Seasons

Chapter 8 - The Juice Bar

I was hit with cool air conditioning as I stepped inside the bar. A soft bell tinkered overhead and laughter could be heard throughout the café.

The whole of the front was wooden and dominated by windows looking out onto the sunset lit beach and tables filled with swimsuit clad teenagers and families weighed down by children and plastic buckets. Inside, a bar made from what looked like driftwood curved around in a circle at the centre of the room, complete with stools and a barman flying around, shaking ice and blending fruit. Booths lined the walls with faded leather seats and dog-eared menus, starfish and shells studding the tabletops. The ceiling was dripping old nets and plastic fish, fans hanging and twirling lazily among them.

I made my way over to an empty booth by the window and slid onto the cracked leather which was slightly warm from the sun. I pulled a menu towards me and skimmed over it before tugging my phone out of my bag from beneath my towel and wet swimsuit.

I frowned at the empty lock screen, unlocking it and scrolling through the messages with Dan. He was already 10 minutes late.

"Can I get you anything?" A voice said from above me.

I looked up to see a smiley blonde looking down at me, a pen already hovering over her notepad.

"Just a Lime Boost please," I said, reading the name at random off the menu.

"Sure thing hun," she grinned, tucking away the pad into her Hawaiian print pinafore and bouncing off to get my order.

While I was waiting, I stared out the window at the crashing waves and screaming children, but no Dan. I scanned the crowds desperately for his sandy head but with no luck. Maybe he'd forgotten.

I quickly tapped him a quick message and send it, the swoosh making me bite my lip. Was I being too pushy?

"One Lime Booster," said my waitress again. I gave her a handful of coins, waving at her to keep the tip. She pulled her cherry red lips back into a big smile before hurrying away in a blur of blonde curls and flowers.

I pulled the drink towards me, inspecting it before pursing my lips around the straw. The glass was cold and wet with condensation against my fingertips, and the drink itself was cool and refreshing. It faded from a light green to dark at the bottom, flooded with tart citrus and choking with crushed ice. A sprig of mint sat at the top, quivering in the draft from the air con.

I slurped at it as I checked for more texts. Nope, nothing from Dan. I sighed deeply and clicked off his name and instead went onto Maddie's texts.

I'd been so busy I'd barely had time to text her and felt bad as I'd promised to do so everyday. She had sent me dozens that poured out every minute of what had happened to her, from how boring school is, to what colour the new underwear she bought was. I giggled softly as she moaned about her younger sister stealing her stuff when my straw made a loud slurp.

I looked down at my drink and saw in dismay it was finished and sucked dry of green. I checked the time again; I'd been here from half an hour and my parents would be wondering where I was. I stuffed everything bag into my bag, sweeping my salty hair into a messy bun and bulling the strap over my shoulder.

Sliding out of the booth I checked back one last time as I stood up, scanning the seats and table.

Suddenly I bumped into a warm body, stumbling backwards and sitting back down hard.

"Oh my god," I gasped, "I'm so sorry!"

"As you should be," a voice drawled.

I looked up in shock at the dark haired girl above me. She had straight, jet black hair that was swept over one shoulder in a silky, dark cascade. She had her dark eyes fixed on my and her pale skin contorted into a sneer by her plum coloured lips. She stood with her hands on her hips and an African-American girl was looking over her shoulder.