I was supposed to catch the southbound train about five minutes ago, except I’m late, and I’m probably going to miss the next one because I can’t find the stupid entrance into the subway station anywhere. I’ve been walking around in circles the past twenty seconds trying to figure out what they meant by putting up a sign ‘Dundas Station Here’ right outside the movie theatre. The renovators must have made some sort of mistake, because it’s dark in here and all I can see in front of me is a ticket booth and Sydney’s brother making out with her stepsister.
I wonder if they’re going to catch a movie later.
I hate that every time a new secret rolls around; I’m always the one to discover it.
I sigh. I should probably go say ‘hi’ to them, but our conversation will sound a lot like this:
Chris would say “Nikki! How have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Nikki would say, “Oh, I’m fine I’ve been good. How’s your day going?”
“Super well!” he’d say, even when his day was a total bummer.
Nikki answers right away: “So. How’s school treating you?”
Chris thinks carefully. And then he says the first thing he thinks of, “Good.”
Nikki tries to keep the conversation going; but she forgets what he just said, because instead of listening, she was thinking about those eggs she had that morning and how she was about to blow up any minute.
Grace intervenes promptly, pushing Nikki aside, “Okay, Nicolai. We gotta go. Move it.”
Nikki would get pissed off; because that’s the 30th time Grace thought her name was Nicolai. “It’s Nikki. Get it straight you little wiener.”
“Whatever, Nikki,” she’d say turning away. “Nikki. Nicolai,” she’d say mumbling to herself, “Same difference to me.” Yeah – only the same to you, because you’re a twit.
“Shut up. Don’t make me stuff your pretty little fingers into your mouth, you little McBitch.”
“Oh yeah? Like Chris would ever let you,” she’d smirk, looking up at Chris out of habi.
And Chris just stands there letting Grace clutch onto him because he’s the king of all McBitches.
Oh, but I could definitely sell my soul for a vanilla frappuccino right now. Nothing. I’ll just pretend I saw nothing.
I promised myself yesterday that there’d be no more Starbucks for me. Nikki, just suck it up, you have self-control. Oh, but I could just smell those roasted coffee beans… and that rich taste of caffeine… washing down my appetite. That mouth watering goodness intertwined with an air of mystery—
“Excuse me, Miss. You’re blocking the doorway?”
“Ooh—sorry.” It’s not my fault my brain and my butt don’t share high speed internet.
“It’s alright Miss. By the way, you have something rolling down the side of your chin.”
Oh, boy. I wiped that mouth watering goodness away.
“Wait a minute, would you by any chance know where the subway station is?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’m heading there right now. It’s just down the escalators to the left. Its way in the back… not that hard to find,” he laughs.
“Thanks.”
Well, I should probably head home now. I take one long last glance at Starbucks, and I see Chris and Grace still holding each other romantically. Sydney won’t be happy when she hears this.
As I head towards the staircase, someone pulls me back from behind.
“Nikki! I thought it was you!” Grace yells.
“Oh, hey.”
“I want to introduce you to my boyfriend,” she smiles. “He’s the Chris I was talking about,” she whispers.
“Hey Nikki. What's keeping you down?" he laughs.
“You know, Starbucks,” I reply lightly, glaring at the storefront employee waving his sleazy drink at me.
“Still hooked on those, huh?”
I nod. “And that guy over there; isn’t helping me at all. He just wants to see me living in a box after I blow off all my money on Starbucks. And even then,” I laugh, “I’ll still be a regular.”