Kumquat #13
Rating: PG
Flavors: Kumquat #13 (who will help me bake the bread?)
Extras/Toppings: --
Word count: 1,036
Project: Tachycardia
Notes: University. "Cody, I'd like you to meet Brad." Had this done for over a month now, I think. But I've been busy enjoying my freedom. I swear, I'll finish this flavor...
“Want to study together, Cody?” Allie asked. She smiled down at her friend, even though his focus was clearly on the open math book in his hand.
Cody was seated at a square table in the corner of the coffee café, the same café where, together, the duo had always struggled studying for every test and returned to celebrate each success. It was their table, a table for two nestled against the window that gave a wonderful and uninhibited view of the students and teachers that passed by on their way to and from classes.
Today, there were only a few students that walked by every now and then. It was a weekend on campus, and midterm week had just ended for the majority. With the sun shining bright, most had gone out to town to relieve all the stress. Unfortunately, Cody was not one of them.
Sloppy piles of papers lay scattered before him, arranged in a fashion to take up the entirety of the table’s surface area.
Taking a second to finish reading the line, Cody closed the text, pointer finger keeping track of both page and line last read, and looked up from the printed numbers to greet Allie.
His smile died almost as soon as it formed. He wondered how he could have forgotten that Allie came with her own shadow now-Frat Brother the Great.
The sleaze stood next to Allie, a smile plastered onto his face.
Cody had never bothered to remember the guy’s name, never even said it during encounters much like the current one he was quickly becoming involved in. Within a few weeks after Allie began dating the guy, Cody had nicknamed scumbag as “Brad”. The name just fit. To Cody, it seemed as if all the Brads he’d met so far had been cut from the same cloth-classic asshole material with a superiority complex that needed to be knocked down ten pegs. He’d only known two actual Brads, but it was enough for him to associate the nasty personality with the name.
Now, this particular Brad hadn’t done much to piss Cody off. Well, other than the fact that Brad was dating his best friend…and had eyes that wandered way too much…and was touchy-feely with Allie every damn moment. And, and, and. The list of reasons to hate Brad went on.
Allie, ever oblivious to Cody mentally casting a curse on her boyfriend, took the silence as an invitation to join. She had always studied with Cody. The whole question was more an inside joke than anything else.
Situating herself into a comfortable position in the chair opposite to Cody, Allie stacked the sheets of paper into a neat pile flush to the window on his left. She dropped her own books onto the table.
“Linear algebra,” she read off his book’s cover. “Sounds rough.”
“It is what it is.” Cody shrugged. “What do you have?” He asked, trying his best to ignore the idling Brad that stood to his right.
“Well, you know me. It’s another psychology class, mental illness this time. The class is interesting, but I heard the teacher gives super hard tests. I always seem to get these kinds of professors,” she lamented as she flipped open her textbook. The vibrant green of her annotations sprung forth from the margins.
He nodded back in understanding.
Cody watched Brad from the corner of his vision. He reveled in the wonders of technology, in the joy of having cellphones that dominated people’s thoughts. Brad was so engrossed with texting that he was silent.
“Babe, what are you doing? Pull up a chair already,” Allie said without taking her eyes off the page. “Prof’s not going to postpone the test anytime soon.”
Brad jumped slightly, obviously somewhere other than here and off with whomever the hell he was texting. He had the decency to look guilty for a second before hurriedly dragging over a chair from the nearest table and plopping down into the seat. The cushion gave a pained exhale, not expecting to be bombarded with the weight of what was way too much muscle mass on a college kid.
She just had to say something. Cody resumed reading from his book.
“Sup, Cody?” Brad flashed a smile. His ego was back and in place, ready to impress.
“Studying. You?”
No reply.
Cody didn’t give it too much thought until Allie started giggling from across the table. Looking up from the book, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was distracting her. Brad’s right hand was tangled with hers. Eyes locked together, the two were laughing and smiling about some secret joke. The couple was off in search of happiness together; somewhere that Cody wasn’t and couldn’t follow.
His chair scraped against the tiled floor as he stood.
The sound startled the couple, dragging them back into the café of studying students and conference speakers that had nowhere better to be.
“Where are you going?” Allie asked.
Fingers entwined; their hands rested on top of the table in plain view, taunting him.
“I think I’m done studying for now.”
“Already? You think you’re-”
“I’m ready.” Cody stuffed everything into his backpack before shoving the chair back into its spot at the table.
Allie frowned at him, a little confused as to what had made Cody act so distant so suddenly. She chalked it up to the bone-deep tiredness that accompanied all forms of intense studying. And, in that moment, she dismissed his temper as something superficial, something temporal. The problem would resolve itself with some sleep.
Watching his friend frown, Cody couldn’t help but feel that twinge of guilt poking at him.
“See you later?” He asked, hoping to remedy his previous misstep.
“See you!” Allie smiled up at him, and then returned to talking with Brad.
Cody walked through the café and paused at the front doors. The air was cool, and the clouds had rolled in. He wondered if the weatherman would be right tonight, maybe today was the day for rain.
Setting out for his room, he passed by the café’s window. Cody didn’t dare to look inside.
A table for two was a table for two.
Flavors: Kumquat #13 (who will help me bake the bread?)
Extras/Toppings: --
Word count: 1,036
Project: Tachycardia
Notes: University. "Cody, I'd like you to meet Brad." Had this done for over a month now, I think. But I've been busy enjoying my freedom. I swear, I'll finish this flavor...
“Want to study together, Cody?” Allie asked. She smiled down at her friend, even though his focus was clearly on the open math book in his hand.
Cody was seated at a square table in the corner of the coffee café, the same café where, together, the duo had always struggled studying for every test and returned to celebrate each success. It was their table, a table for two nestled against the window that gave a wonderful and uninhibited view of the students and teachers that passed by on their way to and from classes.
Today, there were only a few students that walked by every now and then. It was a weekend on campus, and midterm week had just ended for the majority. With the sun shining bright, most had gone out to town to relieve all the stress. Unfortunately, Cody was not one of them.
Sloppy piles of papers lay scattered before him, arranged in a fashion to take up the entirety of the table’s surface area.
Taking a second to finish reading the line, Cody closed the text, pointer finger keeping track of both page and line last read, and looked up from the printed numbers to greet Allie.
His smile died almost as soon as it formed. He wondered how he could have forgotten that Allie came with her own shadow now-Frat Brother the Great.
The sleaze stood next to Allie, a smile plastered onto his face.
Cody had never bothered to remember the guy’s name, never even said it during encounters much like the current one he was quickly becoming involved in. Within a few weeks after Allie began dating the guy, Cody had nicknamed scumbag as “Brad”. The name just fit. To Cody, it seemed as if all the Brads he’d met so far had been cut from the same cloth-classic asshole material with a superiority complex that needed to be knocked down ten pegs. He’d only known two actual Brads, but it was enough for him to associate the nasty personality with the name.
Now, this particular Brad hadn’t done much to piss Cody off. Well, other than the fact that Brad was dating his best friend…and had eyes that wandered way too much…and was touchy-feely with Allie every damn moment. And, and, and. The list of reasons to hate Brad went on.
Allie, ever oblivious to Cody mentally casting a curse on her boyfriend, took the silence as an invitation to join. She had always studied with Cody. The whole question was more an inside joke than anything else.
Situating herself into a comfortable position in the chair opposite to Cody, Allie stacked the sheets of paper into a neat pile flush to the window on his left. She dropped her own books onto the table.
“Linear algebra,” she read off his book’s cover. “Sounds rough.”
“It is what it is.” Cody shrugged. “What do you have?” He asked, trying his best to ignore the idling Brad that stood to his right.
“Well, you know me. It’s another psychology class, mental illness this time. The class is interesting, but I heard the teacher gives super hard tests. I always seem to get these kinds of professors,” she lamented as she flipped open her textbook. The vibrant green of her annotations sprung forth from the margins.
He nodded back in understanding.
Cody watched Brad from the corner of his vision. He reveled in the wonders of technology, in the joy of having cellphones that dominated people’s thoughts. Brad was so engrossed with texting that he was silent.
“Babe, what are you doing? Pull up a chair already,” Allie said without taking her eyes off the page. “Prof’s not going to postpone the test anytime soon.”
Brad jumped slightly, obviously somewhere other than here and off with whomever the hell he was texting. He had the decency to look guilty for a second before hurriedly dragging over a chair from the nearest table and plopping down into the seat. The cushion gave a pained exhale, not expecting to be bombarded with the weight of what was way too much muscle mass on a college kid.
She just had to say something. Cody resumed reading from his book.
“Sup, Cody?” Brad flashed a smile. His ego was back and in place, ready to impress.
“Studying. You?”
No reply.
Cody didn’t give it too much thought until Allie started giggling from across the table. Looking up from the book, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was distracting her. Brad’s right hand was tangled with hers. Eyes locked together, the two were laughing and smiling about some secret joke. The couple was off in search of happiness together; somewhere that Cody wasn’t and couldn’t follow.
His chair scraped against the tiled floor as he stood.
The sound startled the couple, dragging them back into the café of studying students and conference speakers that had nowhere better to be.
“Where are you going?” Allie asked.
Fingers entwined; their hands rested on top of the table in plain view, taunting him.
“I think I’m done studying for now.”
“Already? You think you’re-”
“I’m ready.” Cody stuffed everything into his backpack before shoving the chair back into its spot at the table.
Allie frowned at him, a little confused as to what had made Cody act so distant so suddenly. She chalked it up to the bone-deep tiredness that accompanied all forms of intense studying. And, in that moment, she dismissed his temper as something superficial, something temporal. The problem would resolve itself with some sleep.
Watching his friend frown, Cody couldn’t help but feel that twinge of guilt poking at him.
“See you later?” He asked, hoping to remedy his previous misstep.
“See you!” Allie smiled up at him, and then returned to talking with Brad.
Cody walked through the café and paused at the front doors. The air was cool, and the clouds had rolled in. He wondered if the weatherman would be right tonight, maybe today was the day for rain.
Setting out for his room, he passed by the café’s window. Cody didn’t dare to look inside.
A table for two was a table for two.