The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as Ere'ana pushed open the glass door to Starbucks. The café was warm, a welcome contrast to the crisp autumn air outside. Jack was already waiting inside, leaning casually against the counter with his hands in his pockets. He looked up as she entered, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"About time," he teased, stepping aside so she could join him in line.
Ere'ana rolled her eyes, grinning. "Traffic. Blame the school buses clogging the streets."
He chuckled, turning to glance at the menu. "What's your poison today?"
"Caramel macchiato," she said without hesitation.
"Fancy," he teased again.
Ere'ana shot him a playful glare. "Don't judge me. What are you getting?"
"Black coffee. No sugar, no cream," Jack replied.
"Of course you are," she said, smirking. "You would drink something that bitter."
Before Jack could fire back, the barista called for the next customer. They placed their orders, and Ere'ana gave her name. She spelled it out, but when their drinks arrived, the cup said Ere'bana in bold black letters.
"It's not that hard," she muttered, holding up the cup for Jack to see.
He snorted, shaking his head. "Well, congrats on your new identity, Ere'bana."
Ere'ana rolled her eyes but laughed as they found a quiet corner to sit. The café was bustling with people, but their table felt like its own little bubble.
Meanwhile, outside the café, Avarina and Ira were tucked behind a hedge, peering through the window like two kids spying on a candy shop.
"Can they be any cuter?" Avarina whispered, nudging Ira.
Ira shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen Jack act like this. It's kinda weird, honestly."
"Weird or adorable?"
"Let's just say… out of character," Ira said, smirking.
Avarina stifled a giggle. "Well, keep quiet. I don't want them catching us."
"That's rich coming from you," Ira muttered.
Back inside, Ere'ana took a sip of her macchiato, letting the sweetness of the caramel cut through the day's stress.
"So," Jack said, leaning back in his chair. "How's life treating you this week?"
Ere'ana shrugged. "Same old, same old. Classes are boring, gym is torture, and Avarina won't stop interrogating me about my life."
"Sounds familiar," Jack said, smirking. "Ira's been on my case too."
"Maybe we should introduce them," Ere'ana joked. "They'd be a nightmare together."
Jack chuckled but didn't respond right away. He seemed to be weighing something in his mind, his fingers tapping lightly against his coffee cup. Finally, he leaned forward, his voice lowering just slightly.
"Ere," he began, "do you think… we're dating?"
Ere'ana blinked, taken aback by the question. Before she could respond, a muffled squeal erupted from somewhere outside the café.
Both Jack and Ere'ana turned their heads toward the window, their eyes narrowing as they scanned the area.
"What was that?" Jack asked, frowning.
"No idea," Ere'ana said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Outside, Avarina and Ira had ducked behind the hedge just in time. Avarina clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, while Ira glared at her.
"You almost blew our cover!" he hissed.
"I couldn't help it!" Avarina whispered back. "This is so cute!"
Back inside, Ere'ana's face was flushed, but she forced herself to focus. She glanced back at Jack, who was waiting for an answer.
"Dating?" she repeated, buying herself a little time.
Jack shrugged, but there was a faint hint of nervousness in his expression. "Yeah, I mean… we see each other almost every day, we talk all the time, and… well, it feels like something, doesn't it?"
Ere'ana hesitated, her heart pounding. She couldn't deny that spending time with Jack had become the best part of her day. And as much as she wanted to overthink it, she found herself blurting out, "Sure."
Jack's eyes widened for a brief moment, but then his lips curled into a soft smile. He reached across the table, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
Ere'ana's cheeks turned scarlet, but she didn't pull away. In fact, she found herself smiling.
Outside, Avarina and Ira were losing it.
"Did you see that?" Avarina whispered excitedly. "He kissed her!"
"I have eyes," Ira said, grinning. "This is gold."
But their excitement quickly turned to panic as they remembered one important detail: they needed to get back to their dorms before Jack and Ere'ana.
"Shit," Avarina muttered. "If they catch us sneaking back in, we're dead."
"Split up," Ira said quickly. "You go to your dorm, I'll go to mine. Run like hell."
Without another word, they took off in opposite directions, weaving through the campus like two spies on a mission.
Ere'ana and Jack finished their coffee and decided to walk back to their dorms together. The sun was setting, casting the campus in shades of orange and gold.
"This was nice," Ere'ana said softly.
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "We should do it again."
Ere'ana nodded, her cheeks still warm from the kiss.
When she finally walked into her dorm, Avarina was already there, sitting on her bed and pretending to be engrossed in her phone.
"Hey," Avarina said casually. "How was your coffee date?"
Ere'ana didn't respond right away. Instead, she dropped her bag by the door and flopped onto her bed, grinning like she'd just won the lottery.
Avarina raised an eyebrow. "That good, huh?"
Ere'ana didn't even bother to correct her. She just stared at the ceiling, her smile refusing to fade.
"Best. Day. Ever," she muttered.