Ned Gets Stood Up

Chapter Five

NED

Taking a deep breath, Ned found a table by the wall across from the big window that was dripping with cut out snowflakes and Christmas cards attached to thin twinkling strings. The coffee shop was alive with patrons, who resembled a large pile of clothing at the bottom of a closet, everyone a horde of Christmas sweaters and bundled up clothing for the chilly wind outside. It wouldn't be a white Christmas this year, but the cold wind slicing through Ned's bones made a good argument for one. He wished mother nature would make this cold worth it.

Jazzy Christmas music played over the speakers and the whole place was decked out in lights and tinsel. The little tree on the counter was decorated with mini coffee mugs.

Ned took a second to soak it all in.

These were the last few days of the Christmas season and soon, he'd have to wait a whole other year to enjoy it. A smile appeared on his face as he did a little people watching. Not to sound like a knock off Michael Bublé, but there was something magical about this time of year.

"It's freezing right here," a girl by the window complained. She wasn't exactly dressed for the weather as cool as she looked. Style over practicality. She sat across from another girl the same age, who rolled her eyes. 

On the surface, they looked like two opposites, one tall girl with fiery red hair and an eclectic Christmas wardrobe with actual ornaments sewed to her sweater while the shorter girl wore all muted colors: gray and black with a super short black bob.

"What do you want me to do?" The bobbed girl asked. "There's no other seats."

"Um," Ned spoke up. He half smiled and raised his hand like he meant well and hated interrupting them. "If you'd like, we can switch?"

"Sure!" The red head brightened. 

"Oh, no," the other disagreed. "You don't have to do that."

"No, no," Ned insisted. He was already picking up his stuff to move. "It's okay. I run hot, so a little chill sounds nice."

That wasn't exactly true, but the girls bought it and felt good about switching. Like they said, Ned felt a chill emanating from the window. He rubbed his hands up and down his jeans, taking deep steadying breaths. Hopefully, Griffin wouldn't mind keeping his jacket on. 

Ned's nerves were going nuts, bouncing out of him like stray sparklers. He was acting like he was sitting at the tippy top of the tallest roller coaster in the world and not facing only a peppermint mocha and some small talk.

With free hands, he pulled out his phone and glanced at his list of possible topics for the date. Just in case things got too stale or quiet:

1. Ask Griffin about his family

2. Ask Griffin about the kinds of movies he liked

3. Ask Griffin about his favorite places around town

(Last resort: college choices)

It was only 5:25PM. He was a little early because he wanted to make sure they had a table. Worst case scenario they drive a couple of minutes down the road and walk around the outdoor mall. Ned's stomach was still twisting. In a few minutes, he'd juice enough anxiety to fill a pitcher.

He could hear Lena's voice in his head, "Relax, Ned. You'll worry yourself sick."

Ned nodded as if she was there.

He hoped on Instagram to fill some time, watching Indie's story as they heckled the way Lena was baking cookies. The rest of their story was about getting ready for another Christmas party later. In true Indie fashion, they wore a suit set with a belt to cinch them in and it was made out of those sequins that change colors depending on which way they're fixed. The colors went from red to green. Indie put up a poll asking if a Santa hat or reindeer antlers worked better.