Coasting

Chapter 13

Day 33

"How was your date?" Courtney asked, steaming some milk after the morning rush had finished.

"What?" I asked, throwing away some of the excess trash on the counter.

"Last night," she said with an impatient look. "With Fletcher."

"How do you know about that?"

"Fletcher told John, John told me."

I gave her a weird look.

"John and I have been quite close for a while now. Plus word spreads like wild fire around here. You'll get used to it."

"Oh," I muttered, sorting the money in my register even though it was already sorted.

"Fletcher said it was great."

"Hmm," I murmured.

"Apparently he couldn't stop talking about it,"

"Hmm," I repeated, busying myself aimlessly with a rag.

"Jamie."

I finally peeked at Courtney, who was staring blatantly at me. I asked, "What?"

She tossed her long, braided blonde hair behind her shoulder and sighed loudly. "Whatever. Don't talk about your feelings for Fletcher. We all know they're there though."

Silently, I focused on my cleaning.

A few more customers came in, since it was just after noon. Once they were helped, I said to Courtney, "It was nice."

I could feel her looking at me even though she didn't say anything. She was waiting.

"It was sweet," I disclosed, loud enough for only her to hear. "And..."

"And," she urged and I realized I had been lost in thought. I had momentarily forgotten where I was. I was lost in the previous night. I was lost in the burn in my lungs. I was completely, and utterly, lost.

"Perfect," I finished. Our eyes met and I quickly looked away. "Too perfect."

"Listen, Jamie," she said finally. "If there's one thing I can say to you, its that Fletcher is a fucking crazy boy. He's goofy and closed off but he has a side to him that few people have seen. And in the past few weeks I can tell he's trying to show you that side of him."

I swallowed extra hard when my breath caught in my throat.

"He's hooked up with quite a few girls in the past couple of years," Courtney confessed, being straight with me. "I've seen him with them. And you--"

She walked over and grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at her. "You're different to him, Jamie."

I pulled out of her grasp. "I hear you. I just don't get it. I mean--I just...I'm just average."

Courtney burst out laughing. "Oh, Jamie. Trust me. You aren't average."

~ ~ ~

Day 36

"You better be there tonight," Lucy said sternly, pointing at me.

"Maybe," I muttered quietly, mostly hoping they didn't hear. Courtney did though, since she wasn't far from me behind the counter of the Beach Brew.