Beyond the Ordinary

Chapter 19

KATE 

I woke up, realizing that it was my first day of work. I pulled on a white tank top and a see-through shirt over it with a pair of ripped jean shorts, grabbed my tan boots from my closet, and slipped them on, before deciding to put my hair up into a messy ponytail. Staring in concentration, I curled my eyelashes and put on a touch of mascara to add to my look. I'd be lying if I told you my good mood wasn't because of my newfound friendship with Axel.

I smiled at myself in the mirror, satisfied, before grabbing my backpack and my phone, heading downstairs to finish getting ready.

"Well, don't you look cute today," my father said, taking a sip of his hot coffee.

I smiled. "Thanks, dad."

I poured a glass of orange juice and popped out one of my pills, putting it into my mouth before chasing it down with the juice.

"Ready to go?" My father asked me, grabbing the car keys off the kitchen counter.

"Ready," I said, putting my glass into the sink and getting my lunchbox out of the fridge.

We got into our new car, my phone connecting to the aux almost immediately. I scrolled through all the songs until I reached the one my father and I enjoyed the most and turned up the volume as he reversed out of the driveway, using the new backup camera.

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"Kate!" Corey called, waving me over.

"Yeah? What's up?" I asked, feeling more and more comfortable around her presence as the days went by.

"Do you want to come to my house this weekend? Kyle and Amy are coming too. There's a big football game this weekend and my mother always makes a big deal out of it," Corey asked, slinging an arm over my shoulder as we walk to our first class.

I sighed. "I might have to work," I replied, but the disappointment on Corey's face made me start to reconsider. "But I can possibly ask for it off," I said.

Corey hugged me to her with her arm and pressed a kiss to my cheek, making my cheeks flush. "I love you!" she squealed and ran off to go and tell Amy and Kyle the good news.

After hearing the news, Kyle walked up to me, adjusting his backpack so that it was resting on both of his shoulders. "I heard you're coming to Corey's," he said, "trust me, it's going to be so much fun. Her mom is an amazing chef."

I smiled. "I said I'd try, I might have work, but I'll see if I can ask it off," I replied, watching his face light up in a smile as I continued talking.

"You better! It won't be as much fun without you," he admitted, giving my arm a squeeze.

I sure would miss seeing Axel, though. I thought.

As if he knew I was thinking of him, I got a text.

AXEL - Hey, Kate. R u as bored as I am rn? I wish time could hurry up and I could see ur face ;)

I smiled and headed into my first class, taking my usual seat in the far back.

✡ ✡ ✡

"Kate, who are you texting?" Corey asked a spark of humor in her tone. "You're blushing. Aw, do you have a boyfriend? Who's the lucky guy?"

I quickly shut off my phone, blushing harder. "Oh, it was no one."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Didn't look like no one to me. C'mon, out with it."

I shook my head, wanting to keep him for myself. I knew it sounded selfish and it probably was, but I just didn't want to lose whatever relationship he and I had formed.

"Sorry, I cannot say."

"Do we know him?" Amy asked.

"Who says it's a he?" Corey teased.

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are not going to give this up, are you?"

Everyone shook their heads in unison.

"Fine, it was just a friend I made from work," I admitted.

"Is he cute?" Amy asked, making Kyle slap her shoulder playfully.

I could only nod, but it was a lie. He wasn't cute, he was hot.

"Can we meet him?" Corey asked.

I shook my head. "I want to keep his identity a secret for now, if it develops into something, then sure."

Corey tossed her orange juice carton into the trash and zipped up her lunch. "Well, we have five minutes to get to class, so we'd better hurry."

I nodded, thankful for the distraction. "Yeah, I'd better go," I said, grabbing my lunchbox and backpack and beginning to walk away, stealing one last glance at my friends behind me before continuing the steady trek to class.