Lollipop and promises
i
are my bu
I'm already dreading. I don't know why professors love forcing strangers into groups, but I do know that wh
to work, my brai
k greets when I walk int
anything. He's the kind of guy who always has a joke ready, even when nobody's asking for
le, throwing my b
s me. "T
pron, tying it around my
're just figuri
s hitting ha
you while you take a n
mpt
front. The store is moderately busy-not too chaotic, but enou
l routine. Sc
5, the chime abo
is before I
ha
nsists on calling him
accepted that this is just part of my day. Like the beeping of the
of the r
something i
eaches my register and sets h
not c
. "Stra
across the counter.
between my fingers like it's a fore
ted to try s
"You didn't just g
a quiet l
ncing between h
just an excuse for him to be here. But now, faced wi
nd now I don't know what to do wi
d him his change. "So, what
p into his pocket. "
making it clear that our conversation is holding up the transaction. I p
ld let
I do
mind running in circles over som
st a lo
gh
ds, my brain is still h
e only one who actually cares about our grade-do most of it. It's an unspoken rule in every group project: there's always one pers
my thoughts keep d
pop. A tiny, insignificant deta
hake the feeling tha
because what coul
k at the library cramming for an exam. So I grab a sandwich from the campus café and head
has oth
from my apartme
ha
ling through his phone. He doesn't see me at first, and for a second, I conside
n he gl
e that, I ha
g a few feet away. "
ut one ear
s. "Did strawberry live up to
asn't expecting me to bring it up. But then he
"Not th
ckles.
erything is 'fine.' Th
ike being
rence between being myste
eing di
es
g this. "Okay, fine
my eyes.
bad. But
us smile. "So you admit
he's reluctant t
. "I k
ly sounds coming from the distant hum of passing cars and the
should say goodn
hift my weight,
u get strawb
Just studies me for a moment
"Felt like cha
"But you
ou been keeping tra
. "You make i
expression now. Something that makes my stoma
I want to ask
igger than
are you planning on keeping up this routine? Or maybe