Riley Hayes is a teenager you can't help but admire. She's smart, kind, and undeniably pretty. But beneath her cheerful exterior lies a heavy burden.
From a young age, Riley has had to provide for her family and herself. The weight of responsibility...
Time flies, and now I'm in college. I have to work every day to support my mother and myself.
I work at Uncle Luke's café because my working hours are adjusted to my college hours. He doesn't pay me much, but I'm happy to be able to earn extra money and help him.
My last class is over. The professor dismissed us from class. I quickly packed my things to leave, but my friends Maia and Nicholas approached me and asked if I could go with them.
"Sorry, Maia, I can't," I said.
"Why not? We haven't gone out together for a long time," she said with a sad face.
"I have to work," I explained.
"But your shift hasn't started yet, right?" asked Nicholas with a smile.
I shook my head. "I have to come early to help Uncle. Since it's Friday night, it's bound to be crowded."
I met Maia and Nicholas by accident in the library when we were freshmen, and we've been close ever since.
I love being friends with both of them.
Maia has a very cheerful and brave character. She is very beautiful and has body goals that all teenage girls like me desire. No wonder so many guys are chasing her.
As for Nicholas, he's the coolest guy I know. His demeanor is so relaxed and calm. As for his face, there was no doubt that many girls in our class were chasing him. But none of them could steal his attention.
At first, I thought Nicholas was dating Maia, but it turned out that they were just friends since high school.
"How about we come with you to the café? We can hang out there and help you with your work," Nicholas suggested.
I thought hesitantly. "Are you sure? I'll be busy later, so I won't be able to accompany you there. I don't want to burden you guys anyway."
They looked at each other and nodded towards me without any objection. "We just want to spend time with you. It's been a long time since the three of us got together," Maia said as she put her arm around me and walked to the parking lot.
We got in Nicholas' car and went to the café. When we arrived, Uncle Luke greeted us warmly. I introduced them to each other. I showed them around the café, and they admired the cozy atmosphere and the aroma of the coffee.
"This place looks great, Ry," Nicholas commented as he looked around the café.
"Yeah, it's cozy and relaxing," Maia added as she sat down at one of the tables.
We chatted for a while as I recommended to them what food and drinks were good here. Then I left them to work.
While I was making coffee for a customer, Nicholas and Maia were helping me with other tasks, as the café was getting busier by the afternoon.
We chatted and laughed as we worked, making the time pass quickly. Today, my work didn't feel so hard because they were by my side.
✨✨✨
"So, who is this Nicholas?" Uncle Luke asked.
My forehead frowned at his question. "Uh, he's just a friend," I said.
He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Just a friend? Are you sure about that?"
I was a little confused by what my uncle meant. "Yeah, I'm sure. He is my best friend."
Uncle Luke chuckled. "Well, what if he likes you?"
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Uncle. That's ridiculous."
"But from the way he looks at you, I can tell that he likes you. What if it's true?" Uncle Luke remained adamant, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I sighed. I knew Uncle Luke was just teasing me, but it still made me feel uncomfortable.
"But unfortunately, we're just friends," I replied, reassuring him.
Uncle Luke grinned. "Alright, alright. I'll stop it for now. But you never know, Riley. Love can come from unexpected places."
I shook my head but couldn't help but smile. Despite the teasing, I was grateful to have someone to talk to about my life. And I already considered Uncle Luke like my own father. He loves me like his own daughter.
Thanks to him, I can feel the love of a father.
Sometimes, I do miss the happy family life that I see on television or even a group of families coming to a café to go out to eat together.
But I know, I can't complain about it all and I'm quite grateful for what I have right now.
I turned my gaze towards my friends who had sat back down at the corner table. When I turned around, Nicholas was waving at me. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him and wondered if there was something more between us.
Does he like me?
While I was pensively thinking about what my uncle said earlier, I felt that someone was watching me, so I turned around and saw someone I had never seen in this café before, sitting at a table by the window, looking at me. He smiled faintly at me. I could see his charisma and his well-built body. Maybe if this was Maia, she would have happily returned the smile flirtatiously, but not me.
I don't smile easily with people I don't know. It's not that I'm arrogant or unfriendly. I'm not like that. I just try to keep my distance from people I don't know because I've experienced the unpleasant trauma of being too friendly with someone.
So, I quickly looked away without returning the smile, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Did he know me?
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Hey everyone...
I apologize if my writing is still not good, and if it's still short I'll try to make it longer next time 😉
Do you think Nicholas likes Riley as Uncle Luke said?
Who has been watching Riley since earlier? Can you guess?
