Caffeine | PUBLISHED

04. Cappuccino

0 4 . 

cappuccino

SEE YOU TOMORROW.

Those words haunted me for the rest of the day and all today. Isaac Hensick – the Isaac Hensick – intended to see me again today. And I was dreading it.

It wasn't that I didn't like him. I hadn't spent all this time watching him every morning in the café because I didn't like him. It was more that I didn't like myself when I was around him.

I was comfortable with Riley and William. It was like I didn't have to think around them. Everything felt natural. My heart seemed to quiet, and my legs seemed to stop jittering. My mind fell still. I was comfortable with my two best friends, watching Isaac Hensick from afar in the quiet café on Main Street.

I was comfortable being a wallflower, away from any kind of attention or drama.

I had spent forever curious about him, watching him sketch and drink his cold, black coffee and bite his lip in confusion when he became so engrossed in his drawings that the world around him seemed to fade out of his focus – I didn't know how to actually interact with him.

I'd never even considered the idea that this day would come, the day he'd actually speak to me, much less recognise me from the café.

I'd always thought I was watching him through a one-way mirror, watching him from my own little bubble, but could it be possible he had been watching me too?

I almost laughed at the thought. It was impossible. He'd always been so engrossed in his thoughts and drawings, I had never even seen him speak to Vivienne, just giving a grunt of thanks whenever she topped up his coffee.

Around Isaac, I was something else. I was awkward and uncomfortable. My mouth turned dry and my heart hammered in my chest. I hated it, and I dreaded seeing him again.

My peaceful life as a wallflower was beginning to crumble.

So far, I hadn't seen him at all today. I had gone to the café early, aiming to get in there and out before he arrived. In fact, today I had seen him less often than any other day.

Okay, maybe it was due to my amazing stealth skills, but it felt like I was just delaying the inevitable.

My heart raced as I made my way to my locker after my chemistry lesson.

What was his deal anyway? I kicked a ball to his hangout spot and suddenly I see him everywhere. Was he teasing me? Was he trying to make me seem like an idiot, anticipating his appearance all day only to not see him once? Was this his cruel version of revenge?

Maybe I was overthinking it.

"Aspen?"

I blinked, moving my gaze up to my locker to see my best friend's grinning face. She leaned nonchalantly against the locker beside mine. I let out a sigh and began to open my locker, shoving my chemistry books in and pulling out my modern history books.

"Hey Riles," I yawned. "How was..."

I paused, internally groaning as I tried to remember what class she'd told me she had.

"Biology was great, thanks," Riley joked, stepping away from the locker. "You seem like you have something on your mind. What's up?"

I looked up to see her brow furrowed, her eyes flickering between my own in confusion. I let out another sigh. I was probably just making a big deal out of nothing. There really was no reason to tell her what was on my mind.