Even Though (Joey Richter fanfiction)

Chapter 4

Thank you all so much for reading!! :)

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I woke up at 10 the next morning and sleepily trudged down to the kitchen, where Aunt Maggie was watching 90210. "Good morning, Maggie." I yawned, stretching my hands over my head. Maggie glanced over her shoulder at me, smiled, and then turned back to the TV. "Good morning dear. Oh my, I must say, Liam is definitely the best looking boy on CWTV, possibly better looking than Chuck from Gossip Girl!"

I glanced at her uncertainly. "Um.. Right. So, have you eaten yet?" I asked, walking around the kitchen and opening cupboards, trying to find where Maggie put the cornflakes. "Ali! I can't EAT! I'm watching 90210, and then it's an all day marathon of The Vampire Diaries! Will Elena end up with Stefan or Damon?! I must find out!"

I sighed in exasperation and said "Maggie you have to eat something." I surveyed the kitchen and spotted bread. "Toast? You like toast." Maggie waved her hand at me impatiently and said "Yes, yes, I'll have toast, now shhh! I think he's about to propose!" I chuckled quietly and popped bread in the toaster. Maggie had been like a mother to me since my father died when I was 6. My mom is still alive, but for all the attention she gives me she might as well be dead. I sighed and pushed thoughts off her out of my head as the toast popped up out of the toaster. I buttered both slices and began eating my slice almost immediately. I carried Maggie's slice into the living room to her. She took it without glancing away from the TV. I grinned and went to get dressed.

I glanced around at all my clothes. I couldn't decide what to wear. In the end I settled for jeans and a light purple tank top and my old black Converse. I glanced at the time on my phone. It was almost 20 past 1 already. I grabbed my black hoodie and headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Maggie!" I yelled over my shoulder. She called some vague reply back to me, too immersed in The Vampire Diaries to remember where I'm going and who I'm going to meet.

I walked down the road toward the coffee shop, smiling at people I recognised from the previous summers I had stayed here. When I reached the coffee shop it was 5 past 2. I had been stopped by at least 4 of Maggie's bridge friends and had been held up at least 20 minutes because they had felt the need to tell me I had grown taller since the last time they had seen me (about 4 years ago).

I walked into the coffee shop and looked around uncertainly. "Aliana!" I heard someone call, and I turn to see Joey waving at me and smiling. I smiled back and walked over to the table where he's sitting. "Hey." he says, grinning.

"Hi." I grin back.

"You know, I thought you had stood me up for a few minutes there." he said, breathing out an over exaggerated sigh of relief

"Me? Stand you up? Never." I smiled at him. He laughed and said "Can I get you a coffee or something?"

"No, thanks I'm fine" I said

"Aww come on Aliana, please? I'm gonna look like such a douchebag if I get something for myself and not for you!" he whined, poking my arm. I laughed and said "You can call me Ali." He smiled and nodded and then raised an eyebrow. I sighed and held my hands up in defeat. "Ok, ok. I'll have hot chocolate please." he grinned and nodded. I smiled as I watched him walk up to the counter and order. The girl at the counter was smiling and batting her eyelashes at him, and he didn't even seem to notice. I could hear him quite clearly, even over the chatter of the other people in the cafe. "And does it come with marshmallows?" he asked the girl, who giggled and nodded again, smiling flirtily at him. "Can they be pink? I mean, I know there's white ones too, but can you only put the pink ones in?" Joey continued, completely unaware that the girl was now making huge bambi eyes at him. I had to stifle my laughter as he began pointing out all the white marshmallows that the girl had accidentally put into the hot chocolate. "No, wait you missed one! Right there. Yep, thats it! Thanks! Keep the change." he smiled cheerfully as he made his way back over to the table. He set down the hot chocolate in front of mean and sipped his coffee. I drank some o my hot chocolate (full of pink marshmallows) and said "So.. You disappointed the girl up there."