I don't care what they say

 Her name was Cheri, and Darry had 101 psychology with her. Needless to say, she was the only reason he showed up for the morning class. 

Perhaps it was a daydream that he'd get to know her. He didn't want to. He had a plan. And that plan was with Kat. It felt solid for a good long while now. She was the goal. And it made him feel he could get through college so they could be together one day. But Cheri messed that up.

Her grin always had a wink when she looked at him. He tried to ignore it, but after all, he was giddy as they came, thinking she had better plans for him.

Of course, she usually came to class in her plaid pajama bottoms. She didn't dress up much for the occasion. After all, she was a Midwestern girl, and they usually dressed this way, all slouchy, sipping on a coffee.

But there was that one time when he saw her in safari shorts. Yeah, she really did have beautiful legs; that was the first week at college. Since then, she didn't seem to give a damn. Somehow, this left Darry with a chuckle. She made him think of Kat. Yeah, he knew Kat didn't think of herself as a fashionista. 

Yet, those thoughts drifted the more he saw Cheri smile. He thought he might lose his shit altogether if he spoke to her, but he soon found she listened well.

They got together at the Campus Coffee Shop in the afternoon. Sometimes, they'd share a square of coffee cake that was at half price and talk about movies, usually comic book hero movies. Honestly, he was so happy around her, but the sadness remained that he'd let someone down. Maybe it was himself all along.

Waiting on the outside

 

"I don't know what to do." Naoki wasn't sure he should have said anything to KC about his so called brothers, but he was here while it was quiet and Tyra was with Millie at the Farmer's market near their condo. 

"What is it?" KC told him to relax and to spill it. 

Naoki went to make a pour-over coffee. He shook with laughter. "No  way can I relax. Not with Alfie and Boone."

"I thought-"

"Not exactly." Naoki looked back at him with a shrug. "Mom thinks it's great. You know, the three of us. But, it's hard to explain."

KC didn't say anything, and Naoki brought the coffee. 

"It can get complicated," KC finally said. He didn't know his mother's side of the family at all. "I don't know, it never really bothered me. My step-mom has always been around. What's the problem?"

"I guess it's not a problem, it's just me." Finally, Naoki mentioned how his mom had always celebrated an anniversary on the day they met. "It was always important. We'd do something together. You know, celebrate. But it means nothing now."

"Have you talked to her about it?" KC was serious. 

"I just can't. I mean, it's no big deal." Still, Naoki couldn't help but frown as he clasped his fingers around his coffee cup. 

"It looks like it is a big deal."

"But I don't want to bother her." Naoki sighed, thinking he didn't mean to be a pity party.

"You should tell Alfie and Boone, at least," KC told him.

"I know they won't want to hear how I met their mother. And how she's probably more of a mother to me than to them." Naoki nursed his bottom lip, then finally took a sip of the black coffee.

The rush of October

 

"Instant coffee?" Boone made a face of disgust. What was his brother Alfie up to? As it was, Boone had enough trouble at the bakery between the water heater and the ovens. The rush of October was here. Everything was pumpkin spice or apple donuts, and Alfie brought instant coffee.

"Are you wanting me to sell it?" Boone looked at him as if he didn't need his brother's side gig.

"No, it's just good, and with the price of coffee and everything else these days, you might want to start making this instead of getting all those coffee beans." He shrugged as if he could be a better manager at this kind of place.

Boone sighed. He checked his watch. Maybe he had ten minutes to spare, but goods were baking. 

"I just think you should, you know, prep for the worst." Alfie looked at him blankly as he put the dark espresso powder into a cup. He added the water from his dine-in glass and put it in the microwave.

None of this was appealing to Boone, who never used the microwave unless he absolutely had to.

"Actually, I would have heated the water first. You know, like a kettle." Boone told him as if he were the expert.

"It'll be fine." Alfie looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He doctored up the heated black substance with some sugar and cream and handed it to him. "Better than what you could get in Korea."

"How would you know?" Boone looked at him, disturbed by the bitter concoction's smell. He didn't want to drink it. "What do you want?" He squinted.

"Well, Mom's birthday is coming up." Alfie shrugged.

"Well, yeah." He knew that but wasn't certain how she might feel about celebrating it. "So?"

"So the three of us need to get together and figure it out." Alfie was serious as he waited for Boone to take a sip.

"The three of us?" Boone crinkled his nose. No way was he drinking this brew, but he finished it off while listening to Alfie.

"You know, how she is, she-she just wants us to get along with Naoki."

"Isn't he always there for every holiday?" Boone didn't have time for this.

"I know, but..but she doesn't think we're really friends with him," Alfie explained.

"OK, I get it," Boone guessed it was important, but it wasn't like Naoki invited them to his place.

Until the sun explodes

 Gavin knew something was up, the moment he saw Darry talking to Kat at the Youth Center.  Honestly, it burned his ego to think Kat might see something in Darry that he didn't. Not that he thought Darry was up to no good, but the guy was a wild card in Gavin's book. 

He'd never told Kat that he didn't like him, but she knew. Yeah, she was a mind reader of sorts. She knew how he felt.

She never brought it up, but now he wanted her to. Was she afraid he'd be upset and punch him or something? At least Darry was down in Lincoln now, so that was good.

"Have you heard, from..um, you know-" He shrugged when they met up after school so he could carry her backpack on the walk to the library.

She looked at him a bit strangely.

"Just tell me, will you?" He did his best not to snap, but this college guy was a big mess, as far as Gavin was concerned.

"Well." It sounded like a cry to help to Gavin.

"Well, what?" He looked down at her with his eyes lit. One arm clung to her backpack strap on his shoulder. He tilted his head, thinking he knew her. They'd bowled all summer together. Sometimes, they hung out at the pool. They'd laughed. She'd seen him in swimming trunks, and of course, he liked the fact that she wore a two-piece at the pool that was almost a bikini. Yeah, all the feels of happy togetherness spun even if he didn't think they needed to go any further. It was the noble thing to do. After all, the words I LOVE YOU were on the tip of his tongue.

He ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. Why did she make him perspire so much?

"It's just-" Kat nursed her bottom lip. She wouldn't look at him. "He, he sent me letters."

"WELL, I WANT THEM!" screeched in his head. Gavin couldn't help but have a sour look. It was no time to be stoic. He sighed. "You should read them." He was going against the grain of his nature.

"What?" She looked troubled about it.

"He's probably homesick. That's all it is." Gavin suddenly responded as they slowly walked toward the library. 

"I applied for Darry's job at the library."

"Oh." Kat's eyes opened wide.

"Yeah, why not." Gavin shrugged. He mentioned it was close to home.

"But..but I thought you wanted to work at the bowling alley?"

"I did, but the hours were all wrong." Gavin, straight-lipped, acted as if he probably wouldn't get the job. But when they got to the library, there was good news.