Masterson

ELIZABETH

AS USUAL SLOAN IS RUNNING late and I didn't get a good night's sleep, so I'm cranky. Someone called my cell at 3:30am and hung up on me. The same crank caller who's been calling me randomly for the last few days, although now I'm starting to wonder if it was the woman who called yesterday. Hell I thought crank calling ended in the 90s.

Anyway, since I had the inability to go back to sleep after being so rudely woken up, I jumped on the computer and got some work done. Next thing I knew it was 5am. Now I have dark circles under my eyes that I'm desperately trying to cover with concealer, and I'm totally exhausted.

Unfortunately Sloan's tardiness has left Aunt Juliette just enough time to seek me out and knock on my door. Which sucks because I really had hoped to sneak out of the house without seeing her (she usually sleeps in on Saturday mornings). I really like my aunt, but I'm just not in the mood to hear how I'm working myself to an early grave and how I need to eat a hearty breakfast before I start my day. My aunt's idea of a hearty breakfast is a plate of so much food that it could choke a horse. Now I completely understand why she exercises like a maniac half the time. She has to or she'd weigh five hundred pounds.

"Oh you're dressed. Great. How about we go out for an early lunch today? My treat." See what I mean. "You look pretty by the way. I love how you wear so much yellow, Elizabeth. It's so common to see girls your age wear nothing but black when wearing bright colors does so much to improve one's disposition."

"Oh thanks, Auntie, but I kind of have plans with Sloan today. She's actually on her way. Can I have a rain check?"

"No worries. Where are you two going this time of morning? You're usually working on that computer of yours. Not that I'm complaining. It's good for you to get out more sweetie."

"Umm ... we're going to Java."

"What's that?"

"It's a coffee house that Sloan and I used to go to all the time near school."

"I have perfectly good coffee downstairs in the kitchen that you can drink for free. Why would you go pay five dollars for coffee? I've never even seen you drink a cup of coffee."

"Well you know, it's the ambiance of the shop, plus I'm just trying to be better about getting out of the house and hanging with friends."

My aunt curves her lips in amusement. She knows bullshit when she hears it.

"If it works out," she says. "I'd love to meet him someday."

* * *

I FEEL A PECULIAR SORT OF energy as soon as we enter Java and I can't shake it. Maybe it's the sleep deprivation. I don't know. But whatever it is-is making me feel on edge and jumpy, and I'm making Sloan bear the brunt of it.

"This coffee is gross." I scrunch my face in an exaggerated manner from the bitter taste. "Why do we insist on spending good money on this crap?" I realize that I sound like Juliette right now.

Sloan smiles at me while waiting for the barista to finish making some sort of caramel espresso drink with tons of whipped cream on top. It's totally unfair how she can drink all that sugar and never gain a pound.

"Are you that freaking nervous hooker? It's just Jagger." She pinches my cheek. "Awww, you're so cute."

I smack her hand away.

"Honestly. What grown business owner names their coffee shop Java The Hut?" I ask annoyed.

"Calm the hell down, Bitsy. Everybody loves Star Wars, and I think the name works. So do a million other college students in this city."