⌨

The day started with me springing out of bed and flinging my curtains open with a flourish. Sun streamed in as I greeted the morning with a smile.

What, you may ask, has this little cucumber so spritely?

Well, I shall tell you my friend.

I am determined not to let others' opinions effect me any longer.

After a long wallow in self-pity after I got home after bumping into John, some rumpled tissues and playing of The Notebook, I went to bed with a stomach engorged with ice cream and M&Ms and a new mind set: I, Montana Montgomery, am a strong independent woman who doesn't need other people to dictate my life.

If I was happy with Harrison then so be it.

He hadn't done anything to me that should deserve my caution. Harrison, so far, had been the sweetest he could be and I couldn't be happier.

I couldn't.

I don't think I could...

Anyway!

The point is, I wasn't going to let Liana's or John's words get to me. For whatever reason they were against us, but that didn't have to effect Harrison and I.

Besides, I had other problems to worry about, why worry about Harrison? He was the one thing I didn't have to worry about right now. Today I had to talk to Sarah about what was wrong. I was going to call her after I got back from coffee.

Coffee, which I was having with a certain green-eyed boy that made my heart stutter.

I mean honestly the smile on my face was all for him.

Who wouldn't be smiling when they were going to hangout with Issac Rush? Seriously I was having a little bit of a freak out.

Okay a lot of a freak out.

Which brings me to worry number two... what should I wear?

I sang in the shower as loud as I could. Nobody else was in the house to listen or hear it anyway so why hold back? I danced around in my towel and tried to decide what to wear. Normally I would call Sarah, but again I was saving that for later. I couldn't just call her up while in the middle of a fight and ask for help. Not without apologizing and I knew our talk had to be long and serious not a giggling boy session.

Not that I was seeing this as a date between Issac and I. I was dating Harrison after all. No, this coffee was between friends, just a crazy obsessed fangirl and the boy she admired from afar, who were just friends.

And to prove that we were just friends I wrote it on my hand. So I wouldn't forget.

I dressed in dark skinny jeans and a black top before tossing on a dusty rose sweater. Comfy and cozy. That's my motto.

As I put on a light layer of makeup I tried to keep my mind form wondering back to yesterday. I mean, positive mindset and everything, but it was hard.

John had spoken with such sincerity. The hardest part of it all was at the end when I thought I saw guilt in his eyes. He had seen me cry again. I hated people seeing me cry and I couldn't help but think about when I didn't associate with Harrison and his friends. I had been content watching from afar with Sarah at our corner table in the lunchroom. The corner table, which was now occupied by strangers, had been our home in school. Recently Sarah had taken to eating with Dillon and his friends and since I was eating at the Center Table it was left empty for a couple days before other upper classmen took it over. I think a group of junior girls ate there now...

My heart ached every time I saw them laughing and eating their food.

Sarah and I used to laugh and eat food.

Speaking of eating food do I have breakfast before I go meet Issac or do I have a muffin or donut with my coffee?

It doesn't take me long to decide I'm going to both so I grab a bowl and prepare some cereal. I'm a breakfast eater on weekends. I usually eat so much breakfast and then hardly eat anything the rest of the day till dinner. Its just how I am. I guess I get distracted on weekends and forget to eat lunch or snack. Unless I'm bored, then I pig out and gain a few pounds.

Finishing up my bowl I grab my winter jacket and a hat (check to make sure I have my phone and twenty bucks) and head out the door. A walk into town on this crispy morning will be nice.

My stomach is a mess of butterflies and fairies on my way to the coffee shop. I don't think I've ever been so nervous going to buy a coffee before. I'm not exactly sure why I'm nervous... it almost feels like when I went on my date with Harrison but on steroids. I suppose that's my inner fangirl kicking in. The last time (and first time) I saw Issac on the school trip and I had Sarah at my side then.

Now it'll be just Issac and I, unless he's bringing his friends.

I know Cory is in town with him and he mentioned someone else on the phone the other night so perhaps he's bringing them along. I don't know how I feel about the thought of other people being there.

On one hand it would be a good icebreaker.

I only meet Cory once, but I got the feeling the guy never found a situation awkward.

He was definitely that person in the group who was oblivious to tension and when everyone else was shifting in their seats he'd be like "Bro I'm telling you, you got to put some Nutella on that pizza. It's fucking amazing." And everyone just looks at him like awkward.

So yeah, Cory being there could be good, but on the other hand, I'd be out numbered. Issac would have friends and I'd be alone. What if they brought up and inside joke and started laughing and then I start laughing even though I don't know the joke and they think I'm a freak.

Gosh that would be worse than an awkward silence...

By the time the horror of that thought crosses my mind I find myself in front of The Bean and taking a deep break I step though the warm embrace of my little sanctuary; the sweet aroma of coffee and sugar swirling through the expanse of the room. The spicy scents of fall had been replaced by gingerbread and pine. It smelt like Christmas in here.

It was fairly busy, a slight hum in their air as people enjoy their Joe on this chilly morning, snuggled up on the worn leather couches or chatting at the dark wood tables that lined the windows of the shop.

I scanned the room for a familiar pair of green eyes, but jump as someone shouts a greeting. I turn my head to see Issac sitting at a corner table by the window, grinning widely and causing him to have a boyish look about him. I can't help but smile back at him. My stomach flipping and my heart skipping a beat.

This is crazy! It' actually Issac, he's actually in Clear Water!

I walked towards him, carful not to trip and fall flat on my face. That is something I would do.

"Greyworth Girl," Issac stood up from the chair he was sat in and before I had time to reply he had his arms wrapped around me. I popped up onto my tiptoes to meet him halfway. He squeezed me tight before letting me go.

I'm going to say that metaphorically speaking there were sparks when Issac hugged me because my life has been a cliché chicklit novel recently and that what the main star in one of those books would say.

In honesty though, my heart was a freaking hummingbird in my chest. It wasn't even beating anymore but humming instead.

"Man it feels good to see you in person again." He said and I smiled.

"You too."

I was going to explode.

After a moment we sat down again. I looked at the empty table between us.

"Have you not ordered anything?" I asked and Issac shook his head.

"Nah, I was waiting for you." I smiled at him

"How long were you waiting?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Only about five minutes, don't worry about it." He gave me a small smile "You like nice by the way.' I felt my cheeks heat up and Issac's sweet smile turned into a little smirk. It only caused me to blush more.

"Want to go order now? Great! Lets go now!" I said jumping out of my chair without giving him a chance to reply. I only see a spark of amusement in his emerald eyes before I'm up at the counter. I smile at barista, Amy, and order a cinnamon chestnut latte and a gingerbread cookie from the baked goods behinds the glass.

"Is that all?" Amy asked and I nodded, but before I could hand her my money a hand caught my wrist.

"I'll have what she's having." Issac's voice cut in and then he handed Amy a twenty-dollar bill. I didn't know what to do. Did Issac just pay for my coffee and cookie?

I turned to face him as Amy smiled and went to prepare our coffees.

"Did you just pay for me?" I asked and raised my eyebrows at him. Issac mimicked my expression and tone when he replied

"Yes, I did?" I narrowed my eyes slightly and tried to fight off the butterflies in my stomach.

Stupid butterflies!

Go away!

You should be dead in December anyway!

Issac only smirked back at me.

Oh the nerve!

I didn't need him to pay for my coffee, I didn't expect him to pay and to be honest I didn't really want him to pay. Was there a small part of me that was singing and cheering? Yes. Was there another small part which was confused a slightly guilty thinking about what Harrison would think? Yes again.

Not that there was anything going on right now. This wasn't a date and Issac was only a friend.

Least that's what I wrote on my hand...

We collected our drinks and cookies and then headed back to our table.

I settled into my chair, tucking one leg under my but and started digging into my cookie with a moment's hesitation. I had a sweet tooth; a pretty bad one and this cookie was going to be gone in a minute. I placed two fingers against the side of my coffee and jerked them away when I felt the burn, the coffee was still too hot to drink. When I raised my gaze up I found Issac's memorizing green eyes watching me.

Had he been watching me since we sat down?

I lowered my hand from my mouth just before I popped a piece of cookie in.

"What?" I asked blushing slightly as Issac continued to study me with a small boyish smile on his face.

"Nothing... you've some crumbs on your chin." He said and my face flushed a deeper red than Santa Clause's suit. I ducked my head and rubbed my chin. Sure enough cookie crumbs fell onto the table. I heard Issac chuckle softly as I discreetly ate my last piece of cookie.

"That was adorable." He said with a dazzling grin when I finally raise my head to look at him again. I smiled back and then we laughed lightly together.

"I can't believe you're in Clear Water." I said and checked my coffee again to see if I could drink it yet.

"I know, I didn't tell you till last minute incase things fell through or something, but my mom has been pestering me to go back to school recently and I finally relented." He said with a shrug and then leaned back in his chair.

I nodded my head.

Issac had started being homeschooled shortly after his first video became a hit. The kids in his local school didn't all respond so nicely. The girls either chased him or teased him and the guys were cruel and jealous. Issac had been the kicker on the JV football team, really good player and the last straw was him being cornered in the locker room after practice.

No I'm sure Issac could hold his own in a fight against one or two guys, but when half a high school football team is against you... you should be able to judge fight or flight. Issac couldn't take flight though with the wall at his back and ended up with a concussion and a broken hand (because he did get some punches and broke a kid's nose). He started being homeschooled after that and had been for the past 2 years.

I couldn't believe it when he told me about the first time.

I don't understand how anyone would want to hurt Issac because he was popular, but perhaps the boys were just jealous of his handsome face, charming smile and talent. I had always wondered what it would like to be home schooled and always imagined it would be easier than real school, but Issac had told me that wasn't really the case.

He actually spent more time on school than he used to because he didn't have specific hours he was forced to stick to. Cory and a couple one of his other good friends were also homeschooled with Issac because of similar reasons. Issac's other close friends had either turned against him or drifted away ever since his videos became so popular.

It was kinda sad to think about... that he had lost so much for no real reason.

"Wait," I paused processing what he said "You're going back to high school?" I asked and Issac leaned forward to rest his forearms on the top of the table.

His eyes shined with excitement and enthusiasm. He was obviously waiting for me to ask that question and was eager to answer.

"Yes, I am. I'm going to be finishing senior year in school." I pursed my lips. I didn't like the idea of Issac going back to that school. Those people didn't deserve him after all they had done to him.

"Why would you want to go back there?" I asked

"I'm not going back to Kirkford High School." He said and his excitement shifted to mischief, his smile dipping into a smirk and it was damn sexy if you asked me.

What?!

I have no idea where that thought came from.

"W-whaa..." I stuttered and cleared my throat and dirty mind "What do you mean?"

Issac eyed me for a moment probably to increase the suspense of the moment and I reached for my coffee, glad to see that it was no longer going to burn my tongue and took sip, eyeing him over the rim of the mug and then he said: "I'm coming to Greyworth."

A/N- Who loves Issac?! Well this chapter is for you!

I didn't get to edit this chap as much as I wanted because I forgot, but I really wanna keep updates on track. So forgive me, but I hope you enjoy!