Co-Author: c-NYC-
The warm glow of the sun, piercing the cool morning air, hints at the promising weather of spring. My wool cloak covers my shoulders, leaving me cozy, but Oren is flaunting his bare, muscular arms in a black t-shirt, despite the slight nip in the air. It will warm up though, eventually.
I breathe in deeply and let out a big sigh, feeling content now that school is out for the weekend.
"What?" He asks, chewing on the end of a clover. We're walking along a dirt and gravel path that leads to Main Street, which is lined with shops filled with news and goods.
"Just glad it's the weekend," I reply, kicking a pebble with my flat shoe as hard as I can.
"You're going to be anticipating the weekend for the rest of your life, if you don't learn to enjoy every day of the week."
"And?"
He snorts as if he can't believe a word that comes out of my mouth, and sticks his hands in his pockets. "Especially with what's going on outside of this little town, you should be grateful of the normal days that you get."
"We won't be living normal lives for long," I say. We move aside as a rusted van drives slowly down the path, old suitcases and bags hastily tied down to the roof with frayed rope.
"What on earth are they doing...?" Oren mutters, staring down the vehicle.
I shrug, and suddenly he freezes and grabs my arm to stop me from moving forward.
The van has reached a complete stop, about ten yards from where we are standing. The driver door opens, and out steps a tall guy with toffee colored skin. He approaches us casually, and as he nears, I notice that he is not much older than we are.
"Hey, folks, can you point us to the direction of Marl Street? My sis and I are moving into a house there." He offers a kind smile.
"You're moving to a house, here?" I blurt out.
Before he can answer, Oren cuts me off and says, "Go down through Main Street, past Viola Ave and Huckleberry, you can't miss it." His tone is flat and uninviting.
"Thanks," The guy smiles in a funny way and walks back into his van, and drives off, down the road.
"Weird," I note, as we continue trudging along the path.
"Interesting moment of the day," He muses.
"We're the welcoming committee of Exeter, New York." I snicker as we approach the small cafe that serves as a hangout for most school-age kids, and some older people.
I always love the strong smell of coffee as it seeps out the small cracks in the doors and windows. We walk in, greeted by the sound of chatter and giggles. I've never been a huge fan of crowds but I can't seem to stay away from the freshly brewed coffee that compels me to step outside of my comfort zone. As we sit down on the worn leather chairs, we begin to browse the small menu, torn from overuse.
"What are you going to get?" I Smile broadly waiting for his response.
"I'm not sure yet... Maybe a cold soda?"
I glare at him waiting for him to catch on.
"Or maybe I'll get something different." He grins and shakes his head. "What are you getting?"
"Coffee, maybe a Cappuccino?" Oren continues to browse the menu trying to find something other than a soda. "You should try an iced coffee."
"You know what? I think I'm going to stick with soda."
We wave the waitress over and order our drinks. She quickly scurries away and begins to put in our requests.
Small talk has never really been my thing, but I feel like I can talk to Oren about anything, he just has to start the conversation. We sit silently for a little while before I begin to daydream. I slowly glance out the window, seeing Lorella. She slowly walks towards the cafe as she twirls her hair and and begins to pour water on her fingers. She lightly taps her fingers to her face. Confused, I anticipate some dramatic entrance. She begins to run and rushes toward the cafe, appearing winded when she practically dives through the door. Everyone immediately becomes quiet. When they see that it's Lorella they continue about their business. She walks over to our table breathing heavily as if she just finished an elaborate workout.
"Hey Oren." She says, making Oren smile gently.
"What have you been up to, Lorella?"
"Oh, you know... just my everyday workout." She begins to grimace when she sees me staring right at her. She continues to ignore me. "I run about 7 kilometers-"
"Maybe I'll go with you sometime?"I say, trying to expose her vacuous scheme, which I can see straight through. Oren seems amazed at her fake commitment to staying in shape.
"Wow!" He exclaims.
She completely ignores me and stares Oren down with her vixen eyes. "Do you work out too?" She reaches down and lightly squeezes his upper arm.
"Uh, yeah-" He fumbles with his words.
I snort, as the waitress approaches with our drinks. She hands Oren his soda and can't even manage to hand me my cap before Lorella, being either clumsy or malicious, bumps into the waitress, knocking the hot coffee onto my lap.
"I'm really sorry, hun!" The waitress chirps, reaching for some napkins.
"Don't even worry about it," I say, trying my best to remain calm, but inside I'm seething.
Oren laughs at my dilemma.
"Not funny." I snap, blotting the burning spots on my legs, but he doesn't stop. Even Lorella is hiding her triumphant smirk behind her water bottle.
"Lighten up," He bumps my arm with his elbow.
"My legs are burning up," I retort. Shoving the soaked napkins aside, I take a sip of what's left of the cappuccino.
Lorella's eyes flicker from me to Oren, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Do you want to walk with me to the florist? Mom wanted some fresh Lilies for the dining table...and I'd hate to go alone." Her hand lingers on his arm for a moment longer than necessary, before she reaches up and fluffs her hair.
I drain the coffee from my cup while glaring at her for all her guts and glory. Beyond her pretty surface, there's an insecurity clear as day, if there's even anything at all.
I clank the cup on the table as loudly as possible and continue my internal tantrum as my best friend turns to me with an amused glance.
"Are you coming along, or what?"
I steal a look at Lorella, who I know would be ever-so-pleased with herself if I refused to tag along their flower-hunting rendezvous. In fact, I would much rather slink away from their disgusting googly eyed faces, and go home to my cozy room, but at the same time, the small victory that comes with poking each of her nerves seems worth the hassle.
"Yep." I say, watching her smirk slowly turn into a light scowl. The difference is nearly impossible to tell, as Oren lightheartedly grins at me and leads the way out of the café.
I stay a couple paces behind Lorella and Oren, who are walking side by side, shoulders nearly bumping. I hear the laughter begin to increase. I lengthen my stride to catch up.
"Hey! Wait up." Her giggle begins to fade as she turns her head toward me. Her facial expression causes me to smile, realizing how much she despises me. I wrap my arm around Oren's and tug him away from Lorella. Causing her loathing of me to increase.
"Get out of the way! Move!"
The horn of the old medical vehicle honks loudly, making its presence known. I notice a man at the wheel of the car, slightly turned, looking at the person in the bed of the vehicle. They rapidly drive up the road, causing a dust storm behind them.
"Get over to the side-". Oren pulls Lorella and I off the road.
"What's going on?" I try to see who's in the bed of the truck, but it quickly drives past us leaving us coughing and covering our eyes.
