benefits of the various stores, restaurants, and rec buildings around the city was that two people who didn’t know each other very well could go out and get to know each other in a public place. Though it was true that anything you could ever want was readily available at your own home, it wasn’t customary to invite a complete stranger back to your house after having just met.
It was for this reason that Jonah and Brynn sat in the dimly lit café, drinking hot chocolate and learning about each other as the m oon streamed in through the glass walls and ceilings. The blue glow of the moon was countered only by the soft orange light emanating from the lamps on each table.
Amber had messaged Brynn several times since the group separated, but Brynn would simply reply with a quick, Still feeling sick . She felt slightly guilty over this lie, but it was true that her two dips in the ocean that day had left her feeling chilled and worn out. Though she was sure she wasn’t getting sick, sitting there with Jonah in her stiff, dry clothes felt like the best medicine she could find.
“Okay, how about this one,” Brynn began, excited to finally have someone to ask all of her questions—someone who wouldn’t dismiss them as nothing. “Why don’t the trains have windows?”
“That one’s always bugged me!” Jonah exclaimed, causing a few people around them to look over at the couple curiously. He laughed quietly at his outburst and hunched over closer to Brynn as if this would help to lower his volume. “I feel like there has to be some way to make glass thick enough that it won’t break when the train reaches a high speed,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Exactly. So are the train engineers just being lazy or do they not want us to see what we’re passing by?” Brynn asked, feeling slightly exhilarated at saying things out loud that she had only ever thought.
Jonah was silent for a long moment, his eyes looking at her , but not really seeing her. It was as if he was focusing on something far away. Thinking. As usual.
“What do you think we’re passing by?” he finally asked, genuine curiosity in his expression.
“I’m not sure. I can’t think of what would be so secretive. But I’m going to find out pretty soon here,” Brynn said excitedly. “I’ve got a train ticket for—”
“So,” said a familiar voice near Brynn, cutting her off mid-sentence. As she looked over and saw Amber, Bennett, and Ty staring at her, she instantly scooted her chair back a few inches, not realizing until that moment how close she and Jonah had been sitting. “You’re looking much better,” Amber said, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows a t her friend.
“Oh,” was a ll Brynn could think of to say.
Amber looked angry as she stood there in silence, while Bennett looked excited to see what was going to happen next. Ty just looked upset in general, though he wasn’t staring at Brynn like Amber and Bennett were. He was staring at Jonah.
“I’m feeling a lot better now,” Brynn said finally, breaking the awkward silence t hat had descended on the group.
Jonah looked over at Brynn questioningly, but luckily had the good sense not to blurt out that she had been fine the whole time that he had been with her. Instead, he cleared his throat and looked down at his empt y hot chocolate cup in silence.
“Who’s your friend?” Bennett suddenl y asked, her voice flirtatious.
Jonah clearing his throat was the only thing Bennett had needed to lock all of her attention onto him. Brynn was surprised it had taken her that long to notice a cute boy in the room.
“This is my friend Jonah,” Brynn said by way of introduction, realizing that it probably didn’t quite add up that she knew this boy well enough to call him a friend when her other fr iends had never met him before.
“Hi Jonah, I’m Bennett,” she said, pushing Amber aside to shake his hand.
He smiled up at her and took her hand in his, not showing
It was for this reason that Jonah and Brynn sat in the dimly lit café, drinking hot chocolate and learning about each other as the m oon streamed in through the glass walls and ceilings. The blue glow of the moon was countered only by the soft orange light emanating from the lamps on each table.
Amber had messaged Brynn several times since the group separated, but Brynn would simply reply with a quick, Still feeling sick . She felt slightly guilty over this lie, but it was true that her two dips in the ocean that day had left her feeling chilled and worn out. Though she was sure she wasn’t getting sick, sitting there with Jonah in her stiff, dry clothes felt like the best medicine she could find.
“Okay, how about this one,” Brynn began, excited to finally have someone to ask all of her questions—someone who wouldn’t dismiss them as nothing. “Why don’t the trains have windows?”
“That one’s always bugged me!” Jonah exclaimed, causing a few people around them to look over at the couple curiously. He laughed quietly at his outburst and hunched over closer to Brynn as if this would help to lower his volume. “I feel like there has to be some way to make glass thick enough that it won’t break when the train reaches a high speed,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Exactly. So are the train engineers just being lazy or do they not want us to see what we’re passing by?” Brynn asked, feeling slightly exhilarated at saying things out loud that she had only ever thought.
Jonah was silent for a long moment, his eyes looking at her , but not really seeing her. It was as if he was focusing on something far away. Thinking. As usual.
“What do you think we’re passing by?” he finally asked, genuine curiosity in his expression.
“I’m not sure. I can’t think of what would be so secretive. But I’m going to find out pretty soon here,” Brynn said excitedly. “I’ve got a train ticket for—”
“So,” said a familiar voice near Brynn, cutting her off mid-sentence. As she looked over and saw Amber, Bennett, and Ty staring at her, she instantly scooted her chair back a few inches, not realizing until that moment how close she and Jonah had been sitting. “You’re looking much better,” Amber said, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows a t her friend.
“Oh,” was a ll Brynn could think of to say.
Amber looked angry as she stood there in silence, while Bennett looked excited to see what was going to happen next. Ty just looked upset in general, though he wasn’t staring at Brynn like Amber and Bennett were. He was staring at Jonah.
“I’m feeling a lot better now,” Brynn said finally, breaking the awkward silence t hat had descended on the group.
Jonah looked over at Brynn questioningly, but luckily had the good sense not to blurt out that she had been fine the whole time that he had been with her. Instead, he cleared his throat and looked down at his empt y hot chocolate cup in silence.
“Who’s your friend?” Bennett suddenl y asked, her voice flirtatious.
Jonah clearing his throat was the only thing Bennett had needed to lock all of her attention onto him. Brynn was surprised it had taken her that long to notice a cute boy in the room.
“This is my friend Jonah,” Brynn said by way of introduction, realizing that it probably didn’t quite add up that she knew this boy well enough to call him a friend when her other fr iends had never met him before.
“Hi Jonah, I’m Bennett,” she said, pushing Amber aside to shake his hand.
He smiled up at her and took her hand in his, not showing
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