The next day went by smoothly. Lunch I managed to avoid eyes with Theo and Mrs. Swans class was cancelled for today. I had a  huge Economics test coming up but I also could use the extra cash. I went into work and studied between customers. That's how I made my freshman year work, why fix something that isn't broken?

I read my text book behind the counter and cracked my knuckles. Two per finger minus the thumbs. It was a force of habit.
"That's not good for you." Theo leaned on the counter. I rolled my eyes as a gut reaction. People had been telling me that for years but I knew it wasn't true. It was purely popping the air bubbles in your joints. "It causes arthritis."
"It was debunked." His eyes glistened in the overhead lights.
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Theo smirked. I raised a brow.
"It's 'thats one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind'. We didn't collectively walk on the moon, just Niel Armstrong." One of my hands rested on my hip, the other propped me up off the counter. He smiled with satisfaction.
"I stand corrected, again." I nod. Before I closed my textbook, I stuck my notebook in as a bookmark. His eyes stayed fixated on me. I licked my lips and made a clicking sound with my tongue.
"What can I get you?"
"Coffee, black." I nodded and wrote his name on a cup.
"Uh, Devin?" Gracie slinked up from the back. She was a first year and just started here at the beginning of semester. Promising girl; worked hard, smart. "The guys need your help." She gestured over her shoulder. Her voice was soft and shaky. I wish my eyes could shoot lasers. They always needed help in the back with a mess I didn't make. Especially when David and Seth got together, it was like a hurricane of coffee supplies. "David is throwing up." She whispered. I sighed and hand her the cup.
"Coffee, Black." She nodded. I pushed past her and to the back.

David and Seth were in the back of the stock room. David was on the floor in the bathroom with the door open propped up against the wall. Seth was trying to keep his wits about him around the corner.
"Go home David." He looked up at me with dazed eyes. "Feel better, please." He nodded and Seth pulled him up from the floor, almost gagging. I grabbed the cleaning supplies and went to work.

I came out from the back and Theo was gone. Apart of me hoped he would stick around. An even small piece of me was glad he didn't, I'm sure I look disgusting. I blew out my breath, my cheeks puffed out. A cup sat on the counter. I grabbed it. It had my handwriting on the side. It was Theo's. He tore off a small piece of napkin and had it on top with my name. I opened it. Inside was the rest of the napkin with cash in it. I grabbed the napkin and shoved the cash in my pocket. He wrote on it.

'So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete. - F. Scott Fitzgerald from The Great Gatsby'

I bit my lower lip with a smile. The Great Gatsby was one of my favorite books. I shoved it in my apron and kept working.

Work wasn't too horrible and I didn't mind closing by myself. Meant more tips for me. I always sorted it fairly. We took them out hourly and stored them in an envelope with who was working at the time. The cash was split evenly. It was fair like that. I tired to clean up as quickly as I could so I could go home. My feet hurt from standing so much.

****

A week had gone by and Theo only seems to throw glances my way here and there. I didn't put much energy into it. I was too afraid if I did, I'd only get lost in a day dream. That was a new trend of mine this year, daydreaming.

Jordan and I sat at lunch together like we did everyday. We were talking about getting some new stuff for the apartment. I glanced up. Theo's eyes were stuck on me. I think that boy had a staring problem.
"He stares at you a lot." Jordan sounded perplexed by this.
"What? No." I tired to play if off casually.
"He's been staring at you every day since your causal dinner." I wrinkled my nose.
"You're right, it's creepy."
"Just because you're hot doesn't mean you can be creepy." I laughed. My eyes found Theos one more time.
"Something happened that I didn't tell you, don't hit me!" My words were rushed.
"I get to decide if I want to hit you or not." My face cringed. Jordan raised her eyebrows. "Tell me!" I heaved a sigh.
"So last week Theo came into the cafe and order a coffee. I can't tell if he was flirting, you know I'm bad at that." Jordan nodded in agreement. "Okay then I had to go clean up vomit." We both shuttered. "Well when I came back out he was gone but he left a decent tip in his empty cup wrapped in a napkin. He wrote a quote from The Great Gatsby on it."
"What was the quote?"
"Uh, it was something about being in love with Daisy. I have it at home."
"Dev that's hot, and mysterious."
"We we're literally talking about The Great Gatsby in class." Jordan gave me a suspicious look.
"The Great Gatsby is such a romantic book!" She almost squeaked.
"It was tragic." I argued.
"Jays love for Daisy was incredible. He died for."
"He died because of her." Jordan stared at me slightly frustrated.
"We'll call it a draw." I shrugged my shoulders and the conversation rolled with it.

Jordan and I spent the rest of lunch telling jokes back and forth laughing so hard it hurt. The conversation about Theo had been tucked into a back pocket to gather more information. We were walking to the trash cans and I was telling a story from when I was in high school about how stupid those people really were. We were at the trash bent over in laughter.
"Stop!" She shrieked. "I'm gonna pee!" I was feeling the same but it was still funny.
"It's amazing I left that place with an ID!" Jordan screamed with laughter.
"ID!" She repeated what I said. "You mean IQ!" We both doubled over.
"Maybe not as much IQ as I thought." We were both sitting on the ground next to the trash can trying not to pee ourselves. Jordan snorted so hard she coughed which made me laugh more. Linsey Noel, my ex best friend from high school fiercely marched over to Jordan and I.
"You look like psycho laughing at a trash can." Without missing a beat I clapped back.
"Oh, I wasn't talking you?" I looked between her and the trash can. "Wow, uncanny resemblance." Jordan snorted and high fived me. Linsey's face turned even more sour. She stalked off without another word. I climbed to my feet almost tipping the trash can over with me. Still laughing I pulled Jordan to her feet too. She pulled me in close to whispered in my ear.
"Don't look now, but Theo Axel is smiling and looking right at you." I pushed her away playfully.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go to class." I grabbed her wrist and pulled her will me. Jordan barked a laugh.

Mrs. Swans class seems to get in the way of my adventure. Restlessness coursed through my veins. I licked my lips and looked over my shoulder to the window. Some students passed by. I longed to be out in the sunshine. My eyes flickered back to Theo, who was already looking at me. My tongue pushed hard on the side of my cheek. I slowly sank in my chair looking forward. The jitters ran through me. I wanted to bust out the door and find adventure. I looked over my shoulder again but purposely at Theo. He was busy looking at his phone. I sighed.

The bell rang and I was off like a bullet. My feet carried me swiftly to my car. I almost ran into Ace and Xavier.
"In a rush Strawberry Short Cake?" Ace joked. Him and Xavier smacked each other playfully.
"Yes, I'm late for an adventure!" I kept going.
"What adventure?" They called after me in curiosity, I just ignored them. My car sat in the back of the lot. I hated to park around other people, even though people still seemed to find me. I got in and made my way to the edge of the lot. I stopped so a group of people could walk. It was Theo and his friends. We made hard eye contact as he walked. My breath caught in my throat. After they passed I peeled away.

I drove down abandoned streets until I found an empty spot to pull off the road. The gears quickly changed to park as I threw the lever forward. I turned the car off. The air was fresh and reviving. I found the trail I had created and started to walk again. The headphones I had shoved in my pocket were knotted. Patiently, I untangled them, knot by knot.

My walk was over an hour and settled my need for adventure. I stopped at the convince store in the way home to grab some things and head home. Jordan was still at work so I just made dinner she could reheat when she got home.