Chatter

“Yeah, and I just flirted the night away!”

She laughed out loud, and he smiled at her, as if in mock reprobation.

She took a sip of her raspberry Italian soda and went on. “Yeah, I know it’s not the best reason why I’d stay up until 5 AM, but she’s really cute and I couldn’t resist her.” Seeing his fleeting glance outside the window, she gently placed a hand on his arm.

“Are you okay?” There was a hint of genuine concern in her voice. “Would you rather talk about what’s bothering you or should I just keep going?”

He shook his head. “It’s fine. I’d prefer listening to your stories, really. They help keep my mind off things. So please, go on.”

She looked into his sad eyes and nodded, understanding. “All right, but just let me know if you want to speak up or if I chatter away too much. Okay?”

He smiled. “Yes, of course. So you went to sleep at 5 AM today?”

Grinning, she continued. “Yes! Oh god, I would have totally kept on chatting with her if I could! But I resisted, on account of our lunch today, of course. So I prepped an alarm for 8 AM…”

He placed his backpack on the table and laid his head on it, listening to his friend’s tales to forget his own.

–

For A.

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Image source: deviantart.com/psilocybeats/art/Italian-Soda-251524629
First written April 6, 2018.
In The Coffee Shop, #19
#181