the other side of us | ✓

1.11 | good kind of different

Charlotte's day was off to a poor start.  

Meredith the coffee machine had broken down again and she'd had to run to the hardware store after cleaning up the mess of espresso on the floor.

"He hasn't called yet?"

"Who?" Charlotte asked, distracted as she flipped through the manual.

"Mason."

Oh.

Just his name sent flutters through her stomach.

Charlotte was almost angry with herself for letting a boy get to her like this. She'd gone twenty-one years without a crush, why did one have to come up now?

And how silly was that word? Crush.

The word itself denoted heartbreak.

"No," She said, finally locating the page she needed. "And he probably won't. I don't know why you're so insistent."

"It's obvious that you two are vibing," Devin said, sighing as she leaned against the counter. "It's only a matter of time."

Charlotte snorted. "Yeah, okay."

"I'm always right about this kind of stuff."

"Like when?"

"Please! I totally called Ian having a crush on you, and I was right about that!"

Charlotte choked on her water.

"Ian—what?" she sputtered, wiping her mouth with her hand.

"He likes you," Devin said simply, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Are we talking about the same Ian? Because I'm quite sure you're wrong."

"Believe me or don't," Devin said. "I know I'm right. Mason likes you too."

At Mason's name, Charlotte's face lit up. She cleared her throat and turned her head to hide the bluch.

"Watch the shop, oh-wise-one. I'm gonna clean up in the back," Charlotte said flippantly, throwing on an apron and flipping the open sign back into place.         

***

Mason didn't know why he was back at Poppy's. He should've gone home and done homework or continued looking for another job.

Charlotte had texted him when she'd gotten home last week, but she hadn't contacted him since.

Had he been wrong about her liking him? He was sure he'd gotten some kind of signal from her, and she'd even asked for his number.

Mason shook his head and pushed open the door. He'd say hi, at the very least – he'd already come all this way, after all.

"Mason!" Devin squealed when the tiny bell above the door announced his presence. Several of the patrons turned to watch as Devin dropped the tray she was holding on a nearby table and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you're here! I need to go pick up my brother—my mom's working late, and if I don't get him on time, then his school will call my mom and then she'll have to explain that it was my fault and then it'll turn into a whole big thing. Ash was supposed to be here by now, but she must've been held up after class. Charlie is in the back, but she's doing something in the office, and I don't want to bother her, so do you think you could fill in?"

Mason blinked. He'd never heard so many words come out of a person's mouth that quickly, let alone in one breath.

"Uh, sure?"