Hover

Chapter 4

I didn't mean to spit it all over the table, but the taste in my mouth would've killed me if I hadn't.

"Pumpkins should only stay in pies and on peoples front doorsteps."

Sierra giggled, her brown eyes glowing. It was rare to catch that from her nowadays, so it automatically made me smile. "At least you tried."

"Yeah," I said, using my napkin to clean my tongue. "And I wish I hadn't. Your hair is extra bouncy today, with all it's million curls. You fine piece of woman."

She pretended to model her hair, weaving it back and forth. In the dim lighting of Yellow Brick Beans, her dark skin seemed to have an extra radiance to it.

"Spill it," I said.

She sipped her coffee. "I'm afraid you already did."

"Why are you so giddy? Your first day couldn't have been that amazing."

A local artist was strumming his acoustics on the makeshift stage in the corner of the room, students from both East Monroe Academy and East Monroe Public weaved together at the bar tables juxtaposed around the room. There really wasn't any difference to class in our generation in this town. Friends came in numbers and my graduating class at the Academy was one hundred and twenty and at Public, theirs would be one hundred and forty-five. There was too little of a population to be condescending, but there were still those assholes in the Academy who acted like snobby kings and queens.

But those assholes don't show up to places like this to belittle the Public peasants.

The difference was really emphasized with the parents. They seemed to be the ones that cared who their children were hanging out with and if their wallet was just as big as their ego or as little as their class.

"So," Sierra sang. "There was this boy that I met today."

I raised an eyebrow. "Another one? Did you at least talk to this one?"

She slapped my wrist playfully. "Come on. Of course I did."

"Then what's his name."

"Max."

"Where is he from?"

She dashed right into his biography as if she would actually write it. "He's from West Monroe. He moved to the East over the summer to be with his friend who is going through a rough time. He likes dogs just as much as I do and has volunteered at kennels and whatever like the cute ass he is. His first job was at a painting place where he taught little kids how to paint—"

"Jesus Mother of God," I interrupted. "Did you get his social, too?"

"Not yet, but I did get his number."

I frowned. "That's a new one. I will clap for you if he already texted you."

"Would you kiss me if I said we had a date tomorrow?"

The thing about Sierra was that she loved boys. Even if they never even said a word to her. All they had to do was exist and then she would take it away from there. She has had one boyfriend, and that was in middle school for, like, three days but it was the highest ride of her life.

Now, to the fact that she is finally going on a date for the first time since, ever, I was a proud mother.

"What are we doing in a coffee shop then? Shouldn't we be in a bar. We need to celebrate."

She laughed, batting her eyes. "It's not that big of a deal. It's just really exciting." Then, she shifted to face me completely, looking into my eyes. "So, tell me about your day. It must've sucked without me."