Pisces
Chapter 10

Matt didn’t bother asking if I wanted to order anything. I’dcome to the café enough times for him to know I wouldn’t order anything else.Instead, he dropped a cube of sugar in my caramel coffee, and left to waitanother table a little further down. I didn’t have to strain to catch the faketone the girl at the other table used with him. Good for him, bad for me. I wasstill working up the confidence to even strike up a casual conversation. Itirritated me to no end. I’d come out of my shell my freshmen year of college.There was just something about him that made my tongue knot up.

My eyes drifted from the window to the other table and I frowned.She was trying to a catch his attention, and it was working. Matt was blushingbut smiling, and I even heard him laugh.

I sighed and returned to my window. The weather matched mymood—cloudy and in the distance thunder rumbled echoing down the street. Acrossfrom me, Justine let out a sigh as well and set the menu down.

“You’re going to throw off the flavor if you don’t mix thesugar in,” she said. A grunt on my part had her rolling her eyes. “Any ideawhen you’ll be done pouting like a spoiled princess?”

My eyes snapped to Justine, and my lips thinned. She knew Ihated being called that, especially since I looked the exact opposite of one.She was just trying to get a rise out of me, the bitch. But I couldn’t help itas my glare broke into chuckle, and I shook my head. She knew how to snap meout of my funks. Straight forward and honest if not blunt, the best qualitiesyou could have in a friend.

Justine slipped a spoon into my coffee and stirred. She wasa connoisseur of the stuff, and couldn’t stand it when the brew wasn’t createdjust right.

“Quit it,” I said flicking her hand away and taking a sip.

“I will if you lighten up.”

“Kinda hard when your parents are on your ass about jobs,boyfriends, and going back to school for a realdegree.”

Justine rested a cheek in her hand and raised an eyebrow.

“C’mon on Nora, you should be excited. Not many parents are willing to offer topay for their kid’s entire education.”

“Jealous,” I asked raising my voice over the thunderapproaching thunder.

“Who wouldn’t be?”

I hummed tapping my chin, “Someone like me?”

Justine’s eyes scanned the ceiling yet again while saying,“Even you could enjoy going back if you’d actually allow yourself to.”

“The only thing I’ll enjoy about going back is gettingaccess to the university’s telescopes again,” I said sitting back sighing.

Justine smiled, “Exactly. You’ll have access to some of thegreatest technology while you’re there. It should help to pass the two to fouryears you’ll be trapped there.

“Thanks,” I muttered taking another sip of coffee, andwinced as thunder shook the window next to us.

Justine tilted her head and looked out the window, “Soundslike it’s gonna be an intense one.”

I hummed in agreement and turned to the window. My eyeswidened as a blur shot by our booth headed for the door. The next second thedoor chimed and in walked Noah and Mina.

“Whew, just made it!” Noah said grinning. It widened when hespotted us and pointed Mina in our direction before walking to the counter. Ihad enough time to catch him say something to Matt before Mina arrived.

“Hey guys,” she said sliding in next to Justine.

“Save it,” I said grinning. “C’mon, let’s see it.”

Mina glowed, holding out her hand for us to see theengagement ring. Noah really had gone all out for it. And judging from mybrother’s stupid grin and the look in Mina’s eyes, she still hadn’t finishedshowing her appreciation.

“Admiring the hardware,” Noah asked, sliding into the seatnext to me. He poked my side getting my attention and said, “I told mom and dadto lay off you. You don’t have to go back to school if you don’t want.”

I gave him an appreciative smile, and then nodded at hiswatch, “Shouldn’t we go? The movie starts in fifteen minutes.”

“Nah, we got some time,” Mina said grinning, and my brotherquickly mimicked it.

The warning bells started soundings. Those two had somethingplanned.

The wind outside picked up, and a flash of lightning causedthe lights to dim for a second. Noah stood up again, helping Mina out of herseat saying, “On second thought, maybe we should head out.”

I nodded and left some money on the table. We made for thedoor, but Noah looked over his shoulder and whispered, “Just so you know we’vegot enough room for one more in the car.”

I gave him a confused look, but he just nodded at somethingbehind me. Turning around, I saw Matt slipping on a jacket as he punched out. Ishot Noah a glare, which he just shrugged off with a grin and left.

I followed, but stopped at the door. My heart sped quickened, mycheeks started burning, and I bit my lip. Spinning on my heels, I went straightto Matt and tried to ignore his dimples as he gave me a surprised smile.

“Hey,” I said. My eyes dropped to the floor, and my cheeksburned even hotter. Taking a breath I looked back at him, tucking a loosestrand of hair behind my ear and said, “So we’re all going to see a movie.Wanna come?”