nothing is temporary

two | puppy breath

Jack called me early the next morning, which was surprising to say the least. I thought after a couple nights ago when I dropped the no dating bomb that it was over, I ruined my chances of joining their friend group.

"Hello?" I croaked.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty! Me and the homies are getting breakfast at Myrna's, wanna come?" He cheered. How was anyone this cheerful in the morning?

"Uhm... sure. What time?"

"Well, I'm actually in your kitchen sipping coffee with your aunt right now."

I blanched and hung up. What the fuck?

I ran a brush through my hair and brushed my teeth, throwing on a light green sun dress and swiping deodorant on my pits before I braided my hair down my back.

"There she is!" Aunt Trish smiled. "Jack here is taking you on a little date, yeah?" She wiggled her eyebrows and I groaned.

"Not a date, Trish. We're just great friends, right Cassidy?" He flashed me his winning smile that always made me rethink that rule.

"Mhm. Ready?" I said, grabbing my knit purse.

"Bye kids! Jack, tell your dad I said hello, yeah?"

I rolled my eyes before shutting the door. Jack opened my door for me and we didn't speak until he started driving down the road.

"What are you doing?" I asked him finally. If there was one thing about me, i didn't sugarcoat. Let's cut to the bullshit and move on.

"Taking a friend with me to breakfast, what does it look like I'm doing, Cassidy Monarch?"

"It looks like you have an ulterior motive, Jack Vaughn."

He grinned at me. "You're hiding something, and I intend to find out what it is. I like you, Cassidy, and I'm gonna change that no dating rule of yours. You'll see."

Both our eyes returned to the road as I watched him pull into a small seaside diner; Myrna's.

"Darling Cass!" Mia said, pulling out the chair beside her. Jack sat at the table across from me. "It's been too long, my love, how have you been?"

"It's been 2 days, Mia." Chase rolled his eyes and mine fell to my lap before i perked up. I was not going to let him ruin my morning.

"I've been good." I smiled, leaning into her shoulder.

"Cass! So, we all have these little bracelets that I make. Everyone has a different color based off their aura to me, and I made you one. You're kind of part of the gang now. It was Jack's idea." Sunny said.

"Was it now?" I glanced up at him to see him blushing. Sunny handed me a baby pink bracelet with metal beads that said CJTMSC.

"Chase, Jack, Topher, Mia, Sunny, Cass." She smiled at me. I looked around at everyone else's and saw an extra C was added, even Chase's. Chase's bracelet was black, Topher's was yellow, Jack's was a forest green, Mia's was red, and Sunny's was baby blue.

"I love it. Thank you Sunny." I gave her a small hug before our food came out.

"You guys were taking forever so Mia ordered for y'all." Chase said.

"Hope you like avocado toast." She winked at me.

"Love it." I giggled.

"Topher? You're awfully quiet this morning." Jack nudged him; his head was laying in the crook of his arm on the table.

"The shelter didn't have enough room for these puppies that were brought in yesterday, so I told Lisa I'd take them home. They kept me up all fucking night because I have to keep them in my room and Jessie has to sleep on the couch. I think she's jealous of them."