Red Herring ✔️

32. Blue Bird Fly Away

12 Days to Halloween

"Then I went home and watched Runaway Bride!"

"Who doesn't love 90s Julia Roberts?"

"Freakin' weirdos."

Propping her elbow up on a black wrought iron table, Mazie rested her chin in her palm and smiled to her best friend who sat across from her with one leg crossed over the other in her vibrant purple tights, black dress, and pea coat. A light fabric black scarf twisted pleasantly around her neck, the ends flowing gently in the fall breeze like a woman in love. Or at least, in like.

Mazie nudged her laptop to the side of the table to lean in privately so that her voice did not travel to other patrons of the Blue Bird Cafe on Main Street - a beautiful fall time attraction for Hollywood with towering trees sporting crisp orange, yellow, and red leaves that rained down whenever the wind boasted through town. "So tell me....before 'Runaway Bride,' did he kiss you?"

Amelia romantically gazed far off into the distance somewhere over Mazie's shoulder. "Sadly, no." Her eyes connected with Mazie's. "But he said that it was a wonderful time and he really wanted to do it again!" Smiling demurely, Amelia leaned into the table and winked.

Her best friend referred to her first date with Ross the Hockey Player which was full of wonderful surprises but no kisses. "Did he seem like he was telling the truth?" Mazie inquired, forever the skeptic. Just because they had one great first date didn't mean Ross the Hockey Player was ready to shoot his puck into Amelia's goal. Or maybe it did. Maybe it was his only goal.

Huffing, Amelia rolled her eyes. "Can you just be happy for me?! Stop assuming the worst!" Amelia kicked her underneath the table, and Mazie seethed, rubbing the sore spot on her shin.

Amelia's heart softened at the simplest sweetest words. It didn't take much to make her fall head over heels. She had such a soft spot for love and romance. It made her susceptible to heartache twice as much as anyone else. "I love you, Ames. I don't want you to get hurt."

Playing by her rules, Amelia slammed back in her chair and flopped her hands lackadaisically in her lap. "Yes, Mazie. I think he's being serious. He's texted me every day since and told me multiple times how much fun he had." For good measure, Amelia added, "I'm not gonna drop my knickers just because he took me on one good date."

Mazie straightened her spine. "I didn't say that you would."

"Ross the Hockey Player is a good guy, Maze. You'll meet him soon, I'm sure."

Thinking into the future...not a rare sighting for Amelia and her friends that were boys that she liked...but she sounded genuinely hopeful, eager. Like Amelia sort of trusted him.

"Before we continue this discussion, I need a cup of coffee. It's way too cold outside. You're insane for lounging around like it isn't thirty degrees." Amelia hopped to her feet, smoothing down her black dress. She looked especially nice because her grandmother was coming over for a mid-week meal.

"More like fifty degrees." Mazie waved her off, opening her laptop once again to resume her browsing. "Get me another cinnamon latte, will you?"

Amelia picked up Mazie's empty coffee mug. "Two rounds? Slow down, Maze."

Ruffling her hair to piss her off, Amelia sauntered into the cafe to order their hot drinks. Maturely, Mazie stuck her tongue out at Amelia in passing. Mazie invited Amelia downtown for a short little get together after her after-school meeting with Callie the photographer. The meeting was spur of the moment, completely unplanned. Callie shot her a text during school hours, asking if Mazie had a free time that evening. Callie chose the Blue Bird Cafe because she stationed herself there for hours editing photos from her own senior sessions and others from that week.