a dark night

chapter 3

" Will you girls just shut up and leave me in peace?" Mali groaned from the bed."I'm having a hard time trying to keep this headache at bay and you're not helping."She laid her hands on her face and sighed.ditto. My head felt like it was getting hit with a hammer. I don't know why I drank as much alcohol as I did, but I hated having a hangover. " for god's sake, Mali, you are a lightweight." katie replied.'' I look like shit and I feel even worse but you've just gotta get on with it. A hangover is not the end of the world. Get out of bed."Katie grabbed onto Mali's arm and pulled. Mali groaned and tried to slap her hand away."Well, do you want to go and get coffee?" I asked as I sat there wondering whether I should feel sorry for her.

Mali was the wrost for hangovers, or so she puts across. She was the first to get drunk, and the one who suffered the most in the morning. If I was her I wouldn't drink again but I guess with Katie and I as her best friends I guess she didn't really have a choice."no,why would I want to get up?" mali whined. Katie rolled her eyes."Honestly, girls, I'm dying. This isn't a false alarm." "Just get up, mail." she let out exasperated. Kaite never really had the patience to watch someone mope around feeling sorry for themselves. She hated negative attitudes more than anything. It was funny really considering Mali was really pessimistic. " leave her be." I said to kaite as I got up. " You and I will go for coffee, we'll leave Mali to sleep and maybe she'll feel better later." I reasoned. Kaite looked at me, sighed in defeat and nodded her head. Mali looked to me gratefully before laying her head back down on the pillow and closing her eyes.

" You best be feeling better when I come back." She pointed to mali. Mali gave her the middle finger before turning around with her back towards us. I pulled Katie out of the room." she is such a little bitch." she said but her eyes were light humor. Latie didn't mean anything she said. Bitch was her favorite word,I realized that after the first and second time she called me it. We all had such a funny friendship."but you love her." I stated.'' I couldn't live without you or her." she replied honestly. But that's why I loved friendship. We could mess about and insult each other all we wanted, but we all knew where we stood and we all knew we couldn't live without each other. " Save yourself." I winked in her direction before she fell in stride and we both made our way outside.

There was no wind yet the air felt cold. We made our way to the coffee shop just opposite of the building. The coffee shop was quite big. It wasn't massive and the queues were always big. It was quite popular around campus." go and get a table, i'll order the usual.'' I started as Katie nodded and walked off. The line wasn't big today thankfully. Infact, the place was quiet. It was usually busier than this. As soon as I got to the counter, my eyebrows shot to my hair line. It was him , xavier. He wore a stone faced neutral expression, I couldn't determine what he was thinking . He didn't look like he wanted to be here,it looked like he hated it.Maybe he was happy? I tried to see it, but couldn't.

"It's you." I said stupidly. Xavier lifted his eyebrow but his facial expression didn't change. Man, he was good. I didn't expect him to crack me a smile and kiss me on the cheek but he was working. Wasn't he meant to be a little more friendly and warm? He was icy cold."What are you ordering today?" he asked, his voice monotone. I didn't even know how he got the job here, he wasn't exactly customer friendly. " Just a caramel coffee and a plain latte please." I replied.Xavier nodded his head before getting it done. He moved around the place with so much fluid and grace, you wouldn't even believe he was as closed up as he looked.He had a large body and the workshop behind the counter looked so small with him in it.

I wondered what he was doing working in a coffee shop. Many students from here didn't have a job,they didn't need one but a lot of students worked around campus to earn money. That was obviously what Xavier was doing." Why are you working here?" I asked as he dumped the cups onto the counter. Curiosity was eating me away." is that any of your business?'' he replied dryly."well, no but-" "don't ask then." he snapped. " I was only asking." I replied. My eyebrows raised at his words. Someone was a little grouchy. He obviously didn't like me." well, for future reference, don't ask me anything." he shot back.

I kept my mouth closed and slammed down a 10 dollar bill as I took the 2 drinks as soon as he was done."Keep the change." I said. I was a little annoyed. I didn't want it to bother me but it did. Xavier didn't say a word. I suddenly found Katie at a booth near the window. I made my way over to her and slammed the two cups down on to the table." i am so annoyed with that fuck face.'' I ground out. "What's up?" Katie asked as she took a sip of her coffee as if nothing had happened.''what;s up is xavier works behind that counter, he must have only gotten the job, i don't know why though he's not exactly friendly." i rolled my eyes." you;re annoyed because of that?" Katie looked at me as if i were stupied No. it wasn't just that. Who cared if he worked here or not?

"No,I'm just annoyed because of the way he spoke to me, honestly Kat , you can feel the hatred rolling off of him. I only asked him a simple question." I clenched my jaw. I hated being spoken to like that. I hated knowing I was hated."Well,don't ask him a question then." I looked at her bluntly." Oh great advice.'' I applauded her sarcastically. She smiled."He's really got you knickers in a twist hasn't he?" I nodded." It's the sexuall tension. It does things to you." Katie's eyes twinkled with playfulness. I groaned and took a sip of my coffee.

Yeah, sexuall tension, you only feel that with people who have feelings. Xavier didn't even have one feeling, just the feeling he did with his hands. We stayed in silence just taking in the atmosphere and people watching as much as we could. I was grateful for the silence, and finally I was starting to calm down a little."the best thing to do is stay away from him. You woke up in his bed, no wonder he wasn't pleased." Katie suddenly spoke up. Looked at her. Stay away? Hadn't I tried? He works in the coffee shop where I like to visit regularly. " I still can't do that." I said." bit that means he lives next door to me.'' I continued. I groaned and again laid my head in my hands.

"That's a coincidence." she smirked like it was funny seeing her best friend suffering, but it wasn't. It didn't even bother me that he was next door, yet for some reason I couldn't help but feel dread and nervousness come over me at the thought. He hated me. He would probably drill my wall down whilst I'm sleeping, or bring girls home to be loud with, or get into my room and take my belongings." it's not funny, kaite!" I whispered, " He hates me." " I think he hates everyone." she noted. I nodded my head slightly. Mabey, but I was still convinced he hated me more than anyone. I woke up in his bed and he didn't not like that at all.

" I guess. But still, he's going to make my life hell." I looked down at my cup. The drink's steam hit my nose." if you don't talk to him he won't." she shrugged like it was not a big deal.'' I don't think he'll talk to you if you don't talk to him." " you think so?" " from what i know, i guess." I nodded my head anyway and I knew I was going to have to take her advice." I think he likes being alone,Em, as long as you don't ruin that then you'll be fine." she replied honestly. I couldn't imagine myself being so alone. I couldn't imagine myself being with no one. Everyone needed a friend and someone to talk to, didn't they? I didn't know him, but I knew he needed someone, everyone did.

" I can hear the cogs turning in that brain of yours." kaite said as she slipped her drink." "you're overthinking again.: i always did. "I'm not.'' I lied. Kaite rolled her eyes. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I saw Xavier coming up to our table. I could feel him before I saw him, I could feel the warmth of his body. Kaite nearly spluttered her coffee all over herself, I kicked her from under the table. ''Have you finished?" he asked again in a neutral voice. Kaite gave me a look when I didn't reply. I continued to look at my cup. I didn't want him having a go at me again, or maybe I was just being childish and giving him the silent treatment even though I was sure he'd prefer that.

" We have, thanks" kaite replied. Xavier nodded and grabbed hold of the two cups. He looked at me for a second before leaving." The tension." kaite said as she grabbed her bag.''he's extremely sexy, but i see what you mean about not wanting to be here.'' She shook her head. " He took my cup." I replied childishly."I'm sure Xavier will get you another cup if you wish." "no thank you." I replied petulantly. I grabbed my stuff and got up from the chair. We both made our way to the door. I looked behind me and Xavier was standing there behind his counter, he was looking at me through those brown hooded eyes, but as soon as my eyes met his, he turned around, giving me the view of his back. I turned around and continued walking." I saw him looking at you." kaite whispered into my ear as she pulled me down the road."shut up." was my only reply. He was probably plotting my death.