Imagination || L.H.

Chapter 2

When there's a lull in the customer traffic, April hooks her phone up to the speakers and puts the playlist we all spent hours making together on shuffle. 

Two winters ago, when no one came into the shop, we got bored and hummed songs to ourselves. Liv, the girl who's usually on the same shift I am, came up with a fantastic way to spend the time. We each picked twenty songs we liked and added them to this insanely long playlist we shared between all of us. 

Sometimes, when I'm bored or anxious or sad, I listen to the playlist. It calms me down and reminds me of the girls I would do most anything for.

We all scream when one of our all-time favorites comes on, the familiar music pouring out of the sound system Lynn installed three years ago at our request. 

I grab one of the bananas sitting on the counter next to me, dramatically singing into it like it's a microphone. 

April laughs when she sees me, using an ice cream scooper as her own microphone. Cassie swings her head back and forth, her hair whipping in every direction. 

Liv jumps up onto a table, belting out the chorus like nobody's business. She falls to her knees, throwing her head back.

Lynn shakes her head slowly from side to side, smiling affectionately. She would never let us do this if there were customers in the store, but for now we're good. 

I hop up onto a chair, raising the banana-microphone in the air. Spinning around on the chair, I leap into the air and slide on my knees on the floor like I've seen thousands of celebrities do before. 

The song ends and I start to get up, brushing off my knees.

Slow clapping behind me makes me jump and I whirl around, my cheeks heating up. My embarrassment quickly fades when I recognize the person standing behind me. 

"Michael!" I scream, rushing at him. 

He laughs as I hug him tightly, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Hey, Kat," he greets. "How was San Francisco?"

"Great, but you and the boys weren't there," I say with a little pout. 

He chuckles. 

Some people find it weird that my best friends are all guys, but they're practically my family, no matter how much they get on my nerves. 

Michael grins as I pull back, taking my apron off. "Yeah, because I'm the life of the party, as you know. And the best looking one." 

He strikes a ridiculous pose that makes the girls behind the counter laugh. He loves attention, but not in a stuck up way. He just loves making people laugh.

"Your hair is white now," I marvel, reaching up to touch it. 

Michael is always dyeing his hair crazy colors. The last time I saw him, it was red.

"You like it?" he asks, striking another pose. "My mom said it was weird, but I think I make it work. It must be my incredible good-looks."

I roll my eyes, stepping behind the counter to hang my apron back up on the rack. 

Michael trails behind me, leaning against the counter. "I guess I'll have some ice cream while we wait for everyone else to show up." 

He turns to Liv, who has taken over the register where Cassie was now that she's moved to the smoothie station. "What's your favorite ice cream flavor?"

I notice the sweet, normally shy girl's cheeks turn a bit pink. For as long as I can remember, Liv has had a crush on Michael. It's cute, and I wish he would pay attention long enough to notice. They'd make a great couple.