Rumor Mill

Chapter 4 - Coffee Shop Soundtrack

[Jenna's POV]

I don't know why I did this. I mean, I did know why, but I still felt a bit silly about it. It's been a while since I've let someone in that wasn't close to me already. I know that going out on a date isn't quite 'letting someone in,' but she is weaseling her way up and over this wall I put up around myself so long ago.

Tay: I meant to say that I think you're really pretty.

She caught me so off guard. I could feel that she was into me, but she didn't seem like the kind of girl to make the move. She seemed more like the girls that all of the moves get made on.

Me: Hm... pretty enough to go out with?

Tay: Maybe ;) I know a cool coffee shop around town if you're into that sort of thing.

Me: Oh, I am very into that sort of thing.

Tay: Is 4 on Friday ok?

Me: Four is very okay.

Tay: I'll see you then, blondie.

Me: And I'll be seeing you, too, dork.

It's 4:15 now. What if she was kidding? What if she forgot? What if she does show up but to tell me that she's changed her mind? I made one friend besides her, and that was a girl named Lynn. According to her, Tay may be dating some other girl named Jess. Who even is that? I didn't know what she looked like. All Lynn said was, "They're pretty inseparable. They've always been that way. I've seen them get pretty busy at parties, too, but they aren't always like that. Not in the way that Alexa and I are, anyway. So who knows?"

I took a sip of my tea. Coffee wasn't really my jam. What if she thinks I'm lame for that? What if everyone here just thinks that I am lame?

I missed home. I didn't even know why we moved in the first place. No, I did. It was because of me. I don't care what my parents tried to tell me, I knew it was because of me. I remembered when my mother walked in on me and that girl. The look on her face... I still didn't know how they thought moving would help. There are girls everywhere. Moving from Sydney isn't going to change anything. I am who I am. I wish they would just accept it.

The door jingled and I looked up from my cup to see Tay. I don't see how she didn't turn every head in the shop. She was beautiful. I loved her smile, and the way that her hair bounced when she walked. I loved the way other things bounced while she walked, too, but I am trying to behave myself for now. She flashed that stunning smile of hers at me as she approached the table.

"Hey," she greeted me, still smiling. She took the seat across from me. "Sorry that I'm so late! I'd tell you why, but it's a little embarrassing."

"It's okay! I'm not going to judge you or anything. What was it? Siblings? Homework? Needed to sacrifice a goat to ensure the contentment of our date?"

She giggled. Good, I was hoping she'd find that amusing. "No! Just..." She swept her hair away from her eyes and tried not to blush. "I do have a sort-of ritual that I do before I go out on a date."

"Oh, okay. Good on ya, getting the blood out of your clothes! That's amazing!"

"Oh, shut up." She chuckled some more. I could see her cheeks turning a light pink. "No, it's something that Jordan and I do. We do it for his dates, too, though it happens way more because of him since I don't do dates very often." I raised an eyebrow at this; it surprised me. "Anyway, we help each other pick our outfits and then we pick a song and play it together. It's supposed to be a happy song. It's for good luck. You know?"