Before The Sunrise

oh

DeAndre looks tired.

I give him a nudge under the desk in calculus, nodding toward a note on the bottom corner of my graph paper.

you good?

He doesn't smile. He just nods, then refocuses on Mr. Carter.

Well, now I really am worried.

come to coffee shop after track?

Now he smiles.

* * *

I've been working at Black Magic Beans for a week now, and I fucking love it. My repertoire of espresso drinks has expanded, and JaMarcus and I have a good time together. He's always cracking jokes about the different customers when he thinks his mom's not listening.

"Caramel macchiato to go," JaMarcus rattles off, handing me a paper cup. Today's the first day that Ms. Wilson has trusted me enough to leave me by myself, so she's in the back, catching up on paperwork.

I look up from where I'm practicing with the milk frother, and my eyes meet none other than those of Rafael fucking García, just as deep, just as shimmery as ever.

And he fucking says "hey."

I drop the paper cup.

Immediately, I fall into a squat, picking up the cup and throwing it away. Anything not to look at him, not to think about him. I don't care that he didn't really do anything wrong. I don't care that he might have saved my life by telling Bradford about my dad. I don't care what he texts me.

I care that there's a fucking searing pain in my side right now, and it's his fucking fault.

I snatch a new cup from JaMarcus, and I set to making the caramel macchiato.

"Jay?"

I look up at him, feeling vaguely disgusted. I'm practically fuming. This is probably a good time to do that breathing exercise Beth told me about.

"Jay, why won't you talk to me?"

Wow. I guess the rumor didn't reach the whole school.

"Hey, why don't you go sit down," JaMarcus cuts in, walking over. "We'll call it out at the bar when it's ready."

Rafa looks back and forth from JaMarcus to me, seemingly waiting for me to say something.
When he realizes I'm not going to, he goes and sits in my chair.

"Who's that?" JaMarcus asks.

Somewhat impulsively, I grab the notepad next to the register.

he broke up with me in October

"Broke up with..." JaMarcus's eyebrows shoot through the ceiling. "Yikes. Damn, that's brutal. You want me to make his caramel macchiato? Maybe if it's bad he won't come back."

I consider being the bigger person and saying no, but then I step aside.

When Rafa takes that first sip on the way out and winces, JaMarcus and I stare at each other until the front door jingles closed. Then we both dissolve into laughter.

* * *

I'm putting the finishing touches on DeAndre's drink when he walks in. I left a note next to the register to take it out of my paycheck, but JaMarcus made a show of crumpling it up and throwing it out.

When I hand DeAndre the bright green concoction, he takes a sip and his storm-clouded eyes light up. It's just a fucking iced matcha, but I put brown sugar syrup in it. It still tastes like straight grass, but it's sweeter.