The Coffee Pact

Mia Hope, a quiet high schooler haunted by a past trauma, finds sanctuary in the late-night hours of The Coffee Pod, using caffeine to ward off nightmares. Her carefully constructed solitude is shattered when Jake Carpenter, the popular star quarterback, suddenly appears at her haven. An unlikely pact forms: Mia agrees to tutor Jake, who's failing English and risks losing football, under a set of strict rules. But their deal is complicated by Jake's challenge: Mia must give up coffee until Christmas, or tutor him for free. As Mia battles caffeine withdrawal and encroaching nightmares, she also navigates the unexpected attention their alliance brings and begins to uncover the hidden depths beneath Jake's golden-boy facade.

The air in The Coffee Pod is thick with the aroma of my only bad habit. Early September snow dusts the ground outside, but inside, by the roaring fireplace, I cradle my black espresso, sparking some life into my hands.

It's past midnight, the perfect sanctuary for insomniacs like me. Three other customers are scattered around, each lost in their own world – a tall, skinny man typing furiously on a laptop, a businesswoman engrossed in a book, and an old man staring out at the moon.

I wish I came here for the atmosphere, but I don't. I'm here because I'm scared to sleep, scared of the darkness that brings the nightmares. The coffee helps stave it off, just for a little bit longer.

The door swings open, a blast of cold air announcing a newcomer. He's tall, in a pale blue hoodie, scrutinizing the chalkboard menu. From the way Amelia, the waitress, is staring, he must be good-looking.

He turns with his coffee, and my stomach drops. Jake Carpenter, the most popular guy in our Junior year, is here. He takes a seat, eyes fixed on his cup, jaw clenched. He's not smiling like he usually is in the halls. Tonight, he looks pissed off.

The Coffee Pact

Romance High School Secret Trauma Pact