Club Houses And Coffee Shops

Chapter 1

Layla P.O.V

I smiled as the bell chimed signaling that we had a new customer. My freshman year I'd started working for my Aunt Sophie at her underground cafe-brewery combo deal shop. The cafe wasn't huge, but I wouldn't call it small either. Booths lined the walls all the way up to the counter where you ordered with some tables to scattered in the middle, each one varying in size. Above the booths the walls had been adorned with photos, postcards, artwork, posters, and the occasional small notes all of which were brought in by people who either work, or worked here. I even had a few photos on the walls. Fairy lights had been hung on the ceiling in a tangled mess that resembled a big spider web. I loved the way the lights twinkled, fading and getting brighter at different times, reminding me of fireflies.

The cafe serves almost every kind of drink you can think of from normal coffee and lattes to beer and wine. To be clear, I'm rarely allowed on the alcoholic section which was made for people 21+. I've only covered a few shifts when it was absolutely necessary. Although I'm not gonna lie, it was totally fun. I learned how to make cocktails, bloody mary's, margarita's, and more. The adult that come in can be pretty funny. Maybe it's fun because I'm not even supposed to touch those beverages, you know, since its illegal and all, but hey, who cares as long as you don't get caught right?

The cafe's name is The Hideout, which is kinda ironic since I basically do use it as my hideout, not just as a work place. Generally I'm there with my cousin Valerie, my Aunt Sophie's daughter. I'm almost always working with Valerie, she's been my closest friend since Gabe Anderson abandoned me freshman year of high school.

Valerie's almost the same age as me, only beating me by a few months. She's 5"4, which makes me a bit shorter than her at 5"2. Her Hair is a unique fiery orange with natural waves down to the top of her shoulders. Her outfit usually consists of a crop top, black leggings, flannel, and an old NF hat she got at a concert when she was 13. Her shoes would change between different colored Vans and Converse. Today was no different.

Valerie walks over to me wearing a Ready Player One gunters t-shirt with ripped black leggings, a black and white flannel tied around her waist, and grey high top vans. She greeted me with a warm smile, green eyes twinkling.

"What's got you so excited?" I asked her as I brewed another pot of coffee.

"Nala and I are going to the fair on saturday! It's going to be so fun!" Valerie replied happily.

"Oh, Nala as in Gabes half sister?"

"Yeah, she's a cool person if you get to know her."

"Is Gabe going too?"

"Don't know. Why?" The coffee machine beeps at me signaling its done.

"Just asking," I say taking the pot and poor a steaming cup of delicious smelling coffee.

Valerie's friendship with Nala keeps me somewhat distant from her. Nala and I don't exactly get along, but her half brother Gabe and I did.

Gabe Anderson use to be my best friend. When I was eleven, my moms best friend Reigan had a major financial loss so she, her husband, and her son ended up moving into the other side of the duplex my mom and I lived in. That's when I met Gabe. He was Reigans' son, and even though he was a year older than me, we quickly became best friends.

When I first met Gabe, he was twelve. He had these amazing dark, cobalt blue eyes and shaggy brown hair that only seemed to make his eyes more vibrant. He had a good built and was only a few inches taller than me. He wore a t-shirt and sweatpants, and looked like he was about to kill someone, which would probably throw some people off, but not me. I just didn't care. At the time, I was just happy to have someone close to my age around.