Dusting Off A Heart

Chapter 29

Cote replied to Lauren's message the morning after, groggy and hungover, from the party he is in last night. He actually do not want to deal with the tutoring things this few days because he also need to prepare himself for his college acceptance test. But seeing that he DID made a deal with Mr. Biology—shish he never remembers teachers name, although teachers always remember his—he said yes to the tutoring thing anyways.

They planned that they will do the tutoring this afternoon, after Cote feels like he will feel a little bit better from the hangover—but well how inaccurate the situation is.

Cote is really hangover when tutoring Lauren and he feels like agreeing to her request is  a mistake. Lauren can feel the reluctance in Cote, so she decided that they will take a coffee break for a few minutes just so Cote can be back on his feet again.

"You want to order a coffee or something, Cote?"

"Yea, sure. Make sure its a strong one." Cote says while he rests his head on the table.

After she orders one cup of strong coffee(re: Black Coffee—dark roasted) and one cup of tea for herself, she walks back to their table, trying to open a conversation with Cote. Maybe, this is the right time for her to ask a couple of things about Dane and his whereabouts last night.

Their beverages arrives a few minutes later and after Cote had sip a few of his beverages he looks a little better and not as groggy as before. Lauren thinks that this is the best time to ask him the question she wanted to asks.

"Hey, Cote I want to ask you a few questions." Lauren asks, "It is regarding Dane though..if that's alright with you."

Cote seems reluctant, "His...stories are his to tell...and what is it to you? You're not planning some revenge scheme to him after what he did to you in 9th grade, right?"

Lauren looks taken aback by his accusation towards her, she is still infuriated about what Dane did to her that few years ago, but revenge is not the reason why she asks Cote about Dane.

"That's not my intention, Cote. It just seems like he's troubled lately--not that I care, of course--it's just because we have a job together at the bakery, you see, and his work performance might affect mine."

"Hmm...", Cote nodding in an understanding manner, "Good thing you clarify, otherwise I must've think you suddenly care about him." He said it with a mischievous smile. In which Lauren replied with a vigorous head shake, "Never would've crossed my mind, Cote."

"Alright, well...if his--and yours work performance might be in line, I guess I could help you by talking to him and trying to talk him out to get his work better--" Lauren cuts Cote off before he finished, "I don't think that's the best idea, you know. If you're the one who tells him about his work performance at the bakery he will think I'm a snitch or something and then it'll get complicated as to where you got the information from, then--"

"Alright, I get where you're getting...", This time is Cote's turn to cuts her off, although actually he doesn't actually get why Lauren--a person who doesn't actually have a good relationship history with Dane, would want to confront Dane by her own. But hey, maybe she is forgetting and forgiving hers and Dane's past.

"Dane's..family status for these few weeks has been...not good. Not good at all. Maybe that's why he's been acting weird at work recently? His performance both in class and field is not satisfactory either." Cote mumbled the last sentence as if he was only talking to himself, realizing that his friend maybe do need some help. Though he mumbled the last sentence, Lauren can still hear him.