Wednesday 13th. Morning.
"Don't forget we're meeting at picnic near centre of the park! Can't wait to see you all ❤️"
Mandy's voice rang loud even through text. The group chat had been alive for hours, her high school friend group buzzing with excitement about seeing each other again.
"I'm literally five minutes away👀😊," Cassie texted.
"Save me a spot; I want to sit with you guys😍!!!!" Olivia chimed in.
As she neared the picnic blanket, she spotted them.
Mandy was arranging a platter of fruit, her perfectly manicured hands placing each strawberry with care.
Cassie lounged on the blanket, sunglasses perched atop her head, scrolling on her phone.
Olivia was off to the side, shaking out a blanket that had apparently been deemed "not Instagrammable enough."
"Ava!" Mandy waved, her long gold earrings matched her blonde hair with an unnecessary flair. "You made it!"
Ava smiled weakly as they all greeted her. She sat on the edge of the blanket, feeling the slight warm of the dewy grass beneath.
"Okay, so," Mandy began, "first things first—how's everyone doing? It's been forever!"
Cassie jumped in immediately. "I'm loving college so far. U-M parties are like Project X every Saturday. And staying in a dorm is literally so fun, I had no idea I would get another with the other girls so well, we're basically one big family now"
"Yes! College parties are next level babe. Honestly I'm so happy I chose U-M over my other choices, it definitely paid off for me", Mandy laughed.
Ava listened quietly, trying to force a smile as Olivia spoke up.
"Medicine at U-M is... intense," Olivia admitted, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "But honestly? I kind of love it. The professors are amazing, and I feel like I'm actually learning something, you know?"
The others nodded in enthusiastic agreement, the conversation bouncing back and forth. Ava stayed silent, her hands resting in her lap as the familiar ache of being out of place crept in.
Finally, Mandy turned to her. "Ava, how about you? What's new?"
She hesitated. What was new? Another shift at work? Another night staring at her ceiling?
"Not much," she said, shrugging. "Work's keeping me busy."
"Oh, right, you're still at that coffee shop," Cassie said, her tone polite but faintly dismissive.
Ava nodded.
"Anyway!" Mandy said quickly, sensing the tension. "Let's do something fun! Remember how we used to talk about celeb crushes in sleepovers? We should totally do it again! Just for the nostalgia."
Cassie grinned. "Oh my God, yes. I'll start—Jason Bieber, obviously. I'd die just to sit in his presence in one of his concerts."
"Hmm, Leon Shapiro for me, he's a pretty-face heir to an oil tycoon who just died. I'd be getting the looks and the bread", Olivia said gleaming.
"Nepo guys are such crybabies babe", Mandy exclaimed. "I would say Emile Hirsch for me, he kind of gives me Jesse Eisenberg vibes but just hotter."
They turned to Ava, expectant smiles on their faces.
Ava stared at them for a moment.
"Honestly?" she said, her voice flat. "This is so juvenile."
The laughter stopped.
YOU ARE READING
Frappuccino
RomanceAva's Tuesday night shifts at Starbucks are usually quiet-until he walks in. There's something about the new guy that draws her in, and week after week, she finds herself waiting for him to show up and order his usual Frappuccino. But as they connec...
