The Comet Cafe

Chapter~27

wow it's wednesday what's going on!!1!! i decided to update today AND friday hope you enjoy :)

"What the hell, Julia?!" Lucy yells at me in the hallway, making other students stop and look at us. I politely smile at them, but Lucy keeps on shouting at me. "You still haven't told him?!"

It's true. It's been about a week and half since I overheard Alex in Keith's office. My friends have all told me to tell him I know and feel the same way, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

I wish I had the courage to do it and say how I really feel about him, but I just can't. I've tried, trust me. Every time I chicken out and can't say it.

Like when we went back to work on Thursday, I wanted to tell him right away. I planned to do it right when I walked in the door. It turns out that he wasn't even working and had gone to meet with his new manager. Alex told me all about it last Friday. He actually had work that day.

"Larry is great. I mean, he's pretty old, but he knows his stuff. We showed him some songs and he loved almost all of them." He said to me as we closed up the cafe. I could see the excitement in his face while he talked about all the factors that are going to make his dream a reality.

"Almost?" I asked, wondering what songs Mr. Jones didn't like. How could you not like even one of their songs?

"Well," Alex started, fiddling with his apron. "he doesn't like Looking."

For some reason, this hit me like a brick. Looking was always my favorite song by them, and if Mr. Jones doesn't like it, that basically means it will never be professionally recorded. I know it wasn't written especially for me or anything, but it was special to me. The fact that Alex wrote it and put his heart and soul into it makes me pissed this manager didn't appreciate it.

"Why?" I wondered aloud. It felt like my baby was being ripped from my arms, as dramatic as the sounds.

"I'm not really sure. He just liked other songs more, you know?"

"No, not really."

"It's nothing, Jules. A lot of the songs we write will get turned down. I mean, the professionals know best." He tried to comfort me, but I don't think he even knew why I was upset. I nodded anyway, half listening to what else he had to say.

The next time I tried to confront him was Sunday, when Alex said I could join him and the guys for their basketball game. They had to postpone it from Saturday because the band had a bunch of meetings all throughout the day. Apparently, the first couple months are crucial. You have to get your name out and record a bunch of stuff. The Way was pretty damn busy now that they were on their way to stardom.

After the game, which Alex and Eric won 67-23, the boys all left, saying whatever excuse they had. It was just me and Alex left at the court, and he was talking about me coming to his house for dinner or something. I interrupted him, saying, "Can I ask you something?"

He was a little surprised but said, "Sure. Of course."

Then, he was waiting for me to speak, but I couldn't get words out of my mouth. Any words at all. Why the fuck can I not ask him how he feels about me?

He stared at me for a few seconds before I realized if I can't say what I want to, I should come up with something else. So, I asked him what he thought about the weather lately.

THE WEATHER.

I felt so dumb. I stuffed my hands into my pockets to prevent myself from facepalming.

That scarred me from trying to ask him again, but another opportunity arose when everyone was over at Eric's house that Tuesday. I'm not sure why we chose to hang out at his house, but I guess his little sisters were gone and his parents were working. I didn't even know he had sisters.