Coffee at 5 AM √

Chapter 3 ∞ Ella: Friend

∞♡∞

My alarm clock is ringing, but I can't seem to muster up enough energy to turn it off.

That is what any other normal teenage girl would say. Unfortunately, I'm not normal, so I always wake up before my alarm clock rings. To be exact, I wake up three hours and forty-six minutes before it goes off.

The whole 'better three hours too early than a minute too late' speech is a bunch of crap. When you're asleep, you want to stay that way. You don't want to wake up gasping for air, sweaty, not knowing where you are. You don't want to look over at your alarm clock and see that it's four in the morning, and realize that you've slept a total of four hours and fourteen minutes.

I've gotten used to it so it's not really a big deal anymore. I wake up, curse a little since I'm awake, get in the shower and get my clothes on. Then I curse a little more, because usually it's still three hours until school starts. I sneak out of the apartment and head over to the twenty-four seven café a few blocks away. There I drink my mocha latte and eat my bagel in peace. When I've checked my watch about five times, I head to school and do all my homework before first period.

I said I'm used to it, not that I like it.

So far, this day hasn't been any different.

As I walk down the street I only see a few people. Usually Half Moon Bay is pretty crowded, with people everywhere, but this early in the morning there aren't that many awake. I see an old lady walking a dog that's twice as big as her, and a man refilling a newspaper box. Sometimes I just feel alone. Even though I'm popular at school and I have at least two reliable friends, I just feel lonely, like they'll never know the real me.

I open the door to the café and see something weird. At the end of the counter, where I usually sit, sits a boy with wavy, dark brown hair. His eyes are glued to the yellow book in front of him and he seems to be drawing something. Although he isn't bulky and super muscular like most other guys I know, his lean figure gives away that he's an athlete.

My guess is that he woke up early today, maybe because he's anxious about basketball practice or something, and he just happened to stumble about this café. And then he saw my seat and thought, well that's a good spot, I should sit there, because it is a great spot and anyone with a brain would want to sit there. And now I'm cranky because I've only slept four hours and some jerk stole my favorite seat right by the window.

I sit down a few chairs away from him and wait for Chad, the old man who owns the café, to take my order. I watch the clock above the counter. Minutes feel like hours and my vision becomes hazy from sleepiness. Although I probably couldn't sleep even if I tried.

"You want the usual?" Chad asks and I wake up from my daydream.

"Yup," I nod towards the guy sitting in my seat. "Who is that?"

"About that, I tried to get him to sit somewhere else, but teenagers these days are too stubborn, ya know?"

"Thanks, Chad," I smile a little. "Have you ever seen the guy before?"

"Nope, first time he's been here," he skips over to the coffee machine. "I'll try to get some more info for ya, El."

I let out a giggle. "I appreciate it."

I sneak glances over at the guy for the next hour, not paying attention to my book at all. I'm reading The Fault In Our Stars by John Green since Jess has been begging me to for ages. I borrowed it two weeks ago, and normally I would've finished it by now, but I still haven't read the first chapter. Every time I try to concentrate my mind just wanders off.