Forest City 4 Chapter 17 -Cocobean-

    Cocobean is the best coffee shop in all of the land... all of the world. They have franchises and stores all over the world and everywhere you look in a big city like Forest City, there is a Cocobean. It doesn't matter if you are at a library, a mall, or a high end middle school, Cocobeans will always sprout in a library near you.

    "Well it isn't like how my mother made her coffee," Mom began the conversation.

    "I don't think anyone can match her recipe," Dad replied.

    "Black coffee with, not two, but three teaspoons of sugar," they both said in harmony.

    "Your family is pretty great," Cobalt added, then teased, "I don't think anyone in my family even knows how to cook anything, unless it's reading instructions off the back of a mac and cheese box."

    "Cooking isn't for everyone, unless you are Lovell's brother," Mr. Lupin interjected.

    "Maybe we could get a brand deal with him," Dad joked.

    Mr. Lupin rolled his smoky, blue eyes and glanced back at us all.

    "I for one can't wait for this semester to start," Monty added, "It seems like we're almost done with high school already."

    "Yeah," Cobalt and I both said.

    "I hope that this semester is better than the last one, you know, with all of the stuff that happened with Bonnie and Cobalt," I added.

    "Tell me about it," Cobalt groaned, but changed his tone, "I thought for a while she was going to get better, but then she didn't and I lost all hope in her."

    "Maybe she's desperately lonely," Mom suggested, "It would be better for all of you to remain your best selves and be nice to her, I'm sure she needs some good company, everyone needs good company in their life."

    "You're right about that," Mr. Lupin added.

    "Too bad this is the last day of break," I continued where Monty left off, "A part of me wants to go back, but wants to stay home all day."

    "Goodness you're turning into me," Cobalt teased, "Just think about it five more months and we are out of there," he rested his head on my shoulder.

    "Five months, that feels like five...hundred years!" Monty blurted with exhaustion in his breath, "Do you have any idea how many essays that is!"

    "About five," Mr. Lupin murmured, "Not counting any speeches you'll have to do."

    Monty just proceeded to drink his hot tea, his eyelids hung heavy over his sea green eyes.

    "Oh it's about three, I better be headed home for tea," Hazel declared, "I'm going to have quite a full house tonight, but it has been nice seeing all of you."

    I followed Hazel, Dad, and Mom out of the small coffee shop, I glanced back at Cobalt and Monty, they both waved their hands in goodbye. I smiled and waved back as I stepped into Hazel's car.