Isaac had never really considered himself a morning person, but today was extra difficult.
He rolled out of bed, tangled in his blankets like a human pretzel, and immediately knocked his alarm clock off the nightstand. It landed with a soft thud, which was more of a mercy than an accident. The only thing stopping him from getting out of bed to fix it was the overwhelming desire to remain under the covers forever.
But of course, life had other plans. He had a coffee shop to get to, and somehow, that meant fighting his blankets—again.
A few minutes later, Isaac found himself dragging himself to Café Marigold, where the smell of freshly brewed coffee was both comforting and yet felt like a betrayal to his exhausted self.
"God, if I have to hear one more 'extra shot of espresso' this morning, I swear I'm going to burn the whole place down," he muttered to himself.
Isaac pushed through the café door, the little bell above it jingling in a way that made him feel like he was walking into a rom-com. Too bad he didn't feel particularly romantic this morning.
Behind the counter, Adrian—the new owner of Café Marigold—was getting into the swing of his barista duties. He looked effortlessly cool, like someone who had spent years perfecting the art of being too chill. Adrian was still new to running the café, but he made it look easy.
And for the record, Isaac wasn't sure if he was impressed or just slightly intimidated. Adrian had a way of making everything seem natural—even when it was clearly chaotic.
Isaac made his way to the counter, plopping himself down on his usual stool like an exhausted sack of potatoes.
Adrian glanced up with a grin. "Good morning, Isaac. You look like you've been dragged through a field of coffee beans."
Isaac sighed dramatically. "You have no idea. I've only had half a cup of coffee, and the only thing keeping me from a full breakdown is this muffin."
"Is it helping?" Adrian asked with an amused smirk.
Isaac took a big bite of the muffin. "Not even a little."
Behind him, Isaac heard a familiar voice. "And I bet that muffin's going to save your life from total misery."
Isaac turned to see Noah, his best friend, walk in like he owned the place. Noah was exactly the type of person who looked like they didn't have to try, even though his chaotic energy made it clear that he was always overthinking everything.
"Good morning, sunshine," Noah said, tossing his jacket over a chair. "And by the way, your coffee is basically a crime against humanity, Adrian."
Adrian shot Noah an amused look. "You know, you say that every time, and yet you drink it like it's a matter of life or death."
"I have no choice," Noah replied, settling into the chair across from Isaac. "Your coffee's the only thing that keeps me going. Plus, it's a really good excuse to be mean to you."
Isaac snorted. "I honestly think you just enjoy torturing Adrian. Don't think I haven't noticed."
Adrian rolled his eyes but didn't take Noah's words personally. "I'll be in the back making your 'life-altering' coffee, then."
"Be sure to add a little more 'burnt regret' this time," Noah shouted after him.
Adrian, unfazed, disappeared into the back.
Isaac took another sip of his own coffee, wincing slightly. "Honestly, I think Adrian's coffee might be worse than Noah's, but I don't want to start another war."
Noah grinned. "Oh, I'm starting a war. You just wait. This place needs a little chaos, and I'm here to deliver it."
Just then, the door to the café opened again, and Isaac's thoughts immediately derailed.
Standing in the doorway was Micah Alvarez—the guy who had somehow managed to be both a regular at the café and completely unfamiliar to Isaac, despite the fact that they had crossed paths at least twice. He was tall, with messy hair and that effortlessly cool vibe that Isaac was almost certain had been manufactured by the universe specifically to mess with him.
Micah caught Isaac's eye, and—of course—he smirked.
Isaac's brain went on pause for about five seconds. His heart also skipped a beat, but that was just a weird glitch, right?
"Hey, Isaac," Micah said casually as he walked up to the counter. "You look like you're plotting something world-changing in your notebook."
Isaac snapped out of his daze, realizing that he had been staring. He cleared his throat. "Uh, no. Just plotting my inevitable coffee-related breakdown."
Micah laughed, an easy sound that made Isaac's stomach do something weird. "You'll survive. You always do."
With that, Micah turned to Adrian. "Same as usual."
Isaac blinked. "You come here often?"
Micah raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Is that a 'what's your deal?' question or a 'we're about to have an awkward moment' question?"
Isaac flushed, realizing that he had just completely forgotten how to function in front of someone attractive. "I—uh, I didn't mean—uh, never mind."
Micah's grin widened. "You're cute when you're flustered."
Isaac wanted to die. Right here. In front of Adrian. In front of Noah. In front of Micah. Just die.
Micah's coffee arrived, and he turned to head out, his smirk still lingering. "See you around, Isaac. Try not to burn yourself with that muffin."
Isaac watched him leave, still processing what just happened.
Noah leaned over the table, watching Isaac's reaction with the kind of amused grin that could only come from a best friend who lived to make you uncomfortable.
"So, that is the guy who's been catching your attention, huh?"
Isaac groaned. "He wasn't even trying to flirt, okay? He was just being… a guy."
Noah raised his hands in mock surrender. "Sure, just a guy who happens to know you. Totally innocent. I'm not buying it."
Isaac buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to die of embarrassment."
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There goes chapter 1 . How does this feel? Let me know your thoughts.