Finding You

Chapter 2

My head is pounding. Forcing myself out of bed, I grab my phone and text Henry.

"Morning sunshine. Hangover smoothies?"

"Pick you up in ten," he replies quickly.

Suddenly the lock on the door clicks and a fiery, curly redhead walks in. Delia.

"D! You're back just in time to grab some hangover smoothies with Henry and me."

"Sounds delicious!" she responded with a cheeky smile.

"How was your weekend at home? How's Kaia? Next time she should come here to stay the weekend, it gets so lonely with just me here." I say as I glance over at the photo of the two of them in a deep blue picture frame on her desk. Kaia's arm is wrapped over Delia's shoulder, with her other hand on Delia's cheek, both wide smiles on their faces. Sunshine gleaming down on Kaia's golden brown skin and Delia's bright red hair. I've always loved this photo of the two of them, it embodies their happiness and love for one another. Anyone would envy for the love they have for each other. They've been together for almost three years, and occasionally Kaia will come to stay the weekend with Delia here, and when she does, the three of us and Henry always have the best time.

"It was great, and she's doing well. Don't worry, she'll be back up here before winter break," she says with a wink, knowing how much I loved spending time with the two of them, "Now let's go get those hangover smoothies."

—

A bell chimes as we walk through the door of a Tropical Smoothie, out of the crisp early fall air and into a summer atmosphere, contrasting with the mountains of Colorado Springs. Lively aqua blue metal chairs fill up each table and complement the bright, sunset orange subway-tiled bar and counter where we ordered. After we order, we make our way to our usual spot. The large corner booth by the window. I slide in next to Delia as Henry sits across from me.

"So Henry, who's Blondie?" Delia asks Henry while side-eyeing me, right before Henry picked us up I had to make sure she was caught up with Henry and his dancing partner from last night.

Answering before Henry can I say, "Blondie, aka Jonah, is the hot guy from last night's outing. And they're getting drinks tonight. Just the two of them. I think it's serious." Delia smirks at me as we lean in laughing, teasing Henry is one of my favorite pastimes. I can only return the favor as he does to me.

"Well, I'm glad to know you think he's good-looking, as do I," he responds, as he tilts his head away from us, drinking his mango smoothie.

The bell at the door chimes again, followed by the light laughter of a group of four guys. Looks like they're also here for some hangover smoothies. All of them in sweatpants and hoodies. Two of them with short blonde hair, the same height of only a couple inches taller than me. I suspect brothers. The one standing next to them catches my eye. Tall, fair skin with almond-shaped eyes and jet black hair that's just barely long enough to tuck behind his ears. He rolls his sleeves up, uncovering a tattoo on his forearm. I can't quite make out what it is though. Oh, he's handsome alright. I think I need to turn my attention back to my friends before I'm caught staring at him for too long. The fourth guy, very tall with deep, fluffy brown hair. He turns to talk to the one with the tattoo, laughing, and quickly glances over at our table. He looks familiar, but I can't quite place his face.

My attention is snapped back into place as I hear Henry's deep voice, "Luna? What on earth are you staring—" he pauses, and looks over his shoulder to see the group of highly attractive guys ordering smoothies, "Oh, I see." Turning his head back towards me, smirking.

"Shut up," I tease Henry as he laughs.

"So, change of subject. Are you guys also crammed with exams during midterm week too? I think my professors all met one day and said hey let's stress Delia to death and schedule all her exams on the same two days."

Oh, God. I almost forgot about midterms that are less than three weeks away, my mind is always everywhere else. I'll have four midterms. The biggest one being my biochemistry and environmental chemistry exams. As a forensic science major, any time I'm not with my friends or in the dorm, you can find me in the science building.

"Don't remind me of them. Can we all study group together even though we're all different majors in completely different worlds?" The both of them nod their heads in agreement. Here we have the science lover like myself, the incredibly talented graphic design major, Delia, and the future life-saving nursing major, Henry.

"Well," I chimed in, "my smoothie is about drained. Let's head back to our dorm and watch a few movies until Henry has to meet Blondie."

"Jonah and I are meeting at six. So we can fit in a couple of movies till then," he says smiling and rolling his greenish-brown eyes at me.

Henry and Delia slide out of the booth, grabbing my gray sweater I slide out behind them. Pulling my sweater on, I glance over and notice a certain brown-haired, enormously tall, and slightly hungover eyes peering over a shoulder looking at me with wonder and then looking away.

As I hear those little bells sounding again as Henry opens the door, it hits me who that face under the brown hair belongs to.

That damn beer.