Young Writers Society

You can chase a butterfly around a field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.

-Unknown

Chapter One:

“Oh my God, Ari.” Sasha pulled me closer, wrapping me in one of those hugs that manage to both comfort and make one fear for their life. She let go and my lungs re-inflated with a wheeze.

“I can’t believe it,” Roz said, shaking her head sadly and taking another sip of coffee. It was another Friday night at Grounds Coffee Shop, home to all of the city’s kids who had better things to do than party. The familiar atmosphere didn’t help my mood; instead it reminded me that John was normally here too, with his arm around me and the best smile I’d ever seen.

“I wish I couldn’t,” I said, trying to play off a sniffle as a sneeze. Nobody said bless you. They saw right through my act.

“Do you need anything?” Sasha asked, taking a sip of her double chocolate chip cream blend. Sasha didn’t drink coffee. At a mere five foot two, her aspirations to be a model wouldn’t allow it.

I shook my head and looked out the window in hopes of some sight of John, looking for me so he could take it all back. It was as empty and dark outside as ever, and I looked away. Sasha and Roz both followed my gaze and caught on immediately.

“Ari,” Roz began, looking at me with eyes filled with sympathy. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you need to stop thinking about him. He was a jerk, and you deserve better.”

It really wasn’t something I wanted to hear, but deep down inside the comment really did help, if only a little bit.

Charlie stepped up to the table holding a plastic tray with four cups of steaming coffee on it. “How you doing, Hun?” she asked. I shrugged and shook my head, the universal gesture for ’what do you expect?’.

“When do you get off work?” Roz asked her, ignoring my bitter sarcasm. I went to work scratching a broken heart on the side of the table with my nail.

“Ten. Why?” Charlie asked. She switched the tray from one hand to the other.

“Because I think somebody needs us for the night,” Roz replied, nodding her head in my direction like I couldn’t see.

“I saw that,” I said.

Charlie frowned at me, letting me know just how much of a jerk I was being. “Stop scratching at the table,” she scolded. “Just because your world had ended, doesn’t mean that that won’t come out of my paycheck.” Her words were harsh, but the tone was joking, enough to let me know that she was serious but not angry.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, pulling my hand back into my lap.

“Do you think we could stay past closing?” Roz asked. Charlie looked around for her manager.

“I’m pretty sure that would be fine,” Charlie decided. She lowered the tray onto the table and massaged her sore arm. From a corner of the building a loud, obnoxious sigh reached our ears. All of our eyes found the source- self-proclaimed Queen of Queens, Daphne. Charlie’s eyes narrowed at the sight of her and her impatient followers tapping their expensive shoes and looking bored out of their tiny little minds.

“I hate those girls,” she said, rubbing her arm a bit harder.

“Seriously,” Sasha said, wrinkling her nose. “That girl has sold her soul to the devils pimp. You know what she said the other day, about her and Mr. Catony-”

“Excuse me?” A shrill voice traveled through the room. “Miss, are you going to bring us our drinks, or should I talk to the manager about the service here.”

“Or maybe we should talk to Mr. Catony about the service over there,” Roz said, loud enough that we could hear, but they couldn’t. Sasha, Roz, and Charlie all broke into giggles concealed by simultaneous fits of coughing. Not very smooth. Even I had to smile at it. Daphne’s eyes widened at the thought that somebody might speak ill of her, and all of her followers glared like good little puppies behind her.

“Excuse me!” she called out, enraged. “If you have something to say about me, say it to my face.”

“You’re a slut,” Sasha called out. Roz jumped to cover her mouth and they both fell over laughing. I covered my mouth with my hand and looked away while Charlie fought to keep a straight face.

Daphne stood up, slamming her perfectly manicured hands on the table. “Bitch, let’s go!”

Sasha and Roz were still giggling as Sasha replied, “Sorry, I’m not into sloppy seconds.”

“Sasha!” I scolded, though the smile on my face told her that I thoroughly approved of her comment.

“Oh, that’s right,” Daphne said, a wicked smile growing on her face. “I forgot that you’re only after virgins, cradle robber.”

Sasha’s face darkened at the mention of her last ex-boyfriend, the freshman who had fooled her into thinking he was much older.

“Take that back!” Sasha said, standing up as well.

By now, most of the room was watching, their heads moving back and forth across the room as the battle continued. A few older people picked up their drinks and left. Employee’s stared on wide-eyed, not knowing what to do, or what side to take.

“Come over here and make me,” Daphne taunted, flipping her hair.

“Sasha,” Roz warned, tugging a bit at Sasha’s sleeves.

“Calm down,” I said, scooting closer to her so that my shoulder was against her stomach. Her eyes blazed as she stared daggers across the room.

The manager, Nena, finally came out of the backroom to see what was going on. Charlie quickly picked up the tray and started heading over to the other table, faking a shocked expression. She’d always been quite the actress.

Nena took in the sight of the standing girls, and could sense the tension in the air like burning coffee. “What’s going on?” she demanded, looking from table to table.

Shamefaced, everyone at our table looked down. Nena liked us, and it felt terrible to cause trouble at her shop.

“Girls,” she said, the warning in her voice not lost to anyone. “Charlie?”

Charlie turned her scared face toward Nena and put on her best act.

“I don’t know. I was just making their drinks she stood up.” Charlie nodded toward Daphne, who put on her charmer face as well.

“I was simply defending my honor, Miss,” she said, working up the alligator tears.

“Don’t pull that play on me, Daphne,” Nena censured. “Next time you defend your honor, do it outside of my establishment, clear? This is not your haven of virtue. And as for you, what’s you’re excuse?” she asked, turning her gaze to our table. Sasha sat down and we all shrugged.

“Well she certainly wasn’t defending her honor,” Daphne whispered loud enough for the room to hear.

Charlie ‘tripped’, spilling four cups of still-hot coffee over Daphne and her friends. She faked a very sincere sounding apology and offered to help clean off their clothes with napkins, only worsening their anger.

Daphne screamed and the room seemed to jump in unison. Nena put a hand to her head and sighed. “You and you,” she said, pointing to both of our tables. “Go to the Backroom. Charlie, that includes you.”

Cautiously we stood and followed, keeping our distance from the other girls.

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See part Two