The Islam Tag [BXB]

3

QOTC: Strawberries or Grapes?

Chapter 3

Naali walked into Sunny's Diner, instantly feeling the warmth of the place. It had an old-school charm with its red leather booths, checkerboard floors, and soft, golden lighting casting everything in a nostalgic glow. The scent of burgers, fries, and milkshakes hung in the air, promising comfort in every bite. This was exactly what he needed—a distraction, a place to feel like a regular teenager.

Spotting Melanie, Vic, Eliana, Tucker, and Tula waving at him from a corner booth, he gave them a broad smile and made his way over. They'd already commandeered a sizable order of fries and a round of sodas, with milkshake glasses littering the table in various stages of empty.

"Naali! About time!" Melanie grinned, sliding over to make room for him. He squeezed in next to her, elbowing Vic out of the way with a grin.

"Sorry! Got a little lost," he replied, brushing his hands together with a mock air of innocence. "But, I'll have you know, I navigated without a map."

They all laughed, and Naali felt a warm sense of belonging growing in his chest. It was rare for him to feel this way in a crowd, let alone after only a few days in a new school. He reached for a fry, and just as he popped it into his mouth, the doorbell jingled behind him. Instinctively, he glanced back, and his heart skipped a beat.

It was him. the coffee boy.

The boy stood there, scanning the room with a half-interested expression that could only be described as casually indifferent. His gaze traveled around the diner before landing briefly on Naali, his eyes flickering with faint recognition. He's salt-and-pepper eyes looked different without the shield of apathy Naali had seen in the classroom. Under the diner's lighting, he appeared softer—more approachable, almost like a different person. But the acknowledgment was brief; He quickly averted his gaze, settling instead into a booth on the opposite side of the diner.

Naali's heart hammered. What was He doing here? For a moment, he was tempted to walk over and try to spark up a conversation, but Melanie pulled him back into the group's banter with a poke to his side.

"Earth to Naali! You gonna tell us about that fancy car you and your sister drove up in yesterday?" Melanie asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Naali shrugged, deflecting with a smirk. "What can I say? We like making an entrance."

They laughed and talked, bouncing from one ridiculous topic to the next. But no matter how many jokes or stories the others told, Naali's attention kept drifting back to the salt eyed boy that seemed to intriuge . He tried to be subtle, stealing glances over his shoulder, but it was like his mind wouldn't let go of the idea of crossing that invisible line that kept them separated.

Finally, in a moment when his friends were occupied in conversation, he couldn't resist any longer. Naali grabbed his milkshake and slipped out of the booth. He took a deep breath, mentally steadying himself before heading over to where the young lad was sitting.

"Mind if I join?" Naali asked, his voice sounding more casual than he felt.

The boy looked up, eyes narrowing slightly before he gestured to the empty seat across from him. "It's a free country," he replied coolly, shrugging as he took a sip of his coffee.

Naali slid in, trying to shake off the knot of nerves. He could feel his heart racing, but he was determined not to show it. He swirled his milkshake idly, watching him over the rim. "You know, I almost didn't recognize you without the glasses," he said with a hint of a smile.

Coffee boy raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "And you're hard to miss," he replied. It was neither a compliment nor an insult, but Naali felt his cheeks warm regardless.