Olive Green [GxG]

CHAPTER 19

There it was, spring in full swing. The weather was definitely nicer, more friendly but still could be better. However, I couldn't complain when most of the time I spent somewhere was inside, away from nature's power. Kind of.

  My friends, as bright as they were, always found a place to hide from the sudden rainy weather. Well, we mostly spent our time at school, anyway. However, that café where Henry was having his part-time job was our second most common place. And I couldn't complain since I liked their beverage offer.

  "-thinkin' 'bout workin' at that library over the summer," I heard Jade say.

  My attention was almost the whole time at the outside world where some people were walking their dogs while some kids were going back home from school. It was relaxing - to watch these people and wonder about their lives. But then again I felt a little bad for not paying attention to my friends. And so, I turned my head to Jade who was now talking about her plans for summer, it seemed.

  "What a great life of young adults," mumbled Henry, "workin' even before startin' to work."

  "Too sad you wouldn't be able to buy so many useless things otherwise," Leah countered from across me, to which Henry flipped her off.

  "Don't be so dramatic," Jade rolled her eyes. "I have nothing else to do over the summer anyway."

  Amani nodded in a sign of agreement while she seemed like she was still paying more attention to her phone than the ongoing conversation. When we are at this part of the year, it would be nice to say one thing - we were both accepted to the same school and both of us still wanted to go there. I was going to stay being a classmate with one of my friends, it seemed. How lovely. The thought of someone I knew, who was going to stay around a little longer, made me feel more sure, safe even. Even though it wouldn't be the first time I was supposed to go alone to a new school, I did feel relieved that it was not the case this time.

  I sighed, taking a sip of my hot chocolate that was no longer really hot. I was staring out of the window for a quite while, after all. Although now I had no chance of burning my tongue, which was good.

  "Sidney? Are you gettin' summer job too?" Jade asked, glancing at me from behind her latte. Blinking, I nodded. "Where?"

  "I-uh, I'm gonna spend the break at my father's and babysit Zoé."

  At least that was the plan for now. Who knows how the time can change our decisions, right? But I was excited. First time in France for a long holiday. I knew only very little of the language since it was not very easy for me to learn languages... I was excited, nonetheless.

  "Cool," Leah blurted out, making me raise my eyebrows in a quiet question. I had no idea what was so cool about that plan. A different country? Probably. My parents being divorced? Not so much. Babysit a baby? Not fun for many.

  "Wait, like in France?" Amani asked, just to make sure, I guessed.

  Nodding, I took another sip of my cooling-down chocolate and chuckled: "Yeah, in the city of fashion."

  Leah raised her eyebrows at me and I only shrugged. I said what I said. How else could I describe the capital of the said country? My words may have been a bloody cliché but well, yeah, Paris, the cliché. If you ask for my opinion.

  The topic changed quite quickly after that, leaving me with my thoughts again. Not that it was bad but I didn't really know what to think about. All I could do was to watch people outside. Which got boring after a short while. And the conversation my friends were having wasn't really interesting to me either.

  Leah and Jade were discussing a visit to the cinema while Amani was switching her attention between them and her phone. Even Henry and Liam were paying more attention to them. Well, obviously if they had something they themselves wanted to watch. Deciding in a group what to watch was sometimes harder than one would have thought.

  As I had nothing better to do, I took out my phone too. They could go to the cinema any day, for all I cared and I would most likely decline. For sure if it would be supposed to happen on Saturday - on these days I already had plans. Well, most Saturdays, at least. And so, not really eager to participate in the ongoing conversation, I opened Sudoku. That one stayed with me longer than any other mobile games, which was probably good as this one was for the brain. A really needed thing sometimes.

  "What 'bout you, Sid? Taggin' along?" Leah asked, making me sigh internally. But then I just shrugged, glancing down at my phone:

  "Not sure yet."

  "You've been busy lately," Jade stated, to which Leah nodded in agreement. I only raised my eyebrows at them. I was not busy. Not really. Only once in a while, not even every week, I hung out with Ava.

  "Anyone interesting there?" Leah asked, propping her elbows on the table while she gave my phone a curious look. But once again, she was wrong. I was not busy nor did I have any love interest. That thing with Ava was supposed to end by summer. Not that we had discussed that yet. And so, I just shook my head.

  There was only silence around us suddenly like the two girls were deciding if they should believe me or not. I was definitely hoping for the latter so I spoke again: "Starting a relationship at the end of high school is stupid anyway, y'know?"

  My words seemed to bring the attention of the rest too even though Amani's was soon back to her phone and coffee. I blinked at others who kept on being silent. There was some truth in my words, I was sure. Those relationships were bound to end since people got separated after the end of the school year. Be it college or actual work.

  "You got a point," Liam mumbled, to which he took a sip of his coffee that had no chance of being still... well, as warm as a coffee should be. And no, he didn't have an iced one.

  "Thanks, I always do."

  "So if not busy with that, what is it then?" Jade asked curiously, making me and Liam roll our eyes. I liked that guy. Relatable and not too curious and annoying.

  "Can't I have a privacy in life?"

  Maybe we were friends but I did talk about these things only with my Luton friends. That was if they asked and it wasn't too much - which they thankfully did not do, yet, and I was glad since Ava was still not out and wasn't gonna be anytime soon. Most likely.

  "I just wanted to know why so secretive," Jade shrugged, to which Leah quickly nodded in agreement. Such a nice friendship they had.

  Shrugging, I sighed: "'Cause it's nothing, and if I wanted to, I would tell y'all."

  "'Kay."

  Shaking my head, I drank the rest of my almost-cold drink. I should get another one... I didn't even know for how long we were planning on staying there, not that I wanted to go home already. The café was a very nice and comfortable place to spend time at.

  "I'm gettin' another choco," I announced as I stood up, making a few of my friends glance in my direction. "Any special wishes?"

  "I'll go with you," Jade smiled at me while Henry gave us his order for some chocolate cake. I could definitely understand him. This place was worth spending our money. Well, not sure about the cakes yet, but I was sure that I would find out someday soon.