Chapter Text
Drift woke up with a gasp, clutching at her chest as she heaved in deep breaths. Her alarm clock was beeping noisily on her bedside.
Same dream again.
It had been coming up more and more recently, the dream where Elle and Avid decided they didn't want to be her friend anymore and Drift was left all alone.
She wasn't sure why it suddenly got more frequent. Nothing had really changed in Drift's life except…
Shelby.
But… that sounded bad, and Shelby was so so good, so surely it wasn't actually a problem.
A part of Drift really felt like… maybe she would deserve it if Avid and Elle left her, but she would be okay if she had Shelby. They didn't know each other well, but Shelby was kind and sweet and funny and made her feel lighter with just a smile.
Maybe… maybe this was what love was.
One person who would support you through it all… even without knowing them well you click to wonderfully despite it… just like in the movies.
What this love? Was she falling for Shelby already?
Drift sighed, rubbing at her tired eyes, she could worry about that later; the shop wasn't going to open itself.
The morning was a quiet one so Elle left after helping her setup, promising to take the next shift alone to repay it. Drift could faintly hear the theme song to the new show Elle was watching from upstairs.
Scott didn't have morning lectures today, she knew, so he was probably taking the opportunity to sleep in again. Avid had the evening shift so he probably wouldn't come downstairs until at least noon - which meant Drift was alone for most of the day.
Which was... fine. She's used to it.
The bell above the door only jingled a little past eight. One of their regulars walked in, a familiar black dress with a rose tucked behind one ear. "Apo!" Drift greeted cheerfully "Hey, it's been a while!".
"It has" she agreed "Avid not working today?".
"Scott's not here" she replied, knowing what they actually wanted to ask.
The tension leaving Apo's shoulders was obvious "Oh. Okay then".
Drift doesn't know what the full story there is, but she won't pry. All she's managed to gather is Scott did something wrong, blamed Apo about it, and still hasn't apologised. Unsurprising since getting a genuine apology from Scott is harder than pulling teeth.
Maybe she needs to set Elle on him again. Or ask Shelby to ask really really nicely. Surely no one could say no to Shelby.
Drift smiled warmly at Apo "Your usual?" she checked, already pulling out a medium sized cup and filling it with coffee.
Apo nodded gratefully "Please".
Drift just smiled, the familiarity of regulars was comforting. "So how have you been? How's Cherri?" she asked casually, carefully pouring steamed milk over the latte and gently nudging it into a heart shape.
"I've been good, work's just been busy. Cherri's good" she prattled off, leaning her elbows languidly against the counter "Sorry I haven't stopped by; I've been making most of my coffee at home".
Drift gasped exaggeratedly, playfully clutching at her chest "Apo!" she reprimanded, scandalised tone ruined somewhat by the big grin on her face "Are you… cheating on me!?".
Apo let out a startled laugh, wild and unrestrained. "Yes" she deadpanned.
Drift grinned, topping off their drink with cinnamon flakes and handing it to them. "Don't worry I know you'll always come back to your one true coffee provider" she winked.
Apo just laughed, reaching for her wallet while Drift punched in the order details for the bill. "We're having an event next week if you wanna drop by" she told them casually.
Apo hummed to show that she was listening, so Drift continued "It's a book launch, you remember M? He's got another book coming out and we're hosting for him".
"I've heard of him" Apo said dryly "Cherri's a fan; I'll see if I can make it, they'd love a copy".
They enveloped their coffee cup between their hands, letting the warmth seep in for a moment. "Thanks Drift" she murmured "I needed a good laugh".
Drift smiled "anytime" she said softly "Have a good one".
She handed them the bill "Thanks for coming. Don't be a stranger".
Apo smiled "I'll drag Viking with me next time" they promised, meticulously folding the bill into her wallet "I'll see you around, Drift".
A group of college kids swarmed in as Apo was leaving, so Drift could barely wave goodbye before she was flooded with orders.
Drift scribbled down the last order in the line - a simple hot chocolate compared to the overly caffeinated beverages everyone else had asked for - and carelessly blew a strand of hair out of her face "And what name do I write down on your order?" she asked the customer, only to be greeted by a familiar giggle.
"Drift, I would hope you know my name by now" came the teasing response.
Drift blinked, looking up to meet delighted amber eyes behind smudged glasses "Shelby! Sorry I didn't- I thought you don't have classes in the morning today?".
"I don't" Shelby said simply "I just wanted to see you".
Drift flushed, feeling heat spread all the way to her ears, that was just unfair. Shelby just giggled, covering her grin with their hand.
"I do unfortunately have to actually do my job today" Drift said apologetically "It might take me a couple of minutes before we can sit and talk"
"That's fine, can I sit here and watch you work?" Shelby responded, gesturing to the stool at the counter.
For a moment, Drift almost wanted to say no. The thought of Shelby watching her, of those amber eyes following her as she worked - it was as exhilarating as it was terrifying; but Drift was a professional so instead she just nodded, smiling when Shelby immediately hopped onto the stool.
There was a peaceful silence for a moment, the chatter of other patrons murmuring through the air, and the whirring of the machines filling in the space between them as Drift finished up orders, calling out names as she went.
Shelby waited until Drift called out the last order before they finally spoke. "You were talking to someone for a while earlier" she started cautiously, almost pouting "Who was that?".
"Oh, the girl in the black dress?" Drift asked idly "She's a regular and a friend, their name's Apo. She and her girlfriend pop by pretty often".
Shelby smiled, her upset expression long forgotten as soon as Drift mentioned Cherri "Oh, that's nice" they replied "I overheard a bit of your conversation, you mentioned an event?".
Drift brightened "Yeah! You know how we were talking about M the other day? Well, I decided to reach out - and turns out he was looking for a venue to launch his newest book! So of course we said he can do it here".
"What!?" Shelby yelped "M's going to release his newest book already? This is what I get for not being active on social media" she finished with a grumble
"Shh, Shelby, keep your voice down!" Drift hushed, glancing at the other patrons. No one seemed to acknowledge the outburst at least.
"Oh, sorry!" they whispered "But that's so cool Drift!".
Drift beamed "Isn't it? I'm hoping it helps boost our popularity too".
Shelby grinned, nodding along a response. There was an easy flow to the conversation that Drift didn't ever feel with anyone else, the way Shelby would gesture when she spoke, they way their nose crinkled when they frowned, the way she would cover her mouth when she giggled... She ended up staying for hours, getting through two hot chocolates and a milkshake before they finally packed up their things and left, waving a cheerful goodbye at Drift as she did.
Drift sighed, laying a hand over the fluttering in her chest.
Maybe it was too soon to say it, but she really did think she might be falling for Shelby.