Chapter 1: Coffee & Dreams

Asha

I’m sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Raquel in a cafe. 

Her heads in a book,

completely immersed in its universe. 


I rest my head on my knees, 

a warm cup of coffee held between my hands.

Taking a deep breath,

I let the scent of coffee and rain 

settle around me

like the soft drift of a leaf falling to the ground. 


Glancing outside the large glass window, 

I watch the rain hit the concrete 

and unbloomed flowers. 

I’ve always wondered 

what type of flowers they are.


I close my eyes,

heavy with sleep,

and I listen to the soft music

of rain pattering against the windows.


I feel a light tap on my leg.

Opening my eyes, 

I see Raquel sitting across from me. 


How did she get there? 


Her mouth moves, 

as if she is talking to me, 

but the sound of her words, 

don’t reach my ears,

despite it being quiet in the cafe. 


“I can’t hear you,” I say, 

shaking my head. 


She rolls her eyes, 

she shakes her head 

and returns back to her book.

A soft smile on her face

 

I frown, waiting 

for her to explain 

what she was trying to tell me. 


Behind Raquel’s shoulder, 

I see Evan and Krish. 

They’re talking, 

their voices deep and faint. 


My eyes meet with Evan's blue eyes.

He smiles.

Gosh, those dimples. 


A smile forms on my face, 

subconsciously.


I return my gaze to Raquel, 

now staring out 

at the cafe’s mini garden. 


She shifts her gaze 

back to me, 

“I’m gonna go back.” 


I can hear her this time, 

and I nod. 


I pick up my coffee cup, 

and look up to see Krish 

sitting across from me, 

where Raquel was moments ago. 


Raquel, 

a few feet away. 

Waiting.


“ASHA!”


Why is he yelling?


“ASHA, WAKE UP!” 


I stir in my sleep, confused and drowsy.


“YOU’RE GONNA BE LATE!”  my mom yells from the kitchen.


I grab my phone and check the time.


6:03 am


“Shit,” I mumble, sitting up in bed. “I’M AWAKE!” 


I checked my alarms. I swear I had my alarms on. Why didn’t they ring? 


They are all turned off.

I silently walk out of my room, my bare feet pressing against the cold floor. The sound of my brother’s and dad’s snores drift through their doors. My brother was in 5th grade, and he didn’t have to wake up for another hour, that lucky rascal.

I silently walk through the hall as the rich scent of my mom’s morning coffee and the quiet patter of rain against the windows,  engulfs the house. 

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