During the Thunderstorm (Natural Disaster) ✔

Chapter Sixteen

Sunday Funday my ass.

Ally hadn't known a Sunday without schoolwork for 22 years. She didn't get where the phrase came from or when it started applying because she hadn't experienced it yet.

What she knew was that tomorrow—Sunday—she was going to live through another Sunday not Funday.

She was partly to blame. She could have started working on her essays this past week when she had free time. Or she could start them today, but there was no bone in her body willing to do much.

She needed the adrenaline of having a deadline looming over the horizon. And by looming, she meant the very same next day.

Procrastination was a complete mystery that worked wonders but also made you curse Sundays.

She exhaled, already feeling tired of how much she had to do the next day. She was a bit worried; she was seriously considering starting one essay right away.

As she eyed the large pile of books on her desk, she cursed her teachers for ruining her entire weekend. Sunday didn't suffice any longer. Misery Saturday had to join the team too.

Wonderful.

Cracking her knuckles, though she ended up hurting her middle finger because she never learned, Ally strode to her desk and was overwhelmed by where to start.

She exhaled.

With hunched shoulders, she prepared herself for the tedious work of organizing and prioritizing. As she schemed, she concluded it all should wait until tomorrow.

But no. Tomorrow you'll end up having to fall asleep at 1 AM, if not later, and then be cranky for the rest of next week. And Federico will tease you about it all week long.

That was if Federico went back to the café and spent more evenings studying with her, more like interrupting her studying time. This could explain why she had more workload than usual.

Somehow, she wasn't angered or frustrated about the fact.

She didn't mind it.

And she wondered if Federico was in the same position as her and if that would prevent him from going—

Her phone chimed and she frowned. It was early for Cole to be writing in the chat, for Alex to be complaining, and for Hunter to be trying to bring back the peace. Unless it was Rhys reporting about his date, which he never did. Never. Ally was lucky if he told them at all who she was and what she looked like.

She caught her phone and lifted it.

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. She had never expected him to text her. She had forgotten she had his number in the first place.

Federico: Do you think Lutto is open today?

Allegra: I don't know. I've never been there on weekends.

Allegra: In need of a caffeine shot?

Federico: Maybe...

What did that mean?

She pressed her lips together as her heart jumped to her throat.

Should she ask him if he wanted to go there together? To see if the place was open and if they could get a bit of study time together. Only a bit, because she knew they would end up chatting and laughing.

She hesitated for a moment.

Before she could decide on what to do, Fede texted again.

Federico: I might or might not have drunk a bit too much last night. Still out of Black tea.