HARD TIMES | S.STAN [ON HOLD]

15 | real life

xv. iced coffee

Izzy saw the two men standing next to their bags laughing their heads off. She pulled up her car and rolled down the windows. Izzy flicked her jet black hair over her shoulder, before speaking up.

"Evans. Mackie" she yelled, causing the two men to turn around in her direction.

"Hey" Chris called, wrapping his hands around the handle of the suitcase.

Mackie grabbed his bag as well, and walked over to Izzy's car.

"Just put your stuff in the back" she said, sticking her head out the window.

Watching the two guys put their stuff away and get back in the car, she pulled her upper body back into the car.

"Oh here" Chris said, passing her a plastic cup filled with iced coffee.

"Oh, you're really are a hero" Izzy smiled, placing the cup in her cup holder and making Chris laugh.

"Nice to meet you guys in person" she said, driving away from the airport.

"Back at ya, Izzy" Anthony said, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Nancy has planned for Sebastian to be at the karaoke place at 10, so be there at 9:30 or she'll kill you" Izzy said, making Chris laugh.

"I mean it, if you show up late it'll be goodbye Chris" Izzy said.

"Okay we won't be late" Anthony said.

"How was the flight?" Izzy asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

While Izzy was catching up with the pair, Nancy was having coffee with Sebastian. It was a nice coffee shop, and the two of them had been coming here for years.

Nancy sat on the brown leather sofa, by herself. Her purple painted nails wrapped around the yellow mug, the smell of fresh coffee wafting up to her nose making her smile. Sebastian was sat across the table, sitting on the purple tattered sofa. He placed his mug on the wooden table, and leant back into the cushions.

"You're getting older, Seb" Nancy said, sipping her coffee.

"Only means you're getting older too" Sebastian replied with a grin.

Sebastian and Nancy had been friends for a long time. They met in middle school, when Sebastian moved to America. They had become friends when Nancy punched Trevor, a boy who was bullying Sebastian, in the face. Sebastian thought she was amazing and no longer had to fear his bully. Nancy has gotten in trouble and had detention after school for a month. However it was worth it and they were friends from then on. They had met Izzy and Marco, during high school, and the duo became a group.

Nancy smiled back at the man whom she had grown close to in all those years.

"I'll stay eternally youthful, I sold my soul" Nancy joked, earning a laugh from Sebastian.

"So you really can't do anything tonight?" Sebastian asked, changing the subject.

"No, I'm sorry. I promised my mom I would babysit my niece" Nancy replied, hoping he couldn't see through her lies.

"I could help. Marco's busy with the hotel and Izzy is going on a date. It's my birthday, let's hang out. Even if it's just us two babysitting your 9 year old niece surrounded with toys. We could watch the little mermaid?" Sebastian said, and that made Nancy smile bigger and heart beat faster.

Sebastian was one of kind, and she loved hanging out with him no matter what they were doing. She kind of felt bad, but she knew Sebastian would like the surprise.

"Seb, you do not want to spend your birthday looking after a child. Go out and have fun. I'm sure Marco can have drinks with you at the hotel bar" Nancy replied.

"Watching the little mermaid with you is my ideal way to spend my birthday" Sebastian said.

"I'm sure it's not" Nancy laughed.