Chapter 1
Serena
It’s a slow day here at Boba Republic, a stark contrast to our usual weekend crowd. Normally, this place is packed with activity. Customers either rush in all at once or trickle in sparingly during my shift. The orders span a wide spectrum: from taro milk tea for giggling preteens, to winter melon teas for sophisticated college girls who have found freedom from strict parents, and grad students seeking solace in our famous Thai iced coffee for their caffeine-craving souls. Then there are families who, for some reason, order an ungodly number of Oreo slushies for their toddlers and trick them into thinking they’re Frappuccinos.
I pop a hip against the counter as I take in the calming presence of the sage-green walls. The room comes alive despite the lack of people for the day. I stare out from the kitchen counter, and my surroundings start to unfold before me, revealing the cozy yet modern space. One corner has our shelf with worn out games like Monopoly and Uno; another side has our flat screen TV playing the latest K-Pop groups, then we haveour seating space of various tables, chairs and a lounging couch for bigger groups.
This place wasn’t meant to be a boba shop. It used to be a Chinese take-out restaurant, Liu’s Wok and Roll. It had the best orange chicken in town and it was quite successful. At least until Dragon Buffet opened down the street. The end of my shift can’t come any faster and I find myself sighing every five minutes. The floor-to-ceiling glass panels manage to keep my spirits alive, allowing the sunlight to seep through. Companying the glass panels was the double doors to our shop; it was wide enough to get a decent view of the neighborhood.
There are only two college students here. One student nestled into the booth, underneath our statement wall with a Boba Republic sign written in calligraphy, with floral prints bordering its edges. The other student is tucked in the corner table, overlooking a wooden shelf of fake succulent plants and board games to give the place a fun, mismatched decor to separate our aesthetic from flashy and brightly colored chaos competitors around the city. Wait by Maroon 5 is softly playing in the background, letting me drift away from my thoughts to play my guessing game when times are slow. Days like this, I end up watching people and guess what they do for a living.
“I bet the blonde chick is a graduate student at UNC. And the dude wearing the black hat is fresh out of college, working on his resume.” A voice quietly suggests behind me. I feel thepresence shift from behind to settling down in the chair next to me.
“How did you know I was doing this?” I ask, my eyes wandering to them. “I was being discreet.”
“Had a feeling, you like to do this a lot.” He shrugs at me. “I still don’t get why you enjoy this. People watching is weird.”
I glance over and share a cheeky smile with Dylan. “It’s a good way to pass time.” I stand up and grab a damp towel to start wiping and cleaning anything, again, to pass the time. My manager likes to run a clean ship here, even on slow days.
I’ve worked at Boba Republic as soon as I was legal enough. Every weekend, I tend to work doubles and fill in when needed. Mainly because I don’t live the typical teenage life and I needed something to take up my free time.
I was homeschooled since I was fourteen years old, so your guess is right: I didn’t have a lot of interactions with people my age growing up. For the past three years, my days were pretty much the same. I watched educational modules for days, turned in assignments early, read my textbooks day in and day out, and even did extra credit when I didn’t need to. It was all a way to pass the time. Boba Republic wasliterallythe only place where I could socialize with people. God knew I needed it.
My life is actually boring now that I’m thinking about it. I only have one friend. I spend my weekends working. I don’t goto parties. On the off chance that I do have fun, I help my aunt with her catering orders. After that’s done, I have movie nights in my backyard with Alli while eating the leftover scraps my aunt saves for us or the boba I bring over after my shift.
“Serena, I think you can leave early today,” Dylan notes as he nudges at me with his elbow. “Don’t forget you have all of July off. It’s your last month of freedom before school. You should be relaxing before then… not asking for more shifts.”
Chuckling at his statement, I continue wiping down our shaker cups till they’re dry. “I’ll leave in a bit, waiting for Alli to let me know when she’s free.” I glance at the door to see if there are any signs of life walking through the door and glance back down at our counter, displaying our newest special.
My family went to Seattle a couple of years ago. We stumbled upon this boba shop after a day of exploring Pike Place Market. I wasn’t sure what to get, but I was craving to try something different and out of my comfort zone. The drink? Thai green tea.
Once I took a sip, it became my new favorite thing. I pushed so hard to convince Dylan to serve the drink. Being that I’m one of the most reliable workers, he gave me the go-ahead to add it to the menu. I designed the posters and stamped them on our forefront store. Here comes the kicker, though! I worked very,veryhard on the marketing, posters, cute drawings, but no one ever orders it besides, well, about a handful of people each week.Dylan doesn’t mind at the moment, since he thinks Thai green tea is unique… just like me. His words, not mine.
“Has Alli prepared you at all for life at Skyline High?” Dylan questions as he sorts through our syrup inventory. “I know it’s been a while since I’ve graduated, but I’m worried for you.”
I let out a quiet sigh and throw the dirty towel into the used basket next to the kitchen doorway. “I’ll be fine. I’m honestly excited.” I turn to look at him with my back resting against the counter, crossing my arms. “Spending senior year with my best friend. Going to Friday night games, homecoming, and high school parties. It’s all a part of the list.”
“You and that damn list.” Dylan snorts. “Just live your life. It’s your fucking senior year, like you said. Break free.”
I made a bucket list a few months ago of things I wanted to do during my senior year. It’s simple to the normal teenage eye. For me, it’s something special.
1)Go to a Friday night game
2)Make new friends
3)Join a club or extracurricular activity
4)Go to high school parties
5) Watch the sunrise
Before I could respond, the bells hanging on the door chimed throughout the place. Dylan juts his chin behind me, “This can be your last order of the day. Don’t forget you’re off for the nexttwo weeks. You are not allowed to text me or anyone else for shifts. Don’t fight me on that. I want you to have fun this summer.” He saunters off to the back kitchen, leaving me to attend to the customer.
I turn around with a customer service smile, “Hi, what can I get for ya?” The heat that races through my body catches me off guard. Sure, attractive customers walk in and I turn my head at them, but this guy… is different.
He’s tall, his brunette hair fell in an effortlessly tousled manner. Those eyes were a striking shade of blue, comparable to a clear summer sky. It’s clear that he’s an athlete, and his confidence exuded a specific swagger of someone who knew their way around the field. Football? Soccer? No, maybe baseball.
The song changes from Maroon 5’s Wait to Cupid by FIFTY FIFTY in the background, bringing me back to my senses. How fitting.
