Lads & Lattes (High School Clowns & Coffee Grounds Book 1)

by A. J. Macey

  “Hey, honey.” She smiled over at me from the stove, her arm stirring the large amount of pasta she had just added to the pot. “How was school?” I grabbed a soda, or pop if you’re Nebraskan which Reid had emphasized again today, and sank into the wooden chair at the table.

  “It was good, same as yesterday,” I answered. The day had flown by just as it had the day before, Reid and Kingston walking me from one class to the next while Jesse ignored me. Although, it seemed he wasn’t nearly as irritable today so that was a positive.

  Baby steps.

  “That’s wonderful. How are classes?” Her question was distracted as she moved her attention from the noodles to the sauce. “What are you taking? You were passed out by the time I got home last night, so I wasn’t able to interrogate you yesterday,” she teased.

  “All of the same classes I was in in Cali, only difference is I have a dance class instead of a traditional gym class, and I have to take another nutrition class.” The hiss and fizz of the soda can opening filled the space as I finished talking. Taking a long drink, I continued. “All my teachers seem good so far, haven’t had any issues and none of them seem super strict which is nice.”

  “Making any friends?” She smiled over at me. Her dark circles were prominent, but her smile and happiness were genuine and had me smiling back at her.

  “A couple of guys, one was the guy who changed my tire the other day,” I explained.

  “No girls?” She sounded surprised and slightly concerned. My brows furrowed at her tone. She never had issues before when we were in Cali if I was friends with guys or not.

  “Not yet, it’s only been two days and I’ve been trying to catch up on schoolwork,” I reasoned, hoping to put her strange reaction at ease. “I’m probably going to be stopping by the coffee shop over near school tomorrow, maybe I’ll meet up with some girls there.”

  “That sounds good.” Her shoulders dropped in relief as she went back to preparing dinner. We ate with companionable conversation about her job, and the topic of Reid, Kingston, and Jesse didn’t come up again.

  September 6th

  Reid and Kingston kept me from being run over in the hallways yesterday…

  this school is way too crowded.

  #WatchWhereYoureGoing #ThankfulThursday

  The front walkway was crowded with other students heading into the building for school to start. I was just inside the glass doors when Reid’s curly head popped up above the students who had already settled in the cafeteria, his arms waving animatedly in the air to get my attention. Chuckling, I curved around the cluster of tables between them and me and stepped up to the table.

  “Good morning, Cali girl,” Reid chimed with a cocksure smile. Kingston gave his typical laidback smile and a single wave while Jesse just ignored me, intent to focus on the textbook that was open on the table. The other half of the round table held a small group of students I didn’t recognize who were talking amongst themselves. Two were girls wearing their hair in messy ponytails and headbands, their outfits made up of athletic shorts, a cross country race t-shirt, and running shoes. The other three were guys, two of which were in basketball shorts and similar shirts while the last boy was in a pair of jeans and a plain black shirt.

  “Morning,” I greeted, my word nearly swallowed up in the loud chatter of students. Reid waved a hand out toward the other half of the table.

  “Let me introduce you.” His waving hand caught the attention of the others before swinging it in my direction. “This is Emma. Emma this is Zoey and Aubrey.” He gestured to the two girls who waved at me. Returning the wave, Reid continued on to the boy in jeans and ending with the two boys in shorts. “Brayden, Carter, and Jason.”

  They gave their greetings and waves that I returned before they went back to their conversations. Trying to commit their names to memory, I picked out identifying things about each of them to try and make it easier. Zoey had black hair that was slightly wavy and brushed her shoulders in her high ponytail while Aubrey had long, straight, chestnut brown hair that reached to her mid-back. They were both pale, but Aubrey was a shade fairer than Zoey. Carter had blond hair that was shaggy and brushing down his forehead in a mop of wavy curls. Brayden had coffee colored skin with short cropped tight curls, and Jason had olive skin and black hair that wasn’t long, but wasn’t necessarily short either.

  The bell pulled my attention from my inner musings to remember their names over to the shifting mass of students. Kingston broke off from us with Zoey, Carter, and Jason while Aubrey and Reid turned down another hall. Jesse, Brayden, and I headed up the stairs in the large crowd.

  “How’re you liking Arbor Ridge so far?” Brayden’s voice was warm and friendly. Jesse remained silent on the other side of me as he walked near, but not next to me. I shrugged.

  “It’s high school, not much different than back home,” I answered, “although Nebraska is quite a change. Lots of corn.” I ignored Jesse’s scoff, or was it an attempt at a laugh?

  Does he even know how to laugh?

  Or smile?

  Who knows.

  “Yeah, there’s a lot of that here, but there’s some fun stuff to do too.” Brayden’s smile was bright as he pointed farther down the hall. “My class is that way, I’ll catch you later. Bye, Jesse.” He waved toward my sullen partner before continuing down the main corridor, walking out of my eyesight in the next section of dark blue lockers. Jesse and I didn’t talk through homeroom, both of us going our separate ways as soon as the bell rang. I sighed, guessing my attempts at being friendly didn’t work.

  Oh well…

  The little bell above the door to the small coffee shop, Coffee Grounds, dinged as I entered. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as I looked around. The counter ran along the wall across from me, the wall covered in black chalkboards that were filled with menus and prices while the counter held coffee machines and syrups. The wall that the door was on held bright windows and a wood bar top, with stools running from the corner to the door. In the center of the room were metal and wood tables, chairs, and comfy leather lounge chairs and fabric poufs. It was cozy, and there were several teenagers from the high school scattered around the room, but none that I recognized or knew the names of.

  “What can I get you?” the woman on the other side of the counter asked me cheerfully. She couldn’t be much older than me with straight, shoulder length red hair and bangs that hung straight across her forehead, tastefully brushing her brows.

  “Just a caramel latte please,” I ordered, and her friendly smile had me smiling in response. Her skin held a small tan and her Coffee Grounds t-shirt hung around her thin frame as her bootcut jeans were a dark wash almost black in color.

  “You new around here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” she asked making polite conversation as she started brewing my order. I made sure to look at her name tag, Lyla, and commit it to memory.

  “Yeah, my mom and I just moved over Labor Day weekend.” She nodded as she packed the espresso in the brew cup.

  “Rad. You going to Arbor Ridge?” Her head tilted toward my backpack on my shoulder, and I nodded.

  “Yeah, it’s my senior year.” My eyes landed on a ‘Now Hiring’ sign sitting on the counter. Lyla must have noticed me looking.

  “You looking for a job? You could do part-time here after school couple days a week and for a few hours on the weekend”—she started pumping the syrup in the cup—“I’m Lyla, by the way. I work here full time.”

  “Emma, and I hadn’t thought about, but I’ll take an application,” I reasoned, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to have a job with some extra money. I could have it to save which would be nice especially with college next year. Lyla nodded happily before handing me a two-page stapled application and my drink. With a quick thanks, I sank into one of the chairs at a table away from the other students.

  Do I want a job? Not really.

  Would the extra money be nice? Yes, definitely.

  Will it help wit
h resume later in life? Absolutely.

  With those answers in mind, I filled out the application. Since the year I’d turned fifteen, I’d worked part time each summer and taken on a counselor job at the summer camp near my house. I’d always taken the academic year off from both so I could focus on school. Now that college was approaching though, focusing on building a work portion of my resume would be a good idea. At the thought of college I felt my chest seize. I had always planned on going to the college near where I grew up, but now that I was here it would be very expensive with the out-of-state tuition rates.

  Breathe, don’t panic.

  Maybe I could go to college here in Nebraska.

  That idea didn’t sound much better, but it would be a good option so I made a note to look into the universities around here and set up visitations and tours. I pushed the anxiety-inducing topic of college away in favor of sipping of my drink and focusing on homework, but my phone buzzing repeatedly caught my attention.

  Unknown Number: Hey, Cali girl.

  Unknown Number: Can you guess who this is?

  Unknown Number: Bet you can’t.

  Unknown Number: But if you do, I’ll bring you a cookie tomorrow.

  Emma: Hi Reid. How’d you get my number? I like chocolate chip cookies, BTW.

  I made sure to save his number under his name before he texted back, his response in one message instead of a long string of them.

  Reid: How did you know?? I may or may not have copied it down when you were getting lunch today. Chocolate chip cookie, got it.

  Emma: You’re literally the only one who calls me Cali girl. Also, you’re excitable like a child. How was practice?

  Reid had been carrying around a lacrosse stick today which had caught my attention, so he had explained he played on the team and they had practices Thursdays after school and Tuesdays before school.

  Reid: Not bad, just practice for the game tomorrow at Millmer East High School. What are you doing?

  Emma: Just at that coffee shop, but I’m about to head home for dinner and to do homework.

  I realized it was getting to the time my mom would be getting home, and she was typically a stickler about eating dinner together, so I started packing up my stuff making sure to drop off the application at the counter. Reid and I continued to text for the majority of the night after my mom and I had eaten, his virtual company helping make homework a little less torturous.

  September 7th

  Read a funny joke this morning-

  “Hedgehogs, eh? Why can’t they just share the hedge?”

  #TerribleJoke #YesILaughed #FunnyFriday

  I had just taken a seat in nutrition when the girl in front of me turned in her chair to look at me with a prying eye. The girl in front of her, as well as the girl to her left also turned, three sets of nosy gazes staring directly at me. The girl in front of me had dark blonde hair that was super curly and held back with a black bow headband, her skin sporting a sun-kissed tan and her shirt one of the popular TV shows currently on air. The other two girls were carbon copy twins, both with dark chocolate hair that was pulled over one shoulder. They had bright green eyes and pale skin with lots of freckles. Even their clothes matched, so the only reason I could tell them apart was one had her hair over her left shoulder and the other draped in front of her right.

  “You’re the new girl, Emily,” the one in front of me started, her voice melodic and sweet.

  “Emma,” I corrected, trying to be polite, but their intense eyes were putting me on edge. She nodded as if that’s what she had meant to say.

  “I’m Ashley and that’s Iris and Ivy.” I gave a polite ‘nice to meet you’ that they didn’t return. The twins had yet to speak, content to just watch me.

  “Can I help you?” I asked after they didn’t say anything. Ashley leaned forward, her elbows leaning on my desk.

  “We’ve seen you hanging around Reid Hughes and Kingston Bell.” She raised a brow at me. I didn’t see where the conversation was going or what I was supposed to say so I nodded. “Are you dating either of them?”

  “Uh, no.” I chuckled at the ridiculousness of her question, not that I hadn’t noticed how attractive the three of them were. “Reid, Kingston, Jesse, and I are just friends.”

  “Jesse?” one of the twins finally questioned. I wasn’t sure which one it was other than it was the one with her hair over her left shoulder. “You’re friends with Jesse Parker?” I nodded, leaving out the fact we weren’t necessarily friends friends.

  They don’t need to know that though.

  “So Reid and Kingston are single?” Ashley took over the questioning which was feeling more and more like an interrogation by the minute.

  “I haven’t seen them with any other girls, but I don’t know for sure.” I shrugged, not feeling comfortable discussing their personal lives behind their backs. Ashley’s smile was presumptuous and smug as Mrs. Sanders called class to start, her curly hair flaring out when she turned back around.

  Well, that was different.

  “I’ll only be gone for a couple hours. My boss and I are meeting with a new client we signed on with for their next project for dinner”—my mom’s voice echoed out of her master bathroom—“will you be all right here by yourself?” I flopped back on her bed feeling my hair fan out around me in a blackened halo.

  “Yes, Mom.” I tried to keep the attitude out of my response, but even I could hear it in my voice. “I’m just going to study and probably relax. Maybe finish unpacking.” I heard her shuffling makeup or products around in one of her drawers.

  “That would be good. Before you head downstairs can you tell me which necklace would look better with that dress and heels?” she asked. I turned my head to the side and propped up onto my elbow so I could fully take in the outfit she had picked out for tonight. It was a simple black sheath dress and a pair of shiny nude-colored heels with a conservative height of around two inches.

  I eyed the two necklaces she had laid out: one was a single strand of shiny pearls and the other was a simple gold necklace with three different length strands. Tilting my head back and forth, I focused on one option then the other before finally deciding.

  “The pearls, they go with the shoes better and have more of a visual impact,” I told her before shifting to sit up. “I’m going to head downstairs and get some homework done.”

  “All right, honey,” she called out, “you have fun.” I heaved off the quilt that covered her new queen mattress and headed down the hall before clopping downstairs. I sank onto the corner of the sectional with a huff and set my backpack onto the chaise portion to pull out my history book to read the chapter due on Monday. The TV show I had turned on earlier had shifted into an episode I had seen multiple times before requiring me not to have to pay attention to it, I just liked having the noise on in the background. After a little while of reading, the doorbell rang.

  “I’ve got it.” My mom’s voice filtered down the stairs as she walked the small handful to the entryway landing. I turned back to my homework uninterested with the visitor. “Hello, boys. Can I help you?”

  “Yes, we were wondering if Emma was here?” Reid’s exuberant words reached my ears making me dip my head down enough to see up the stairs. All I could see was a pair of light wash jeans and one of his tanned arms clothed in a light green t-shirt, with my mom’s slim figure blocking the rest of the door frame.

  “Yes, she is, come on in.” She stepped out of the way, and I saw Reid followed closely by Kingston who was dressed in his usual khakis, boots, and button-up, although this one was a dark blue plaid instead of a solid color. My eyebrows shot up when I saw Jesse in his dark wash jeans and a gray shirt step into the entryway.

  “We were hoping to hang out for a while, but she hasn’t been answering her texts or phone.” At his reminder, I dug my phone out of my bag seeing double digits for text messages and no less than six calls. Grimacing, I felt bad I had ignored their messages, I had just gotten tired of my friends from back h
ome fishing for gossip and Tyler’s incessant requests to get back together.

  “Emma, honey? Your friends are here.” She dipped her head down, and I was able to get a look at her fully ready to go. Her black hair was down and curled, her face done up in classy and sophisticated makeup. Her tanned figure was clad in the dress she had laid out and she wore the pearl necklace I had suggested. Seeing that she took my suggestion had me smiling just a little. “You up for company?” Reid’s head tilted as he bent over to see down the stairs, his hand waving enthusiastically.

  “Hi, Cali girl!” he greeted cheerfully, and my mom cracked a small smile at the nickname. I nodded at my mom before speaking.

  “Yeah, that’s Reid, Kingston, and Jesse by the way,” I hollered up the stairs, too comfortable in my spot on the couch to go introduce them properly. My mom and Reid both straightened and faced each other, Reid’s hand going out to shake.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Clark, I’m Reid.” His introduction was very gentlemanly as my mom shook his hand.

  “Please, just call me Erin.” I saw her turn to the left.

  “Kingston, pleasure to meet you,” Kingston introduced himself, his smooth and melodious voice making my toes curl.

  “Jesse, ma’am.” A shiver rolled down my spine and my jaw dropped at Jesse’s honeyed, polite, and quite honestly, gentle voice. It was completely different than the disinterested and short tone he always used with me.

  Well, how rude.

  “Very nice to meet you, boys. I’m actually heading out for a business dinner so be good,” she lectured before bending down again. “Emma Brooke, you behave yourself, and if I find out you’ve been doing something you shouldn’t I’ll skin you alive, understood?” My face burned in embarrassment, my muscles tensing under her harsh warning.