Road trip

2- Thank you

We hit the small coffee shop that we had always come to. Austin stood at the counter as I grabbed us a small window table and waited for him to return.

He brought the hot chocolates and small truffles over sitting opposite me. He handed me my drink, which had twice the whipped cream on it, and took a sip of his own.

I put the cup to my lips and let the warm liquid rush through my body. We had made this a tradition too, hot chocolate after we visit her. It was my favorite drink and it always made me feel better, a fact Austin knew well.

He had brought me hot chocolate from here when I went through my first break up. I was fourteen at the time and I thought it was the end of the world. Obviously I know that's not true now, I have had a few boyfriends since then, none of which were 'good enough for me' as Austin put it each time we would drink hot chocolate while I cried.

Somehow his hugs and attention always helped ease the pain and I knew that he would forever be my best friend aside from Molly.

"What's on your mind A?" He asked as I swallowed my hot chocolate and pulled the cup away from my face.

"Nothing, I'm just thin.." I stopped when I noticed he was holding back a laugh. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing, you just.." he leaned over the table and brushed his thumb over my top lip. "Had a little cream on your lip." He was close enough I could feel his breath on my face.

He looked down at me as I looked up at him and I caught the small fleck of green in his usually blue eyes. He had his thumb held out to the side, the cream still piled up on top of it as he put his thumb in his mouth and licked it off, shooting me a wink before he sat back down and chuckled.

"That would be embarrassing, but at least it's just you." I rolled my eyes playfully as he continued to laugh at me.

"Ouch, you wound me." He held his hand over his heart dramatically as he continued to laugh.

It was at that moment that the doorbell to the coffee shop chimed and the sound of high heels clicked over the floor. I scrunched my nose at the smell of her overbearing perfume and without even looking I knew it was no other than Jessica Adams.

Jessica was what a cliche movie would label as the popular girl of the school. She had tanned perfect skin, dark curly hair and big brown eyes and she had left us alone the whole time we had grown up, until this year.

Austin had gotten a full scholarship for baseball and suddenly after their epic season last year, everyone had started taking notice of him, including Jessica.

"Hey Austin." She said in her high pitched, flirtatious tone. "Anna." She didn't even turn to face me as she almost grunted my name.

I rolled my eyes again as a small smirk twisted the corner of Austin's mouth. He knew she couldn't stand me, and other than her annoying voice and recent persistence to climb my best friend, I didn't dislike her, I mean I didn't really know her.

"What's up?" He said sipping his hot chocolate again.

"I just wanted to invite you to a party this weekend, it's at my house and the rest of the team is coming?" She twirled her finger around her hair.

"Sorry Jessica, I already have plans this weekend." He said looking at me.

Of course he wanted to go, but his secret crush and all time favorite singer, Hailee Steinfield was playing in the next town over, and I had saved my allowance for three months to buy us both VIP tickets so he could live out his dream of meeting her in person.

"Better than the party of the year? Come on Austin, Everyone is going to be there!" She pouted and I could see him trying not to be mean to her as she did so.

"Yeah sorry, I'll be out of town this weekend. Maybe next time though?" He smiled at her and I swear she was about to jump his bones right here in the shop.

"Okay then. Your loss." She rolled her eyes before saying goodbye to him, ignoring me, and strutting off out of the store.

I tried to bite back a grin, but then decided that teasing him was so much more fun.

"Oh Austin," I imitated a high pitch annoying girl voice as I twirled my hair around my finger. "I just can't believe you're not coming to my party so i can have my dirty little way with you. I really need a big strong guy in my life... GAG!" I laughed as he threw a napkin at me.

"You know, the only people I would ever trust to have their dirty little way with me is.. no scratch that... I only have one person left I would .. you know what it doesn't matter." He stumbled on his words.

"Austin Tyler Daniels, if I knew better I would say you were implying that I have my dirty little way with you." I teased.

"Anna Rose Phillips." He mimicked my tone. "I plead the fifth." He laughed as my mouth opened and I laughed with him.

We joked for a while before we both calmed down and he got a somber look on his face. "Seriously A, I love you so much, I'm really excited for us to take this trip, even if it does leave me one of the only male virgins on the college campus."

"I love you too. On the bright side, your bestie here will be in the same boat, just a short drive away on another campus. Speaking of which, are we apartment hunting before or after the trip?" I asked suddenly curious.

"Definitely before. Actually I have one to send you when I get home. My dad found it, apparently it's closer to your campus than mine, but only by a few minutes and he said it's in a decent area."

"Cool, just send it to me." I smiled as we stood up and walked back to his car.

Once he drove me home he walked me to the door like he always did and pulled me into a hug. Days like today, the days where we would visit her were always hard, and no matter how much we changed the conversation after, I knew that for me I wouldn't sleep much tonight. Every time we went she would invade my dreams and telling Austin goodbye left me to be alone to do it .

"It's going to be okay A. We are going to be okay. I really think she is smiling down on us." He whispered as I squeezed him a little tighter. "Now go get you some rest."

I nodded before turning to my door as he began to walk away.

"Austin?"

"Yeah?" He turned around.

"Thank you." I smiled at him before turning the handle and going to my room to endure the sleepless night that was inevitable.