United

Chapter 1: Lucy

Lucy:

Max.

I jerk up from my bed, gasping for air. I feel like I just ran a marathon. What the heck?

Ring! Ring! Ring!

"Ahhh!" I scream and almost jump off my bed. It's just my phone. I look over at Sienna (my roommate), who is completely passed out. I grab my phone and answer it.

"Nessa, what's up?" I say with a shaking voice.

"Hey, are you okay?"

No. "Yeah."

"Okay. Well, I think we have a problem, I think I just saw Mason."

Macy:

I woke up to a knocking on my door. I walk quietly to the door, making sure not to wake up...wait, Janessa's not here. I shrug and walk normally to the door. I open the door and see no one there. I'm about to close the door, when I notice something white on the floor. I pick it up and walk back into my dark room. Unfolding the paper to reveal small writing, I walk over to bed. I reach on the night stand to turn on the lamp. The bright light almost blinds me. I squint to let my eyes adjust, and start to read.

Why did the cookie go to the hospital?

Because he felt crummy...

What the freak? I've heard this one before. I can't remember where. My brain I too tired to think. I turn off my lamp, place the paper on my night stand, and go to sleep.

DING! DING! DING!

I slam a hand down on my alarm. I see Janessa wake up to my alarm as well. We get ready and head down to the Sugar Bean Café for breakfast with Lucy and Alex.

"...and I think it was him, but I don't know for sure," Janessa explains about how she saw Mason yesterday while she was having dinner with Oliver.

Are those two still dating? I thought they broke up last year or something. I wasn't really paying attention to her. All I heard was 'blah, blah, blah, bathroom, blah, blah, person, blah, blah, Mason, blah, Oliver, blah, blah, blah Mexican Restaurant, blah, blah, Mason'. I'm confused. I sip my chocolate coconut mocha and stare at them.

"It was probably someone else," Alex assures.

"Probably?" Janessa says.

"Come on, we have to make it back in time for class," Lucy interrupts.

I think something is bothering her. I shrug it off and head to my journalism class. No, I'm not going to be some news reporter, I'm going to be a food critic. It's got two of my favorite things: eating food and judging people. I smile at the thought. I walk into class and Professor Whiteman starts his long lecture on how to write a fantastic review. He speaks in his usual monotone voice, and I feel like falling asleep. Soon enough, I've finished all my classes for today. I've only got morning classes, cause I have to work in the afternoon.

I walk slowly over to the Sugar Bean Café, as usual. Once I'm there, I put on my black apron and get to work making coffees. As I mix and blend the coffees with ice and caramel, and sometimes chocolate, a song keeps replaying in my head. Ride by Twenty One Pilots plays over and over again in my mind. Ugh! A song has never gotten so boreing! It's been two hours, when it's time for my break. I sit at a table with my phone in my hand just as Lucy comes in cheerfully.

"Guess what?" Lucy smiles.

"What?" I ask.

"I got a hundred on my remix project!" Lucy claps for herself.

"Dude, you seriously came all the way over here to tell me that? I knew you were going to get a hundred," I say. She always gets a hundred... when it comes down to music.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I just got bored over there I have nothing to do," Lucy sits across from me and pouts.

"Go to work?" I suggest.

"I'm off today. I only work Mondays through Thursdays," Lucy explains.

"Well, then I don't know. Don't you have some kind of new track you are working on?"

"Oh, yeah. Thanks to the reminder, got to go," Lucy gets up and leaves. "You're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah," I spend my twenty minute break, right before rush hour comes in.

I have to take orders. I hate taking orders, some of these customers are kind of snappy. After twenty minutes, I give up and switch with Amanda. I'm in charge of setting up the cups for the staff that is actually making the coffee. I love this part, cause it has the least amount of work. After rush hour, I'm placed again at the taking orders part. Man! I'm taking orders when the person signing the receipt finished and tells me that there is no more ink in the pen. He hands me the receipt and walks over to the waiting area. I crouch down to look for a pen on the bottom shelf. I place the pen next to the cash register and stand back up. It takes me a full second to realize who was standing in front of me.

"Oh my God." Levi.