Amidst The Stars

Coffee At The Cove

  Madeline
  Should we meet up at the school gates? (Sent 07:45)

  His phone chimed. Vicente picked up his phone and scrolled through Madeline's latest message while pushing a tray full of custard buns into the oven. The first batch would probably get the restaurant through the morning, and Yao could make the rest. Of course, he'd continue making them once he got home. His phone chimed again. The next message read:

  In around twenty minutes maybe (Sent 07:45)
  Lucien needs help cleaning the kitchen (Sent 07:45)

  An indignant shout from behind him nearly made him drop his phone. Yao marched up to the oven and slammed the door shut, turning dials while speaking so quickly Vicente could barely make out the words. "Oh my goodness, don't look at your phone while putting things in the oven lah. What if the temperature is too hot or the buns are tipping over and you don't notice because you're texting this Madeline girl?"

  "He's talking to Madeline?" Ling popped her head into the kitchen. She was desperately trying to tame her rat's nest hair and was still in her yellow pyjamas.

  "Yes. I mean no." He put on an oven mitt and went to take out the batch of egg tarts he'd popped in a few minutes ago. "I mean, how did you know?"

  "Well, firstly, I saw her name on your screen," Yao said, his voice becoming muffled as he leaned into the freezer and rifled through packs of food. He popped out victoriously a few moments later holding a packet of pork belly. "And secondly, apart from our contacts, hers is the only one you have."

  Another egg tart was placed on the cooling rack, and another on a plate for a customer outside. "I could've been talking to Kiku."

  Leon popped up at the kitchen window to fetch the plate and a tall glass of iced milk tea. "But you don't smile at your phone when texting Kiku," he remarked, "you only do that when you're texting Madeline."

  "I smile?"

  "I know, it's really creepy," Ling said.

  "He kind of looks like he's planning a murder."

  Vicente ignored his younger brother and turned his phone on again, typing his reply.

  I'll be there, I'm about to leave home (Sent 07:48)

  His bag was placed behind the cashier, and he slung it over a shoulder as he left. "Good luck," Yao called from the kitchen.

  Ten minutes later, the bus rolled up in front of Trofilos University. A bunch of people were gathered around the entrance — a few parents saying goodbye to their kids, some old friends reunited after the summer and nervous-looking freshmen among them. Vicente shuffled through the crowd, shoulder already hurting from his textbook-filled bag.

  While making his way towards the gates, someone nearly knocked him over. They grabbed his arm right before he could fall, saying quickly, "I'm so sorry! Are you all right?"

  "It's all right, I'm not hurt or anyth — " He looked up. "Lucien?"

  Lucien's blond hair was free of a hairnet, and his embroidered blue jacket had no flour smudges on it. Outside the Boulangerie, he looked like an entirely different person. "Oh, you visited us a few weeks ago. Are you starting your first year here?"

  "Yeah." Vicente straightened up and massaged his arm. "I'm taking the hospitality undergraduate program."

  "Ah, so is my younger sister. The two of you can be friends. Knowing her, she'll have quite some trouble talking to others, but maybe you can get her to come out of her shell." So Lucien really didn't know that they spent every Sunday morning together.