[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191223/b7d8000360ca811eb790a77f387d17c1.png[/img]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/653793089303085065/657646747417444383/lame1.PNG[/img]
[sub][color=lightgray]Starring:[/color] [color=6CCDEB]Elijah[/color], [color=9DCEC4]Aramintah[/color] and [color=#00CED1]Alana[/color][/sub]
[img]phttps://kajabi-storefronts-production.global.ssl.fastly.net/kajabi-storefronts-production/themes/460299/settings_images/HUx1sWLREOAA4ocuhrfw_i7yYqlnROelkZueK40Va_LM_Elements_Divider1_tealhearts.png[/img][/center]

[indent][indent][color=darkgray]While Eli and his friends attended the diner fairly often, breakfast on the first day of school a the diner was mandatory. When they were little, their parents would take them here. Now that they were old enough to ride their bikes and be independent, they had been meeting there by themselves. 

Eli had woken up at six to get ready that morning. He messaged the group chat to make sure that the girls were up before hopping in the shower, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. Senior year was bound to be interesting, and there was no telling what would change. He was thankful to have the familiarity of his friends and their tradition. Once he was sure that he had everything that he needed, he said goodbye to his family and headed outside to grab his bike. Starting up his playlist and putting his earbuds in, he stuck his phone in his jacket pocket before starting his way to the diner. 

Once there, Eli messaged the group chat one more time to let Minty and Lana know that he had arrived. The timestamp read ten minutes until seven. Hopefully they would be here soon.

Aramintah ignored her phone vibrating in her pocket as she stood bent over her bike struggling to lock it. A loud groan escaped the girl as she straightened up, stretching her tired muscles. She was so tired she could cry and it only made it worse that she knew it was her own fault. Minty had against her mother's sound advice stayed up until 1am playing with her new set of aquarelle paints. She had woken up like a zombie this morning hoping  that the brisk bike ride to the diner would wake her up… it did not.

Tired and puffy eyed, Minty walked into the diner, her dark brown eyes wandering over the different booths until they landed at the one that was undeniable labeled as [i]theirs[/i]. And sitting in it was her favorite bespectacled, dark-haired boy. A sheepish grin spread across her face as she bounded towards the unsuspecting boy.

[color=9DCEC4]"Eeeeliiii! You know I love this tradition but why does it always have to be so early!?”[/color] she lamented as she plopped down next to Elijah and dramatically spreading out so that she rested her head in his lap and her legs dangled out from the end of the booth. She dug around in the pocket of her jacket and fished out her phone.

[color=9DCEC4]"Have you heard anything from Lana?"[/color] She asked sleepily letting out a yawn as she tapped away at the screen.

[color=6CCDEB]”Minty, honey, you say that every year,”[/color] Eli replied rolling his eyes as he laughed at his friend. [color=6CCDEB]”If we didn’t do it this early, we’d end up being late for school. And no...”[/color] he said, pulling out his phone as well. [color=6CCDEB]”I haven’t heard anyt---”[/color] 

[color=#00CED1][i]“Reporting for duty!”[/i][/color]

A short girl in denim overalls, a white crop top and worn yellow Converse sneakers was making her way to their table, effortlessly sliding into the empty bench of their booth and offering her two best friends a bright, cheerful smile. Not much had changed about Alana Kinglsey during the summer. She was still short, still somewhat pale, and still riding her bicycle around town. Her hair, although now resting a little bit past her shoulders in shaggy haircut, was still the same brown shade it had always been.

But there was something different about Alana. She seemed particularly cheerful that morning: emitting a radiance that seemed to rival the sun outside. In fact, she’d been in the best of moods as of late: smiling wider, laughing louder, eyes shining brighter… All thanks to that one night at the park five weeks before.

[color=#00CED1]“Rise and shine, folks! First day of senior year is finally here, but I’m not feeling the enthusiasm from you guys…”[/color] she jokingly lamented, shaking her head.

Minty flailed as she struggled to sit up. [color=9DCEC4]“Well, well, well: the filthy little hobbit finally arrives!”[/color] she grinned as she jumped out of the booth embracing her petite friend into a tight hug. To the untrained eye it looked like she hadn’t seen her friend in a year. But the truth of the matter was that the pair had seen each other two nights ago. But that's just how Aramintah greeted her friends whenever she saw them. [color=9DCEC4]“What made you late? Daydreaming in the shower again?”[/color] she cackled as she sat back down next to Elijah.

Alana rolled her eyes at her friend’s lame attempt at a joke. [color=#00CED1]“You know, you should really pursue a career as a comedian, Minty. You’d be a star.”[/color] Lana shot back, playfully sticking her tongue out at Minty

[color=9DCEC4]“Thank you, thank you”[/color] Minty sighed, flipping her hair with flair before leaning back in her seat and flagging down Miranda, the waitress who had worked there for as long as they have lived. [color=9DCEC4]“Good morning, Randie! Can I just have the greasiest breakfast platter the kitchen can muster up? And an apple juice without ice please?”[/color] Minty turned expectantly toward her friends, waiting for them to order. 

Elijah watched and listened in on the two girls exchange as they all quickly fell back into their normal routine. The friendly banter brought a smile to the young man's face as he put his phone back in his jacket pocket. There was no telling where he would be today if it wasn’t for his friends. Once the waiter had came over, Eli ordered his usual. 

[color=6CCDEB]”The same for me, but a little less grease and orange juice, please, love.”[/color] he said giving the waiter a smile. 

[b]"And the strawberry cheesecake pancakes with extra strawberry syrup, scrambled eggs, hash browns and ham with a large glass of milk for my favorite girl,"[/b] Miranda said cheerfully, a sweet smile on her face while giving Alana a kiss on the top of the head and a big hug. The two women had formed a bond during their time working together at the diner, with the short girl confiding in and treating Randie like a grandmother.

[color=#00CED1]“Thanks, Randie,”[/color] Lana replied sweetly, hugging the elderly as tightly as she could before releasing her and allowing her to take the order to the kitchen.

With their orders put in Minty rested her head in one of her hands smiling at her friends. [color=9DCEC4]"So… what plans do we have for this year?"[/color] She asked, flicking her eyes towards Alana. [color=9DCEC4]"Any… boys joining us here maybe?"[/color] 

[color=#00CED1]"Boys? What do you mean, boys?"[/color] Lana said innocently, suddenly becoming very interested in neatly arranging her utensils on top of her napkin. It wasn't as if she didn't know who Minty was talking about. They’d been best friends forever, after all, and the boy in question had been spending a lot of time with Lana for the last nine months.

[color=6CCDEB]”You know…[/color] Eli said, leaning forward to rest his his chin in the palm of his right hand. [color=6CCDEB]“The tall ones with the messy hair and bad boy vibes you love so much. The ones with the mommy issues and soft lips. You wouldn’t know anyone like that, would you, Lana? I’m thinking I might be in the market for one.”[/color] 

Another cackle escaped Minty before she turned to face Eli again, while Alana’s face flushed. [color=9DCEC4]"Careful, Eli: she'll spontaneously combust if she gets any redder in the face!"[/color] she suppressed another laugh as she shifted her eyes between her two best friends. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Lana's hand in her own. [color=9DCEC4]"Let's not try to hide from the fact that we [i]know[/i] something went down between you and Alex…"[/color] she hushed as Miranda arrived with their food. 

A buzzing from her pocket kept her from shoving her face full of fried potatoes. Aramintah's face lit up as she read the text message from Oliver. The smile lingered as she sent her reply.

Alana scoffed. [color=#00CED1]"What on Earth makes you think something happened between me and Alex?"[/color] came the shorter girl's dismissive reply, now averting her gaze to her plate in a weak attempt to hide the obvious flush in her face. 

Taking a sip of his orange juice before speaking, Eli did his best not to laugh. [color=6CCDEB]”Come on. You keep acting all weird around him. You two hung out and then he posted a cryptic ass tweet…. Please tell me this isn’t in our heads.”[/color] 

Alana was quiet for a few minutes, taking her time to chew and swallow the bite of pancakes. 

[color=9DCEC4]"[i]Well[/i]?"[/color] Minty demanded as she poked at her bacon. 

The brown-haired girl took a long sip of her milk, a deep breath and started her story. [color=#00CED1]“Okay, so about a month ago, Alex showed up here after closing,”[/color] Lana began, her expression softening up as she remembered the tall, handsome young man leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed in front of his chest, waiting outside for her with the most irresistible smile on his face. [color=#00CED1]“We’d been texting all through the summer, but between this and that we hadn’t had the chance to hang out like we do during school. So he tells me to put my bike in his trunk and get in the car, because he’s taking me out on a date. I try to tell him that I smell like beef and grease and we should take a rain check for when I actually look decent, but he tells me he doesn’t care about that, to quit being a chicken and that we should get going. So he opens the door for me, I get in the car and he drives me to to the park.”[/color]

[color=#00CED1]“We’re just walking around, chatting while he takes pictures of me and everything else, until we get to the lake. We lay down on a blanket that he’d brought and talk some more, and by this point it was getting kind of chilly, so we’re scooting closer to each other and he gives me his jacket. At one point, we’re just quiet, listening to the sounds of the night and looking up at the stars. He tells me we should take a picture together, and I say yes. So I turn to look at him so he can tell me how he wants us to pose, but we end up just staring at each other instead. Our faces kept getting closer and closer until... we just kissed…”[/color] she trailed off, heart hammering inside her chest at the memory of her first kiss: Alex’s mouth on hers, the warmth of his breath, the minty taste of his lips, the way they wrapped up against each other with no care for the rest of the world…

[color=9DCEC4]“I, am...quaking.”[/color] Aramintah exclaimed tapping the table excitedly making her plate and utensils clatter. [color=9DCEC4]“So what does this mean?”[/color] she asked raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. [color=9DCEC4]“Are you like… together? Dating perhaps?”[/color] Minty continued.

[color=#00CED1]“Nah…”[/color] Lana lamented, shaking her head with a sad smile. [color=#00CED1]“We hadn’t really talked about what happened since that night.”[/color] It wasn't a [i]complete[/i] lie. Although the nature of her texts with Alex had shifted towards more flirtatious territory, they hadn't put a label on whatever it was they had.

[color=6CCDEB]”I [i]knew[/i] it![/color] Eli exclaimed, nearly choking on his pancakes. [color=6CCDEB]”Why haven’t you guys talked about it? Can I play matchmaker? No offense Lana, but Alex is better than drooling over Ricky.”[/color] 

The shorter girl immediately glared at Elijah. [color=#00CED1]"Hey, leave Ricky alone,"[/color] she snapped between chewing her last bite of food. [color=#00CED1]"He doesn't have anything to do with this."[/color]

[color=6CCDEB]"I know he doesn't. I just always do my damndest to keep what's best for you in mind, love. I'm Team Alex."[/color]

Minty, who had been quietly gazing at her phone as her friends talked, suddenly jumped. [color=9DCEC4]“Shit!”[/color] she hissed. [color=9DCEC4]“We’re late!”[/color] she rolled her eyes as she rummaged through her bag for her wallet. The taller girl threw money on their table before jumping up. [color=9DCEC4]“You guys owe me lunch!”[/color] she grinned, flipping her hair as she left the diner making sure to hug Miranda goodbye on her way out.

While rolling his eyes at his friends generosity, Eli had gotten used to it over the years. Chugging the last of his juice and waving bye to Miranda, the three of them rushed over to their bikes. 

[color=6CCDEB]”Shit,”[/color] he said, reading a text from Aria. [color=6CCDEB]”They’re skipping homeroom this year and going straight to the assembly. We gotta get there quick.”[/color] Unlocking his bike from the rack, he waited for his friends to get ready before he began to peddle off from the diner. [color=6CCDEB]”Last one there is the biggest loser of all,”[/color] he shouted, beginning to peddle even faster. 

[color=9DCEC4]“Oh like your scrawny legs could get you there faster than me?!”[/color] Minty screamed as she blew past Elijah veering off into an alleyway she knew to be a shortcut.

Instead of trying to outrace her friends, Alana merely laughed and shook her head, deciding to simply enjoy the ride. This was the second to last first day of school she would ever have, after all.

After a few minutes of urban bike riding Aramintah came to a halt in front of the bike parking at Rosefell High. Panting the girl squatted down locking her vehicle before waiting for her friends arms crossed over her chest with a smug smile plastered on her face. Once they were all present they linked their arms together, walked into the auditorium and took their seats, waiting excitedly for the start of their senior year.[/color][/indent][/indent]