Internet Friends | Luke Hemmings

Chapter 21

The road towards the cafe was filled with all kinds of people, ladies rushing around hands reaching full capacity with their shopping bags, business men on the phone with the briefcases they all seem to have, teenagers that looked way more intimidating than I did stood milling around. The usual London

Once I arrived I instantly decided that a coffee would be a good idea, to calm my nerves and what not, even though coffee actually increases anxiety and that will of corse make me start rambling on about some shit to Thomas but meh, as one of my favourite jumper instructs; but coffee first.

I opened the door, the little bell ringing as I stepped inside the heat hitting my cold face, the delicious smell of caffeine welcoming me, ahh my happy place.

I ordered my usual drink, having some small talk to Julie the girl, around 17, who always took my order when I came, we've become friends and she gives me extra cream and marshmallows if I get a hot chocolate, a pretty good friendship if I do say so myself.
I grabbed the warm cup, curling my cold fingers around the sides, said bye to Julie and made my way back outside.

Just like Thomas had predicted the ground was covered with think white snow and had once again had begun lightly snowing. The perfect wether if we were in some romance film.

Ugh what a cliche thought, since when did I start being all stereotypically girly all of a sudden, I'm making myself sick.

And just as I was about to erase every lovey dovey, thought and comment from my brain for the safety of my mental health, the boy in question came into view walking towards the cafe.

Shit, I mentally started to panic.

What if my makeup has run down my face with the snow, what if he thinks I tried too hard, what if I tried too little, a million thoughts swirled round in my head, I took a quick sip of coffee and looked the opposite way going with the childhood theory of "if I can't see them, they can't see me"

But that theory seemed to have rapidly failed.

" Hey Izzy" Thomas's voice rung out reminding my panicked brain that is was actually happening and pretending he wasn't there wasn't going to make him go away.

"Oh hey Thomas" I turned to him acting surprised by presence "I didn't see you coming"

I looked down at the ground as I would usually do in awkward situations but what sat patiently at the boys feet caused my eyes to widen in excitement.

Buddy, the stereotypically named dog was the cutest thing I've even seen. It had white shaggy fur that resembled a sheep and I'm pretty sure if it ran into the snow we would never the animal again.

"Omg," I announced without realising it " he's adorable"

I bent down and was instantly attacked with licks as the puppy bounded up onto my bent knees, it's little tail waving side to side with happiness.

"Yeah so we should get going, looks like the snow could get heavier" Thomas interrupted the doggy bonding session I was currently having.

I straightened my legs and regained my cool, not bothered look I was going for. "Yeah sure" I answered cheerily

We walked all the way to the park, exchanging in small talk, turns out Thomas is really interesting, a lot more than meets the eye. He tells me all about how he was planning to try out for the football team, and what I over heard Kim saying, he's really good at it too.

The snow had stopped and was starting to melt on the ground so we let Buddy off his lead and watched while he bounded around.

He was one crazy dog, at one point he was stopped in his tracks by a bird and tried to follow it as it flew off consequently discovering that no matter how high he jumped he would fall straight back down again. I recon if I had a dog, I'd get one like him, crazy and full of energy, but equally as cuddly.