Page 23 of Our Darkest Summer
I glanced at the blonde girl in hope that she would be the one to break the awkward silence.
“I’ll have a caramel macchiato,” Aaliyah said, and Lila scoffed.
“Then you can make it for yourself.”
The silence was deafening as they stared at each other.
“Cora?” Lila asked, keeping her eyes on her sister.
“A strawberry milkshake, please,” she answered, and the way she shifted in her seat looked like she was trying to blend into the chair.
“And Kinsley?” I was surprised she remembered my name. In the city they messed it up even if you just said it.
“An iced coffee, please.”
Lila wrote it up and stepped away from our table.
“And some of those heavenly doughnuts, please. The new ones,” Aaliyah called after her.
“Ooo, there are new ones?” Cora sounded excited, and Aaliyah tipped her head with a smile.
“There are crumb ones and sprinkled ones, and my personal favorite is the one filled with buttery lemon cream,” she said with a dreamy voice. “My sister’s just upset because business is not as good this year as it was last year,” she explained, her eyes landing on me, and I raised my brows at the sudden change of subject. “She thinks we’ll turn into a ghost town.” She leaned over the table.
“Aaliyah,” Cora hissed disapprovingly.
“What? Can’t I gossip about my own sister? Believe me, she gave me hell when we were younger, let me have my revenge.”
“Why would the town—” I wanted to ask, but Aaliyah cut in.
“Because here everyone either dies of old age or moves away.”
My eyes widened, and I looked out the window. “But there are so many people on the streets right now.”
“I know, that’s what I always say too.” Aaliyah shrugged.
“But it’s only like this in the summer,” Cora chimed in.
“And that’s why we’ll move away,” Aaliyah smiled. “My sister should just do the same.”
“Everyone is different, Al. Lila loves this town,” Cora replied.
“You guys want to move too?” I asked, surprised, and they nodded in sync.
“West Coast,” Aaliyah added.
“But we would like to travel also for a while.” Cora smiled.
“But only after Cora finishes college.”
“What is your major?” I asked, turning to the blonde girl.
“I was actually on a gap year.” She played with her butterfly shaped earrings. “But I would like to major in arts.”
“She just got accepted into NYU,” Aaliyah continued, proudly, and Cora’s cheeks flushed.
“Congratulations.” I smiled.
I remembered Aaliyah telling me something about Cora being an artist. I was about to ask her which art studies she was interested in when something else caught my attention. Someone else, to be exact.
