riven, maggie morris [great book club books .txt] 📗

yeah? How are you liking it?”

“Um, well, you’re my first customer, so I really don’t know.” I lowered my voice. “The boss is really rude though.”

“Found that out, did you? I worked here for one day a couple of years ago, and quit after she lowered my paycheck for not asking customers for tips. Kim’s nice to her customers, but never her employees.”

“Oh. Well, what can I get for you?” I said, straightening up.

“Hm. How about the Triple Chocolate Chunk Mocha, no whipped cream?” Bryce decided after studying the menu.

“One Triple Chocolate Mocha, coming right up!” I flipped open the book and looked for the recipe I found it on page 15. I turned on the coffee maker and watched in fascination as, along with coffee, blue drops of food coloring dripped into the cup. Suddenly self-conscious with Bryce watching me, I turned away to find the chocolate.

I found a chocolate creamer that the recipe called for, the chocolate chips, and the chocolate syrup. By the time I had gathered the ingredients, the cup had filled.

I measured out the amounts of chocolate and added them in, finally, I popped the lid on and brought it over to Bryce.

“Your total cost will be $9.32!” I exclaimed, frowning. “Man, this place is expensive!”

“Yeah, but it’s worth the money.” He handed me a credit card, then took a sip. “Delicious! Are you sure this is your first time making a Triple Chocolate Mocha?”

“Positive. Well, there was this one time…” I joked.

He laughed. “I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Have a good rest of your weekend!” Bryce walked out the door, and I sighed as blues filled the air. I wish he had stayed. Just then, the door flew back open. It was Bryce. “Sorry, forgot to tell you-those coveralls look great!”

 

* * * * *

 

When I was safely in the hall, I checked my watch to see what time it was. 9:45. I had one more class to go, then lunch. That meant I would eat at around 11:00, which was early for me.

I looked up just in time to run into a guy. He was pretty sturdy, so while I flew backwards, he just lost his balance a tiny bit. My face stung from the impact. I raised my head to glare at him, but then I saw who it was-Bryce. He suddenly seemed to be everywhere these days.

“Oh wow, Alice, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” He held up his phone, proof of what he was doing. “I was just texting my girlfriend.” Immediately, my heart sank. He had a girlfriend.

“We both have been so busy that we haven’t gotten to hang out with each other at all. I’m breaking up with her,” Bryce explained. Just like that, my day suddenly got better.

“Okay,” I said casually. “Sorry I ran into you.”

“It’s fine. Besides, it was basically my fault.”

“No, I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t pay attention.”

“What were your thoughts about? Me?” Bryce teased me. I wanted to say, Yes, actually, but instead I said, “No, I was thinking about Spanish. Mrs. Uber gave us this huge project that we have to finish before Thursday.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve heard that’s a tough class. Well, I can’t help you with that. I’d suck at trying to speak Spanish. Heck, I can barely even speak English!”

It was then that I realized we had been standing in the middle of the hall for the past two minutes, and people were swerving to avoid running into us. Ah. That felt so good, saying us.

“Hey, we better move,” I suggest.

“Good idea. What’s your next class?” I checked my schedule, not having memorized it yet.

“Advanced Algebra with Mr. Little. We have it together.” I tell him.

“Duh! Sorry. Do you want me to carry your stuff?” Bryce asked kindly. I blushed.

“No, thanks. I got it.” We started walking.

 

* * * * *

 

“Okay, so if the cubed root of 125 is five, and the square root of pi, which is about 1.77, added together are supposed to equal x, then x = 6.77?” I relay.

“Exactly!” Bryce smiled. We had been paired together in Algebra (pure luck that we were partners), and were currently doing a review unit. However, even though I had already learned this stuff, I didn’t remember a thing, and I’d already sucked at Algebra before.

“Okay, next question…” I was suddenly entrance by a piece of hair that was sticking up on Bryce’s head. It was kind of annoying me, but more than that, I thought it was adorable. “Alice, are you listening?”

“What?” My head snapped up. “Oh, sorry.”

“That’s alright,” he said gently. “How about this-class is almost over, and you still haven’t gotten this down, so why don’t we study a little bit in the school library this afternoon?”

Me? Be alone with him? That would be nerve-wracking.

“Sure!” I blurted before I could think anything else.

“Cool!” The bell rung, and we scrambled to grab our things. As I reached for my math notebook, his hand brushed mine. At the exact same time, we both looked up, blushed, then looked back down.

“S-sorry,” I mumbled. My heart was beating rapidly and my cheeks were still warm. It was a good feeling, and I suddenly realized that he had blushed, too. Was it possible he liked me? The thought made me happy, and I hugged my notebook to my chest.

“See ya, Alice!”

The day flew by quickly after that. I was on Cloud Nine waiting for my ‘study date’, as I called it, with Bryce.

Soon, it was eighth period. Having art for last hour was awesome, because it was always a great way to end my day. Today I was painting my clay model of the Eiffel Tower. I had to say, it looked amazing.

I put the finishing touches on my Eiffel Tower just as class was ended. I quickly washed my paintbrush and put my clay sculpture in the kiln, which was currently turned off.

I grabbed my things and hurried to the library, where Bryce was waiting.

“Hi, Ali’.” My heart sped up when he said my nickname.

“Hi!” I said. The librarian glared at me.

“Quiet in the library!” She whisper-shouted.
“Sorry!” I winced. I turned to Bryce. “So should we get started?”

“Sure. Hey, I’ve been wanting to ask you something...so, the fall dance is coming up, and I was wondering if you were going.”

“Dancing?” I scoffed. “I can’t dance, so I probably won’t go.”

“Oh,” he said quietly. My eyes widened as I realized he probably was going to ask me to go with him.

“Not that I wouldn’t go!” I tried to say, but it was too late.

“It’s fine-I don’t like dancing, either.”

Suddenly, he spoke up.

“I was wondering, even though I just met you, like three weeks ago, and we’re just friends...well, would you like to maybe go watch a movie or something sometime?” My heart fluttered. Was he asking me out? And did he...break up with his girlfriend for me?

“Of course. I’d love to! It’ll be nice to not just sit around anymore,” I exclaim. I was thrilled that he hadn’t given up and on me, and he looked relieved, like a heavy weight had just been lifted off his chest. “But wait-are you sure you don’t need to time to get over your girlfriend?”

“Nah. I was over her weeks ago, I just never got around to dumping her.” I grinned.

“I get what you mean.”

“Okay, how about Friday, then. I’ll pick you up at 7:00, and we can go see whatever you want. Speaking of picking you up, where do you live?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Stalker, much?” Then I smile. “Just kidding. I live on 4532 Daily Street. It’s by that one Walgreens that has a blow-up water bottle in the front. I go to Walgreens to get all my family’s groceries.” I don’t know why I added the last bit. Maybe I wanted to give him proof that I had a family. A foster family, but still a family.

“Sounds great!” We traded phone numbers, and picked up our things.

“See you Friday!”

* * * * *

 

“So, new topic-boys. Do you like anyone?” It was the next day in E.L.A., and we were supposed to be reading silently.

“Maybe,” Claire said mysteriously, wiggling her eyebrows. I laughed.

“Come on. You have to tell me. I know we haven’t been friends long, but you can trust me.

“Promise not to tell anyone?”

“Promise.”

“Okay...Bryce Manchester,” she whispered. I gasped.

“What?”

“Um, nothing. I just...thought of something really awesome! What if we hung out on Friday?” I asked, trying to cover up my surprise.

“Sure, I guess. I have dance from 3:00-4:00, but then I’m free the rest of the night. You can come to my house,” Claire told me. Then I remembered about my “date” with Bryce. I opened my mouth to take it back, but it was too late. Now, I would have to choose between Bryce and Claire. I couldn’t tell Claire because then she would be crushed that her newfound friend was going on a date with the guy that she liked the same day as we were supposed to hang out.

I finished the rest of my lunch in silence.

III

 At 5:00 a.m. on Friday morning, I woke up with a headache. But, I didn’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I had a busy day today. I had to be at Le Sapphire Café by 6:00, and had to meet the early birds with their coffee until 8:00, at which point I would rush to school and hope I made it in time to homeroom, which started at 8:15.

Then, during lunch break and study hall, I would go back to Le Sapphire Café again for an hour, then back to school. Finally, after school I would go to Le Sapphire Café for the third time, work, for two hours, to Claire’s, then somehow manage to meet Bryce at 7:00.

I yawned, got dressed, and headed to work. Much to my enjoyment, Kim was not there, and neither was Jake (whom I had learned was the sunken-eyed boy), so I had the whole place to myself.

I grabbed my coveralls and stood at the counter. After twenty minutes, still nobody had come in, so I busied myself with making a blueberry scone for me. I figured that if I had to get up at five and fit my job into my school schedule, the least Kim could do was let me eat a free scone.

I had to agree with Bryce-I was good at making things when I hadn’t even worked here before. The scone I had made melted on my tongue, and blueberry mixed perfectly with the flaky dough.

It was amazing. I opened my mouth to take another bite, when suddenly blues music blared. I jumped up, ready for a customer.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE LORD IS GOING ON!?” It was Kim. I was holding the scone inches from my mouth, ready to take a bite, as Kim came up and smacked it out of my hand. “DID YOU PAY FOR THIS!?”

“Um, no, but I should get employee advantages.”

“Did I say you got employee advantages? NO! And while you were in here, eating breakfast that I payed for, customers are trying to get in, but they can’t because you LOCKED THE DOOR!”

“Well maybe if the windows weren’t painted