Read Between the Lines

Chapter 1: Getting in her nerves

MICHELLE's POV

"Pumpkin spice latte."

She looked sideways at the voice echoing her and she let out a small laugh. The barista shot them both a confused glance and looked between the two of them. She then flashed a bright smile to the other girl standing next to her and took a step back.

"My bad," she held up her hands. "You go ahead."

The girl shot her a polite tight smile and turned back to the barista, repeating her order. She didn't see much of her except her curly hair that seemed to be in perfect tune. But the detail registered and slipped away just as quick. Today was one of those days. She was certain all of her professors hated her. And while she had a long history of being kind of a Lasallian troublemaker since high school and of teachers not being particularly fond of her except for the fact that she's a daughter of a famous personality in the country, she was kinda hoping that would change now that she's in her last year of college. After all, she'd been dead set on proving her parents wrong. They had strongly disagreed with her decision to study literature, when everyone in her family followed the tradition and went to business or med school. Or for worse, showbiz. When she told them she wanted to study literature, they'd accused her of choosing the easy way out and had been more than willing to let her know she wouldn't last a month.

She wanted so badly to prove them wrong because the main reason she had gone into literature because she loved it. Because it fascinated her. Because her favorite memory as a kid had been sneaking out of her house and running across the street to visit her grandfather, sometimes spending hours just watching him type stories on top of stories, shape characters from the top of his head, paint pictures with words.

But then again, of course, it was all going to hell because all of her teachers hated her. Apparently, not every college professor takes constructive criticism about where they can stick their analysis about the beautiful tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. In her opinion, there's nothing beautifully tragic about two emo teenagers going through their angsty phase and accidentally dying. She thought, it was dumb. They were 13, too young and too dumb and they brought it on themselves.

So yeah, she needed caffeine today before her exam and she deserved something good in her life right now.

"Pumpkin spiced latte," she recited her order again and she smiled at the barista, who shooting her an apologetic glance about the earlier misunderstanding.

With that in mind, her eyes drifted sideways as she waited for the barista to finish preparing her coffee. Her glance landed once again on the girl from earlier, with the same order as her. This time, her eyes lingered, and she allowed herself to take her in. The girl was obviously a foreigner. Maybe an exchange student or foreign student? She was tall with good body figure, so gorgeous, which clearly made her her type. The first thing that caught her attention was her brown eyes that as bright and vivid as the autumn leaves. She was wearing glasses, absent-mindedly sipping on her latte and looking through her bag.

With his pumpkin spiced latte in hand, she decided she needed a win for the day. Something to boost her self-confidence. The girl was rather pretty and their earlier encounter already gave her an opening. And maybe,.. just maybe, if she played her cards right, she might get lucky not to be alone in bed tonight. She did have a soft spot for someone like her after all.

Straightening up, she put on her brightest smile and made her way toward her table where the girl occupied. This was a game she enjoyed playing and one that both participants got to win. Confident and, in all fairness, a bit cocky. Then she placed her cup of coffee on the table next to the girl's and opened her mouth to start a conversation.

"No, I did not fall from Heaven," the girl cut in before she could even speak, not even bothering to look her way, still looking through her bag. "If you're drowning in my eyes, I suggest you take a swimming lessons and no, I most definitely do not think fate had us order the same coffee. It's almost Christmas, it was raining earlier so it's a bit cold. Everybody needs hot drinks. Now did I cover it all?" The girl said plainly in just one breath.