Lexi's In A New City

Chapter 30

Isaac sat in his nine AM Macroeconomics II class that Monday morning, wishing he was still fast asleep in his dorm. The rest of the weekend had been relatively uneventful after Nikita's birthday party. He and Cassie spent much of their Saturday exploring downtown New York City, but he spent Sunday doing mind numbing chores. He cleaned, did laundry, and tried to catch up on his homework. The whole weekend had been a mixture of fun and boredom, but he didn't care too much. Still, he wished that he didn't have to currently listen to his professor drone on and on about the same thing. Needless to say, he was more than relieved when the class finally went for break. He almost jumped out of his seat with his wallet in hand, and managed to be one of the first to buy coffee at a nearby food stand. That allowed him to return to the lecture hall within minutes. He sat back down in his seat and began to check his phone while sipping his coffee. What he hadn't expected was to see that Lexi had texted him for the first time since his birthday.

Lexi: Hey, are you free this afternoon?

For a moment, Isaac considered not responding. He remembered when they had run into each other after Nikita's party; specifically, when she'd mentioned that they should talk soon. He hadn't heard from her again until now. Truthfully, he didn't know why she was only now talking to him again. But he was a little more curious than he cared to admit.

Isaac: Yeah, why?

Lexi: I was hoping we could talk then.

Isaac: Sure. Where do you wanna meet?

Lexi: I'm close to The Bean's Knees, so I was thinking there. Is that too far for you?

Isaac: Nah, not at all. I'll be there at noon.

Lexi: Thanks, Isaac. See you then!

Now Isaac couldn't focus on the lecture after his professor ended break. But he took some notes despite his mind being in a completely different place than it had been only moments ago. He thought about changing his mind and telling Lexi that he couldn't make it after all. He swatted the idea away fast; it wouldn't be fair to blow her off out of anger. He decided to go through with their plans, even if the prospect of talking to someone he once considered a friend wasn't too appealing.

He arrived at the coffee shop early, in part due to his class having ended far earlier than expected. So, he didn't mind having to wait in a long line to buy his lunch. By the time he had his lunch in hand, he spotted Lexi waiting in line. She was close to the counter, but was on her phone and didn't see Isaac walking by. He didn't interrupt her, just in case she was in the middle of doing something important.

Somehow, Isaac found a decent seat inside the rather crammed place. He kept his eyes out for Lexi, flagging her down as soon as she left the line with her food. She spotted him almost instantly, and maneuvered her way to their table.

"Hey, how's it goin'?" she greeted.

"Fine, thanks. And you?" Isaac replied.

Lexi swallowed hard. "Okay."

They exchanged tense looks as they each began eating lunch. No one spoke for the first minute or so, but Isaac didn't let their silence last long. He needed to hear what Lexi had to say.

"You said you wanted to talk— here we are."

"Yeah, I know," Lexi said. She laughed nervously before taking another bite of her sandwich.

"You're nervous," Isaac remarked.

"No, I'm not."

"Than why won't you just say what's on your mind?"