BZZZZZ BZZZZZZ
My phone vibrated so loudly against my night table that it jolted me right out of my deep sleep.
My eyelids threatened to close as I looked at the screen of my phone in the dark. It was Ashton. Not that I wasn’t expecting him, but I didn’t think that he woke up at such ungodly hours of the morning. 8 AM is quite a stretch for the probability that it’s a time I would be awake and alert at.
And, of course, Ashton had texted me that age old question, “Are you awake?”
Sighing, I unlocked my phone and replied, “I am, now.”
“Meet me at the coffee shop downtown in 30 minutes,” he wrote, “You know, the one with the really good cappuccinos.”
“Alright, see you there,” I said.
And with that, I rolled out of bed and took the shortest shower of my life, possibly even record-breakingly, and got dressed really quickly.
I was very stressed. Not only did I not know why he was requesting my presence so early in the morning, I was extremely close to being late to the coffee shop, which was across town.
I ran out of my room and down the stairs to shove on my shoes. I didn’t know how much trouble I was going to be in for leaving without actively notifying my parents, so I left a note on the counter and hoped for the best. Checking my wallet for my bus pass and a couple dollars, I headed out.
///////////
Taking the bus early in the morning is not exactly the most pleasant experience, with most of the passengers being either hungover university students or the elderly on their way to bingo, but I made it. The bus dropped me off just down the street from where I was meeting Ashton.
In fact, I saw Ashton standing outside the coffee shop, his leg propped up against wall, waiting for me. When he caught my eye, he smiled his big smile and waved. I jerked my hand up at him, my sleeve catching most of the movement.
“Why hello there, my dramatic friend. Care for some coffee?” He greeted me in a genuine cheerful voice.
“Yes, please,” I said, “And I’m not that dramatic; it was one time.”
He just laughed and held open the door for me. The rush of warm air broke the crisp spring breeze and the essence of coffee was so strong it burnt my nostrils. They really did have the best cappuccinos.
We walked up to the counter and ordered, a medium with milk and sugar for me, he took it black. After receiving our beverages, we found a seat at the bar that looked out the window, onto the street.
“So, why did you want to meet me here so early?” I asked, being blunt about the matter.
