Chapter 1: In The Beginning
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One minute I was just doing my thing, feeling good, minding my own business and then out of nowhere, I found out that I... was homeless now. How did that even happen? You might be wondering. Well, let me fill you in.
Joy’s Café was always buzzing, never a quiet moment. The espresso machine hissed like it was out for revenge against silence, cups clanked non-stop against saucers, and voices layered over each other in a constant hum that somehow never turned chaotic; it was more like a rhythmic noise.
Soft music played in the background, something chill and acoustic, whatever...but you’d only catch it if you took a moment to pause, which honestly, no one ever did.
Especially not me.
"Large caramel latte for Sarah!" I’d call out, sliding the cup across the counter with ease, already turning away before she even reached for it.
"Extra foam, right?" I added, looking back over my shoulder.
"That’s why you’re my favorite!" she laughed.
"I say that to all my customers," I shot back with a grin, and she rolled her eyes like she didn’t buy it.
I moved quickly, faster than most could keep up with, weaving between the counter and the machines as if I’d memorized every inch of the place. Orders piled in, drinks went out, and I kept it all flowing smoothly, barely needing to think about what my hands were doing. It was all muscle memory by now...steam, pour, stir, smile, and do it all over again.
"Oliver, two cappuccinos!" my coworker, Maya called out.
"Got it," I replied, grabbing two cups without even looking.
Everything felt normal...comfortable, even.
This kind of chaos didn’t stress me out. If anything, it centered me. The constant noise, the rush of movement, the never-ending demand for attention..mit didn’t give me a moment to overthink, no room for that creeping quiet that settles in when things go slow.
And honestly, I liked it that way.
"Hey, Oliver," a regular, Kennedy...i think his name was, leaned against the counter, watching me work, "Ever messed up an order?"
I let out a light snort, glancing up at him while frothing milk. "Never. I’m flawless and unstoppable. Amazing in every way..."
"Wow," he responded, deadpan. "The confidence."
"I’ve earned it," I shot back casually, pouring the milk into the espresso with a steady hand. "Unlike some folks who still can’t decide what they want after standing in line for ten minutes."
He raised his hands up in defeat, laughing, and I handed him his drink with a nod.
"Next!"
Another order, another smile.
It was easy to make it seem like I had it all together. Easy to laugh, joke, and keep things light. People appreciated that. They liked someone steady, someone who didn’t waver or hesitate.
And for the most part, I delivered exactly that, but now and then...just for a split second, something would slip.
My hand would linger a bit too long over the stack of cups before I finally grabbed one, like my brain hadn’t caught up with my body. I blinked, shook it off, and kept moving.
It was nothing, probably.
I hadn’t slept much lately. Just a few restless nights piled up until they blurred together. Honestly, I couldn’t recall the last time I’d gotten a full eight hours of beauty sleep without waking up in the middle of the night to do random stuff or school work.
"Oliver?" Maya nudged me gently. "You good?"
"Yeah," I replied quickly, already reaching for the next order. "Just thinking about how much I love my job."
She laughed. "Sure you were."
I smiled back, an automatic gesture, and kept going.
A few minutes later, I glanced at my phone sitting by the register, the screen lighting up briefly before going dark again. No notification this time; it was just a habit. I checked it anyway when no one was looking, unlocking it for a split second before slipping it back down.
Nothing important.
Still, I let out a slow breath and grabbed the next cup.
"Medium iced mocha!" I called out, sliding it across the counter.
My phone buzzed.
I ignored it, then it buzzed again, and I frowned a bit, shifting my weight as I grabbed a towel to wipe down the counter.
When it buzzed for the third time, I let out a quiet sigh and looked at the screen.
Joey.
Of course it was Joey. That idiot...
I nearly declined the call without thinking. He always had the worst timing, and if I knew anything from past experiences, his calls were either pointless or downright ridiculous.
Sometimes both.
But still, he was Joey.
I swiped to answer, tucking the phone between my shoulder and ear as I reached for another cup.
"What do you want?" I asked, not unkindly, just a bit distracted. "I’m working."
"Hey, my handsome, cute, amazing, cool, kindhearted, fascinating, awesome best friend..." Joey’s voice came through way too bright, way too cheerful. "So, uh...funny story."
I paused, just for a split second.
Yeah. No. Didn’t like the sound of that.
"...Joey," I said slowly, pouring coffee into the cup in front of me, "what did you do this time?"
"Okay, first of all," he started, clearly stalling, "I feel like you always assume the worst of me, which is kind of hurtful—"
"Joey."
"Right...okay. Getting to the point."
I handed a drink to a customer waiting nearby, flashing them a quick smile that felt just as easy as ever.
"Here you go. Careful, it’s hot."
"Thanks, Oliver!"
I nodded, then turned slightly, lowering my voice enough so I wasn’t shouting into the phone.
"Talk."
There was a pause on the other end.
"So..." Joey said, dragging the word out like he was testing it. "You know how sometimes things just happen that are, like... totally out of your control?"
I grabbed another cup, setting it down a little harder than I meant to.
"Joey."
"And you know how, in those moments, it’s important to stay calm and not overreact or murder your best friend?"
"Joey."
"Okay, so...hypothetically, if I told you that our apartment is... kind of... temporarily unavailable—"
My hand froze, the espresso machine hissed loudly beside me, steam rising in a sharp burst, but for a moment, it felt like the sound had faded, like everything around me had shifted just slightly out of focus.
I stared at the cup in front of me.
"...Define temporarily unavailable," I said, my voice quieter than I’d expected.
"Great question," Joey replied immediately, too quickly. "Love that question."
I didn’t budge.
Around me, the café buzzed just like usual...orders were called, chairs scraped against the floor, laughter blended into conversations, but everything felt... distant.
Like I was right in the center of it, yet not really part of it at all.
"So," Joey continued, his tone casual but somehow making my stomach knot, "there was a little...incident."
I swallowed, gripping the cup slightly tighter.
"What kind of incident?"
"Nothing crazy," he said. "Just, you know... a small fire."
A beat passed and I blinked, "...A what now?"
"Okay, when I say ’fire,’ I don’t mean, like, a huge fire," Joey rushed to clarify. "It was more like... a contained situation that got slightly out of hand, but the bottom line is our dorm room kind of caught on fire—"
"What the hell??!"
"Joey... what do you mean our dorm kind of caught fire?"
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𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰
hi there! thanks for clicking on this book. if you’re a reader of my other works, welcome back! i truly appreciate your continued support 🥰
and if you’re new to this certified bl addict’s books, welcome! i really hope you enjoy your stay... don’t forget to check out my other books; My Stepbrother My Enemy and How To Seduce Your Cold-hearted Alpha CEO!
anywho, this is a slice of life, campus romance, enemies to lovers, comedy novel. and note that oliver is an unreliable narrator, so obviously I wouldn’t believe him completely when he says "I ain’t gay!" or "I can’t stand that Damien guy!"
he’s a bit of a tsundere and is blind to his own feelings😂
okay, I’ll shut up now. enjoy reading!💕