I’m the first to arrive at the coffee shopand sit in our corner table in front of the window.The restaurant is buzzing with order dings, raised mugs to request more coffee and families chattering at their tables.
Within a minute, Collin and Jonathan are in their seats at the white-and-gold-speckled laminated table.Collin raises a hand to greet Clara, who is behind the counter, collecting payment from a customer.
“Good morning, sunshine,” she calls to him.“You’re a day early.”
“Aren’t you lucky?”Collin hollers back, making her laugh.
We usually meet at Clara’s every Sunday at ten.It’s become a ritual since middle school with very few exceptions.This week being one of them because I have to spend the day with my family tomorrow—not optional.
Jonathan has a nasty gash on his lower lip that I can’t stop looking at.I shoot Collin a look when he sits down.He gives me wide, confused eyes.
“I didn’t think you got into it with anyone last night,” Collin says at my silent insistence—stepping on his foot under the table.
“It’s from an elbow when we were leaving.During the mad panic when the cops were coming.”
“Oh.”Collin tries to look convinced, like maybe he remembers it happening.But I can still see the skepticism in the narrow of his eyes.
“Where’d you end up going?”Jonathan asks me.
“Home.”
“Which you’d know if you actually answered your texts,” Collin scolds.
Jonathan looks confused, then examines his messages.“Right.Sorry.”
I shrug, trying to play it off—unable to speak because that would definitely give away the tightness in my throat.
What am I doing?What arewedoing?This is beyond awkward.And it shouldn’t be awkward.It has never been awkward between us.Okay, not never.But not likethis.Not like it has the past six weeks.He barely looks at me now.
“I really am sorry.”A foot nudges mine under the table, directing me to meet his dark eyes, heavy with apology.“My dad was up when I got home, and it was… well, it wasn’t great.I have to inventory the garage today because he’s convinced I left the door unlocked.”
“Seriously.Why is Hal so paranoid?”Collin asks.“He really thinks someone’s going to randomly drive down your mile-long driveway just in case the garage door happens to be unlocked so they can steal tools that, you know, won’t makeanynoise while dragging them out of your garage?I don’t understand his brain.”
Jonathan’s dad has always gotten upset about the strangest things.We’ve never been able to make sense of it.Someone somewhere is out to get him in one way or another.Whether it’s poaching his customers, stealing his tools, or stripping parts from his construction sites.And Jonathan is always the one to have to put his warped brain back into perspective.If he’s not the one being blamed in some way.
“The regular for you three?”Clara asks, not bothering with her order sheet since we’ve been getting the same thing every Saturday morning for the past two years.That’s about as long as our breakfast favorite lasts until we switch it up.So, maybe I’m ready for a change.
“I’ll actually have the lemon waffle with a side of scrambled eggs and avocado and a celery juice.”
Everyone stares at me.Including Clara.
“What?My palate has matured.”
“Into a forty-year-old woman?!”Collin declares.
“Fine,” Clara responds, having to write this down.“Boys?”
“My regularnormalbreakfast platter, please,” Collin requests with emphasis, still eyeing me like he doesn’t recognize me.It’s not like it’sthatmuch different than my regular.Granted, the lemon was once chocolate chips, and the avocado has switched with the bacon.And I’ve never actually had celery juice, but I read it’s really good for you, so why not?It’s probably much better for me than the peanut butter and chocolate milkshake with whipped cream I usually order.
“I’ll just have a coffee,” Jonathan requests.
“Why aren’t you eating?”Collin asks, voicing our suspicions once again.
“I already ate.My mom made breakfast this morning, and I couldn’t say no.”
“So?You’re always hungry.You can probably eat breakfast three times and still be hungry.”
Jonathan looks to Clara, who’s growing impatient by the second.
