American Sweethearts

4

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" I ask, checking the map on my phone.

"We should be," she responds. "It says we're still two minutes away."

We continue our walk to the café, following the direction of the map. We've been on campus for about two hours now. We've walked from building to building, finding the best routes to all our classes. I'm still pretty lost, but I'll adjust. At least I know how to find the music rooms. It's just my biology classes that I'm not sure about.

Lena and I are going in completely different directions. We're barely even on campus on the same days. She's planning to major in engineering, while I'm testing the waters in music and medicine. I'd prefer to play piano for the rest of my life, but that's not a guarantee. So, my backup option is paramedicine.

My grandparents would be so proud if that's how my life turned out, but my parents would hate it.

The sound of loud yelling snaps me out of my thoughts. I look for its source, but it's just a group of girls laughing about something. I swear, this place is like a small city. We should've taken Owen up on his offer to show us around. We accidentally woke him up this morning, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was in a better mood than both Lena and I.

Neither of us got a good nights sleep. That was my fault. After what happened with Tyler, I couldn't be bothered walking all the way down to the car. So, I cuddled up with Lena in her bed.

Two people in a single bed isn't exactly ideal, but we made it work. It did wake her up, though, but she hasn't complained about it so far. At least I found my headphones in the car on our way here, so I won't be bothering her anymore.

As for Tyler, well... I haven't seen him yet. I have no idea where he was this morning, and I have no desire to know.

"I think this is it," Lena says, pulling us to a stop.

Owen insisted we stop at this café for lunch. Apparently, it's the best place on campus. And I can tell. There are students pouring out of it. From the outside, it looks more like a bar. It's painted black, with bar tables placed around the front. The aesthetic definitely matches its name, Barrel Bar.

Lena and I walk inside. It's a big open room, filled with various sized tables, and booths. It's dark in here, too. There's a bar set up on the back wall, with menu items written on a chalkboard above it.

It's definitely more a bar than a café. There are bottles of different kinds of alcohol displayed all over the place. There's a small stage too, but there's no one playing.

"Hey, girls, how can I help you?" a male voice says. I turn around to greet him, but I wish I hadn't.

This guy is without a doubt the most attractive guy I've ever seen. His cheekbones could cut glass. He's got wavy blond hair, reaching down to his jawline. He raises his eyebrows, smiling brightly at me. He looks like a young Heath Ledger. They're identical. This guy has to be a model.

"A table for two?" he asks, urging us to respond.

"Yes!" Lena nods, nudging me with her elbow. "That'd be great."

God, why am I so bad at talking to boys? I take a deep breath. Now is the time to activate your confidence, Sarah, I tell myself, just like my therapist used to. Be confident.

"Perfect, come with me," he leads us to a booth in the back corner of the room, right near a table of girls studying. "Would you like any drinks to start?"

"Do you have milkshakes?" I ask.

"Yes, we do," he nods. "Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry."

"Strawberry, please. Lena?"