Fairy Rings

The final bell for school sang as the halls flooded. Even now, the last week of school always had the same effects: the hallways somehow seemed brighter, friends hung out a lot more, the teachers all seemed happier, bullies let their problems and worries go till the following year, and the kids stopped going to the principle's office as much if at all. Navaeha sat at her desk with her computer still in her lap, her fellow classmates already gone for the buses. "Hey, Ava." A familiar voice chimed, breaking her concentration. A warm smile tinged with a hint of nostalgia, spread across her face as she looked up at the door. "Hey, long time no see! I thought you were off in Ireland!" Navaeha exclaimed, rising from her seat. She threw her arms around her tall friend, a surge of warmth and joy enveloping her. "What was it like, Tom?" She asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity and affection. "Well, it was kind of boring; I wish you had been able to go with me." Tom's voice carried a hint of wistfulness, his shoulders sagging slightly as he shrugged her off. "I had something to actually tell you. . ." His smile was sorrowful as he stepped back, failing to meet her gaze. "What's going on?" She asked, her arms folded across her chest involuntarily as she grew more concerned. "I got accepted into the university." Handing her the letter of acceptance, he bowed his head. "That's great news! I got accepted, too!" she said as she went for her bag. The way he sat there unmoved proved there to be something more than just a happy acceptance letter. "It would be great news if my girlfriend wasn't going as well." Navaeha's smile vanished, "I'm going to go pick her up after we get done talking, but I figured I'd let you know that we won't be able to hang out very much. She gets very jealous over my guy friends; I can't even imagine what she'd do if she caught me hanging out with you." Sitting on the table, she cast her gaze to the floor. "I'm really sorry, but I think it's best if our friendship was put on hold." "That's okay. . ." Navaeha smiled back up at him, tears welling in her eyes. "You shouldn't keep your girlfriend waiting." "Ava, don't be like that. She can wait." Tom said. "No, I would rather you leave and get her than stick around with me. If throwing away a twelve-year friendship is okay with you, go ahead by all means. I don't want to waste any more of your time." Returning to her seat and browsing on her laptop again, Naveaha tried hard not to cry as he hesitated before walking out the door. The door slammed heavily behind him. Waiting for a few minutes, Naveaha sniffled a bit before allowing herself to break down slowly. It wasn't like she didn't know it was coming; it wasn't a shock, but it hurt to know that her best friend was choosing a different woman over her. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled back her long and fluffy hair into a bun on the top of her head before cursing under her breath; in all the betrayal she was feeling, she had forgotten that he was her ride home. Packing her book bag quickly, she threw it over her shoulder before making a mad dash to the bus stop. "Hey! No running in the halls," the janitor called out to her. It was to no avail, as her mad dash turned into a sprint down the hallways and out the doors to the awaiting buses. The last buses were already loaded and turning the bend, and the parking lot was empty except for the janitor's green truck. Stopping to catch her breath, she leaned against the wall, cursing under her breath again. "Mom's going to freak when I don't get home in time for the party." She sighed to herself; it was no use. Her only option now was to walk 25 miles or catch a bus that would take her to the country, where she could walk 8 miles or catch a ride from someone. "Might as well get going. At least it's not going to rain for another thirty minutes." Checking her phone, she picked herself up and straightened out her shirt. The walk was uneventful as she passed the liquor store, giant buildings with elevators, restaurants, a bridge, and a park, but when the rain started, she had to as well. It came too fast; it didn't start with the usual sprinkles. It was like all the rain from the sky decided to start pouring in sheets across the towns, the wind sending it spiraling throughout the street. Nowhere was dry, and with the wind, she would have been blown away if she stayed outside any longer. Running into the nearest shop seemed like a good idea at the time, though it would have been better if she had read the sign on the front. Pulling her bag off and taking a seat, she brushed the rain off and slumped into a chair. Glancing around at the coffee shop, she was happy that a few others were also sheltering. It was a quaint little coffee shop; there were bookshelves lining the walls and candles lit instead of the bright lights that were usually in restaurants around town. "Horrible weather today." A husky voice from behind her snarled as the door swung open and shut. A tall, robust man with shaggy black hair, sporting a cane nearly as white as he was, walked in. "Could be worse," another said. Pulling out her phone, Navaeha looked at the weather. It wasn't supposed to rain this early; she still should have had ten minutes before it started. Shuffling around in her chair, she grimaced at her now wet clothing. It was a surprise that her bag wasn't as moist. Heading to the bathroom, she was stopped by a large man behind the countertop. "Those are for paying customers only." He glared down at her, "You all are lucky we're not kicking you out into that rain." "This place isn't my first choice, I'm only going to change my clothes." Rolling her eyes, Navaeha shoved past him and into the lady's room. The lights in the bathroom were still dim. However, there weren't any candles to mask the poor smell. The stalls were horrible. However, she was fine as long as she stayed in her shoes. Pulling out her running outfit, she hastily threw it on after discarding her wet clothes into her empty lunch box. Exiting the bathroom after washing her hands, she was surprised to find the tall, robust man sitting at her table with a warm drink and a frappe in front of him; the frappe sat to the side as if he were meeting someone. Getting in line, she smiled at the man behind the counter. "Excuse me, young lady." A tap on her arm startled her as she reached for her pepper spray, only stopping when she turned to see that the man had gotten up to greet her. "Many apologies, I ordered what I thought you'd like." His gentle hand quickly retreated like it were a sin to lay a hand on her. "I hope that's alright, young lady." Relief washed over her; this tall man with no name was just what she needed to pass the time. "Thank you." Her cheeks flushed red when he pulled her chair out for her and took her bag only to set it on the window sill. "You'd think the service would be better in the city." Picking the straw through the hole, she gave a wry smile at the man sitting across from her, his cold demeanor shifting. "Oh, don't pay much of anything to them. They're only doing their jobs, as horrible as they are." He sipped his coffee. "This weather is terrible if I do say so. Do you like your drink?" Taking a sip, she looked down in awe. It was a nice silky chocolate with caramel swirls and salt chunks. With how much salt was on the rim of the cup, it could have been a coffee margarita. "It's delicious," She smiled up at him, her eyes studying his jawline, strong neck, and shoulders. The drink was almost as delicious as the eye candy before her. "How much do I owe you?" "Oh, only a date and maybe a kiss." He said with a straight face. Her eyes widened as she sat her drink on the table, her body shrinking into the chair, and she bit her bottom lip uncomfortably. "Don't worry, it's only a joke. I can't stand places like this, and I thought it would be nice for you to get some things off your chest; you look like a woman who's got the world's weight on her shoulders." Leaning in, he sat his drink on the table. His knowing gaze almost made Navaeha start crying again. Wiping the forming tears, she took another sip of her coffee before staring out the window for a minute. "My best friend just decided to choose a 2-month relationship over our friendship, and we're all three going to the same college together. I thought he'd be happy that I got in and we were going together, but he wasn't. Instead, he told me we couldn't be friends anymore and left me to walk home so he could pick up his girlfriend." Navaeha slumped in her chair, her slender frame fitting perfectly in the metal divot. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'd give you a ride if I could, but I'm walking all the same. Did you try to fight your friend on it?" The man drank more coffee, meeting her gaze at the storm. "No, the bad thing about it is I'm pathetic. I don't like when people leave me, but I'm alright on my own, so what's the matter if people decide to leave? He wasn't going to choose me in the first place, and besides, lots of people have their own little clicks in school, and I have. . . well, I have myself now." Meeting his eyes, she gave another smile, a lie in an attempt to hide the pain boiling in her chest. "Well, that's too bad. How does your boyfriend feel about the ending of the friendship? I bet he's a bit happy about it." The man smiled, attempting to lighten the mood, but the rain was still pouring outside. "I don't have a boyfriend." The pain dimmed when a surprised look spread across the man's face, his hand on his chest with an eyebrow raised high. "You don't have a boyfriend, and you're telling me your best friend, who was a boy, just picked some other woman over you?" Shaking his head, he drank more of his coffee, but a buzz on his phone stopped him. "Your beauty is beyond compare, and I'm quite glad he's too stupid to see that." He smiled warmly, his smile widening when Navaeha's face flushed red. Her eyes met his, and then she dived into her cup. She took a drink in an attempt to hide her flustered face. "Take that Darkie elsewhere and get a hotel room, would you? We're trying to have a nice snack here." Both their heads turned behind the man. Navaeha was in contempt, and the man was straight. "Excuse me?" He asked the two older hicks sitting across the way, "Could you please repeat what you called this fine young lady?" "You heard me. I'm not wrong, either. She might be white, but she's also a darkie." Reaching out before anything could happen, Navaeha tenderly squeezed the man's hand causing him to stop, swallow hard, and turn back. His cheeks were now a few shades redder than Navaeha's. "It's alright; I get that a lot." She sighed, her eyes fixed on her hand holding his. Glancing up, she met his star-stricken gaze. "I'm sorry." Her voice was low as she pulled her hand away. "Why must you be sorry?" Taking another drink of his coffee, he gave a wink before looking out the window momentarily and then down her outfit. His eyes studying her every move. "It's alright for you to hold my hand, young lady." His smile flashed again before he turned his gaze towards the rain, it was beginning to slow down but it still wasn't anything they were willing to go out in. "Do you have anywhere to be?" The world stopped as the panic set in, reaching for her phone she looked at the time and then at the storm. 27 missed calls, 30 missed text messages and an SOS from her mother. "I think I need to get home, my mother's been blowing up my phone." She showed him the screen nonchalantly before reaching for her book bag. "She's one of those helicopters." "Who wouldn't be with all the violence that goes on here, if you were my child I'd have you under lock and key." The man nodded, handing her the backpack. "Let me walk you to the bus stop." "Oh, I think I'll be fine. Thank you for the coffee. . . What did you say your name was again?" "It's the least I can do. . . Oh, my name? You can call me your random coffee date." He joked, his phone buzzing again in annoyance went unnoticed again. Pulling a large umbrella out of the bin next to the door he gave it a shake before opening the door and opening the umbrella. "It was very nice to meet you."