a soft smile, but it slowly drops as she studies me closer. I must look a treat. Hopefully she’ll put it down to the fact that I’ve just woken up. I’m not ready to talk yet.
“I’m not fussed,” I say. I can’t think straight just yet. My brain is bruised.
“Are you okay?” Crystal asks. Okay? There’s that word again …
“Yeah, fine. I just need coffee,” I reply with a smile, hoping she doesn’t see how fake it is.
“Alright, I’ll go and dry my hair while you have a shower. How about we walk up to Green Square, and go to a café we haven’t been to before?”
“Sounds great.”
Crystal hurries off to her room. I drag my arse out of bed, and slowly palm my way along the wall to the bathroom.
****
We sit down at small table in the sun at some trendy café. A tall, blond waitress, dressed entirely in black, comes to our table to take our order.
“I’ll have a large flat white and eggs benedict, please,” I say, handing the waitress the menu.
“Mmm, that sounds good,” Crystal says nodding her head. “I’ll have the same.”
“You’ve got good taste.”
“Why, because I ordered the same?”
“Of course,” I reply. “Great taste in flatmates too.” I raise an eyebrow.
“Is that so? I’ll let you know. I think it’s too early to tell,” she says, and I try to mirror her chuckle.
I sense this is the beginning of a great friendship. Even though she’s only a year older than me, Crystal has really got her shit together. She’s travelled, knows what she wants in life, and, well, she’s just lived. I’ve got some catching up to do, but with a friend like her, it drives me to do just that. Live.
Our coffees arrive, and we both eagerly take our first sip. “How was last night?” Crystal asks casually.
She didn’t waste any time. My heart sinks in my chest, heavier with each second as it drains any colour I might have had in my face.
“I knew something was up with you,” she says and purses her lips. “What is it?”
I take in a deep breath, and exhale loudly. Keep it together, Eevie . Surely I cried enough last night, and now it’s out of my system. I don’t need tears in my eggs.
I’d normally talk to Cassie about this stuff, but I need to speak to someone before I start going mad.
“Well … Jon confessed his undying love for me,” I say, trying to make light of it, but fail miserably. Because it is the truth.
Crystal coughs and splutters, some of her coffee spraying on the table. A few people at neighbouring tables stare at us, but Crystal doesn’t acknowledge them.
I hand her my napkin, and she wipes over the table. “What! What did he say?” Crystal says, a little too loudly for my liking. I don’t know why she’s surprised. She had her suspicions.
I tell her about the footsies on the couch, the choice of movie, and his comments about the mousse: I wouldn’t make it for just anyone. “All the signs were there …” I say, shaking my head.
“Maybe he was trying to tell you something with the movie. You know, something he didn’t know how to say himself,” Crystal says, her eyes wide, eager for more details.
“Maybe. Anyway, he asked me if I got the flowers, and I tried to brush it off, but then the conversation got heavy.” I take a sip of my coffee, which has quickly turned cold.
“Come on … out with it,” Crystal says impatiently.
“Two eggs benedict,” the waitress interrupts. We move our coffee cups aside. Crystal’s impatience grows with every second she has to wait for the juicy details. “Cracked pepper?” the waitress asks with a smile.
“Yes please,” I reply. I smile at Crystal as the waitress takes her time to grind pepper onto my eggs. It’s probably more pepper than I would usually like, but I do it to mess with Crystal’s head.
“Not for me.” Crystal gives the waitress a stern look, dismissing her. The waitress moves on to the next table, and I start to eat.
“Well?” Crystal splutters. I motion towards
“I’m not fussed,” I say. I can’t think straight just yet. My brain is bruised.
“Are you okay?” Crystal asks. Okay? There’s that word again …
“Yeah, fine. I just need coffee,” I reply with a smile, hoping she doesn’t see how fake it is.
“Alright, I’ll go and dry my hair while you have a shower. How about we walk up to Green Square, and go to a café we haven’t been to before?”
“Sounds great.”
Crystal hurries off to her room. I drag my arse out of bed, and slowly palm my way along the wall to the bathroom.
****
We sit down at small table in the sun at some trendy café. A tall, blond waitress, dressed entirely in black, comes to our table to take our order.
“I’ll have a large flat white and eggs benedict, please,” I say, handing the waitress the menu.
“Mmm, that sounds good,” Crystal says nodding her head. “I’ll have the same.”
“You’ve got good taste.”
“Why, because I ordered the same?”
“Of course,” I reply. “Great taste in flatmates too.” I raise an eyebrow.
“Is that so? I’ll let you know. I think it’s too early to tell,” she says, and I try to mirror her chuckle.
I sense this is the beginning of a great friendship. Even though she’s only a year older than me, Crystal has really got her shit together. She’s travelled, knows what she wants in life, and, well, she’s just lived. I’ve got some catching up to do, but with a friend like her, it drives me to do just that. Live.
Our coffees arrive, and we both eagerly take our first sip. “How was last night?” Crystal asks casually.
She didn’t waste any time. My heart sinks in my chest, heavier with each second as it drains any colour I might have had in my face.
“I knew something was up with you,” she says and purses her lips. “What is it?”
I take in a deep breath, and exhale loudly. Keep it together, Eevie . Surely I cried enough last night, and now it’s out of my system. I don’t need tears in my eggs.
I’d normally talk to Cassie about this stuff, but I need to speak to someone before I start going mad.
“Well … Jon confessed his undying love for me,” I say, trying to make light of it, but fail miserably. Because it is the truth.
Crystal coughs and splutters, some of her coffee spraying on the table. A few people at neighbouring tables stare at us, but Crystal doesn’t acknowledge them.
I hand her my napkin, and she wipes over the table. “What! What did he say?” Crystal says, a little too loudly for my liking. I don’t know why she’s surprised. She had her suspicions.
I tell her about the footsies on the couch, the choice of movie, and his comments about the mousse: I wouldn’t make it for just anyone. “All the signs were there …” I say, shaking my head.
“Maybe he was trying to tell you something with the movie. You know, something he didn’t know how to say himself,” Crystal says, her eyes wide, eager for more details.
“Maybe. Anyway, he asked me if I got the flowers, and I tried to brush it off, but then the conversation got heavy.” I take a sip of my coffee, which has quickly turned cold.
“Come on … out with it,” Crystal says impatiently.
“Two eggs benedict,” the waitress interrupts. We move our coffee cups aside. Crystal’s impatience grows with every second she has to wait for the juicy details. “Cracked pepper?” the waitress asks with a smile.
“Yes please,” I reply. I smile at Crystal as the waitress takes her time to grind pepper onto my eggs. It’s probably more pepper than I would usually like, but I do it to mess with Crystal’s head.
“Not for me.” Crystal gives the waitress a stern look, dismissing her. The waitress moves on to the next table, and I start to eat.
“Well?” Crystal splutters. I motion towards
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