking prick, you ever come near us again, you're screwed." WIth laughter lining her words, they turned the corner and finally stopped when they saw a little park they could hide in. Cali almost collapsed on the grass laughing, while Mandy stood there with a scared expression. In every encounter like this, Cali ended up laughing like a maniac with Mandy standing there, scared of going to jail. Cali always got her something sweet to cheer her up, but this time a chime from her phone did the trick. Squealing, she opened the text and screamed. "He asked to hang out! Cali! Come here!" Cali stopped laughing and put on her excited expression, looking in her phone to confirm it. 

Almost passing off as happy, Cali asked: "Where are you going?" Mandy shrugged her shoulders, still waiting for a text back. Even she realized Cali wasn't happy about this, and just assumed it was because of his playboy status. To be fair, he did treat her like trash sometimes. But most of the time, he was sweet. He ghosted her for some amount of time, but he came back, didn't he?

Cali patted her shoulder, wrapping her arm around her shoulder and said: "I don't want you to get hurt again, you know." Mandy just clamped her palm over Cali's elbow. "I know silly, but I'm not made of porcelain."

Cali sighed. For her, Mandy was made of porcelain. Seeing her vulnerable made her feel some type of way only she  could make her feel. Well, she couldn't protect her always, could she now?

***

I know both of the chapters aren't long, but that's how I prefer to write so sorry in advance! How did you enjoy this one? Seeing Mandy get blatantly lied to by a boy made me sad :( Cali being the badass she is and punching catcallers is my new favorite thing:)))

 Once again reminding you this is a fanfiction for a  book "My Swan" by Tricia Dehler. Because of some weird glitch, I can't tag her :(

Word Count: 1,012

Love,

Talia