The Coffee Pact

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee is your sanctuary. The bell above the door of The Coffee Pod chimes, and you instinctively duck your head, focusing on the worn pages of your textbook. It’s just another Tuesday, another quiet afternoon trying to disappear into your studies, fueled by caffeine.

You hear a familiar, confident voice place an order, and a shiver goes down your spine, not from the cool air, but a flicker of recognition. It’s Jake Carpenter, the star quarterback, a fixture of the popular crowd you actively avoid.

You clutch your book tighter, hoping he won’t notice you in your usual corner booth. Your focus should be on this dense paragraph, not the effortless way he moves through the shop, commanding attention without even trying. Just get through this, get your coffee, and disappear back into the anonymity of your quiet life.