Right Person Too Late

chapter 14

Arsema

"Damn all these beautiful girls."

Song: Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston

Me: hey u free today?

Noah: Sorry but no, I've got training with Miles then a team dinner.

Noah: Why what's up?

Me: nth, just asking

Me: have fun thoooo:)))

I finished my classes at 12 today when I realised that I have nothing to do for the rest of the day and that I'm caught up with all my classes. Harper and I have plans for dinner but that's not for hours and Mia's at work so I was hoping that Noah or Miles would be free to hang out. But now I'm alone and have absolutely no plans or shit to do. As I'm sulking my way back home, dragging my feet, an idea hits me. I should ask my book club to meet up, but with my luck they'll all be busy too.

* * *

"It's been so long since we met up you guys! We need to schedule more book dates." I exclaim, hugging the three girls from my book club that just entered PoppySeeds, the cafe I've been waiting in for the past hour. Despite how quaint and pretty it is - with its pale yellow walls, embroidered curtains and mismatched furniture adorned with table arrangements of sunflowers and lilies - I was starting to get a bit fidgety having nothing to do but scroll through Pinterest and make more playlists on Spotify.

"You're telling me, I was beginning to forget we even had a club." Crystal sighs, throwing her bag on the floor before dropping down into a seat at my booth table.

Although we're both doing law, Crystal Murphey and I couldn't be any more different. She's studying defense law - something we argue about so many times, about the fact that she'll be defending actual criminals in a couple years. But she says she's only in it for the big money defense lawyers make though - whereas I'm focusing on human rights. She's got this bright pink hair that's constantly changing colours and is extremely out there, not caring who knows what about her. She's also in this cool band of hers - Souls - who play rock at our local cafe/bar, not my usual cup of tea, but they're amazing.

"Eeee I'm so glad you texted us, Ari, I was going to say something if none of you spoke up soon!" Jacinta squeals, giving me another tight squeeze before sliding into the booth next to me. "Where'd you find this place by the way? It's so cute!"

Jacinta Harvey. A literal ray of sunshine who's always smiling no matter the weather and has the ability to bring a smile onto your face too. She constantly talks in exclamation marks and is the dictionary definition of the 'IT' cottage-core girl. Always with her blonde hair in waves, in the cutest summer dresses and cardigans, and if it's winter she'll just add a jumper and stockings. Which is why it makes sense why she's studying children therapy and something in childcare stuff.

"Have we not come here before? This is basically my third home away from home, the second being the city Dymocks, of course."

"Uh, duh. Who's second home isn't Dymocks? No one here better say it's not." Aisha pips in with a light-hearted warning glare to everyone at the table.

Aisha Ali, the fourth in our little book pack. An extreme women's rights Hijabi feminist that's always leading protests or human rights demonstrations of any kind - which is why she always helps me with organising the Tigray protests I lead as a part of the Tigrayen Youth Association. The two of us met in a Is It Really Justic? workshop our second year and when she saw the books I'd just bought we spent the next couple hours talking about them non-stop. She's one of the toughest people I know and refuses to take anybody's bullshit, and is always dressed to the nine's.