Citrus [completed]

Chapter 5

The sun warms my face as I lean back into my seat. I feel a quick breeze flow by, teasing a few strands of my hair. I would enjoy it while it lasted before the winter weather comes to replace the weak sunlight. After living in California all my life and suddenly switching to the east coast weather freshman year, winter had quickly become my favorite.

Blair had quickly set up a get together among our friends. Our small group had picked up an old tradition that if we were all free, we would meet up right outside of the Javanut coffee cafe on campus. It was a peaceful place for us to come together and do schoolwork or just relax and catch up.

Eden, who had arrived with more papers in his hands than in his bag, had thrown all the papers down onto the table. They scattered, the wind even threatening to lift some off the table before I weighed them down with my drink. Eden threw me a quick smile before heading towards the counter to order and most likely fluster the new barista.

Blair was ignoring the books in her bag to peer over Eden's papers. Glory flipped through her textbooks, and I suspected, barely noticed Eden's arrival. This wasn't out of character for Glory. Eden left the blushing barista and came back sipping on a strong-smelling cup of coffee.

"What are these?" Blair questioned before he sat down, not hiding the fact that she had read through most of the papers. Eden took a long sip of his coffee and made a show of swallowing loudly and sighing.

"These, my intrusive love bug, are all the notes I've gathered for what will be my most popular article of the year," Eden said. I look at the small stack that accumulated onto our table. To say it impressed me was an understatement. The semester had only been going for a few weeks, and I didn't consider half of what happened to be newsworthy.

"What is your article about, that could justify killing that many trees?" I playfully snipe. Eden rolls his eyes in an irritated fashion.

"What else other than the hot topic of the Colby siblings,"

"He's still terrorizing them?" Glory asks Blair under her breath and I snicker at the sentiment. Eden, ever the terror, smiles over at her.

"Yes. Since the paper is full of softball topics we decided to do a piece of where everyone is from and I have the perfect in as their orientation guide. I'm just asking the basics questions,"

"So what's all this for?" I circle my fingers over his large pile of paper. If his article is just basic questions he couldn't possibly need more than a paper or two.

"This is just basic background," Eden snobbishly proclaims, "A talented journalist already knows the answer to the basic questions,"

Blair says smacking her lips, "You're just stalking them,"

"And apparently," Eden continues as if Blair hadn't interrupted, "Vanessa is a culinary major. I wonder if she'll do a small segment where she offers cooking advice." Eden says casually as he flips through the papers in front of him. He's lost in his world of possibilities.

I hum accordingly as I sip my tea. I relax further back into my chair and ponder her major. If Vanessa can cook as she bakes, she is going to go far in her industry. The pie had been the shit. No contest. "If she cooks as she bakes, that's a good idea," I mutter into my cup as I scratch an item off my to-do list as I finish up Fashion Theory homework.

My eyes come back up as I feel the table wobble dangerously on its uneven legs. There is a set of bewildered eyes that rest on me as Eden leans onto the table towards me. "Why would you say that?" Eden cocks his head.

I hold back my urge to curse. I know better than to talk carelessly around Eden, who is programmed to pick apart words looking for meaning.

"Did Vanessa Colby cook for you?" Eden yells. I actively shush him as heads turn towards our table with confused and curious gazes. I feel my face slightly warm as I narrow my eyes at him.