Chapter 3
Saturday
“Bye, Ethari! Bye Runaan!”
“Bye Rayla,” they both say at the same time.
Rayla takes her bag and car keys and leaves to go to the café.
When she reaches the café that she usually goes to every Saturday morning, she finds it closed so she decides to go to Barius’ café which is a bit further away. She enters and goes to the counter to order some coffee and to her surprise, finds Ezran’s brother working as a barista.
She approaches him and says, “Hi!”
He looks at her and immediately says, “Hi, Rayla!”
She smiles at him. But wait, how did he know her name? She doesn’t remember telling him yesterday.
“What would you like?” He asks.
“One cappuccino, please.”
“Sure.”
He hands the cappuccino to her and she takes a seat at one of the tables. She opens up her laptop and starts working on correcting her student’s assignments.
Half an hour later, Callum approaches her table. She looks at him and he says, “Mind if I join you?”
“Go ahead,” she says, smiling.
He smiles, sits on the chair opposite to her, takes his sketchbook out and starts drawing.
“Is your shift over?” She asks.
“Yup. I usually stay longer after my shift on the weekends to work on my commissions.”
“Ooh, you’re an artist?”
Smiling, he says, “Yes. I’m also taking a course for graphic design.”
She nods and looks back at her laptop.
“What are you working on?” Before she can say something, he says, “Oh right, you must be correcting your students’ homework or something.”
“Nope. I’m done with that. I’m working on my course.”
“Your course?” he asks.
“Yeah. Philosophy. To become a lawyer.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Then why are you working as a teacher? You could just do a part time job right?”
“I could, but I specially took a course to become a teacher because I wanted to work as one for a few years. I love teaching. One of my dads is a teacher and I really wanted to become one.”
“Then, why are you studying philosophy? Why become a lawyer when you already have a suitable job?”
“My other dad is a lawyer and he really wants me to become one. I’ll study, write the exam and if I pass I’ll become a lawyer and if I don’t, I’ll continue teaching.”
“But… isn’t it too much? Like, won’t you have too much work and stress altogether?”
“I will but I… deal with it.”
“Okay…” He notices the dull look on Rayla’s face and decides to change the topic. “So… I haven’t seen you at this café before. What brings you here today?”
“The café I usually go to was closed so I had to come here. If I knew I would have had nice company, I would’ve come here every weekend even though it’s a bit further.” She says, smiling.
He smiles back at her. He was good company to her, huh?
“Although you’re a bit-” She cuts herself off. She thought maybe it wasn’t a really good idea to say that since they didn’t know each other that well.
“But I’m a bit what?” He asks, raising his eyebrow. Did he say something wrong? What was she about to say?
“I mean, uh…”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. Tell me.”
“You’re a literal question bank. You’ve been questioning me continuously since the past ten minutes.” She says, chuckling.
Thank god that was all… He was so worried.
“Well, I- uh, wanted to get to know you better.”
“Fair.” She says. “But why? Is it because I’m your brother’s teacher or is it because you see me as a friend?” She asks with a smirk on her face.
“As a friend of course.” he replies almost immediately which Rayla did not expect.
She smiles at him.
A moment of silence passes and they decide to go back to their work.
Callum tries to work on his commission but as he starts sketching, his drawing takes the shape of Rayla sitting in front of him in her oversized hoodie and leggings, laptop open and her coffee cup beside her.
She gets up and says, “I’ll be back in a minute.” and goes to the bathroom.
When she returns, she catches a glimpse of Callum’s drawing.
“Hey, that’s me!” She says with excitement.
Callum didn’t expect her to see it. But she did. What now? She was going to think of him as a creep who drew random people… He also told her that he was working on his commission and now she’s gonna think he lied to her.
“Yeah…” He says nervously.
“That’s amazing! You’re… so talented!” She says, bending to get a better look at the sketchbook in his lap.
Callum didn’t expect a reaction like that.
“Um, thank you…”
“May I?” She asks, holding her hand out for his sketchbook.
“Yeah, sure.” He hands her the sketchbook.
“I honestly didn't expect you to be this good! You captured my features perfectly! It’s so detailed and you drew this in like what? 20 minutes?”
“I think so…”
“Can I take a picture?”
“Sure.” She really liked it that much?
She grabs her phone out her back pocket, snaps a picture and returns the book to Callum.
As she goes to take her seat, she says, “Wait, you said you were working on a commission right? Why were you drawing me? I doubt someone would pay you to do that.” She says jokingly instead of being serious.
He lets out a slight chuckle and says, “I uh, I was sketching that but then my sketch took the shape of you. It happens when I have something or someone else in mind. I’m sorry for drawing you without your permission.”
“No, that’s absolutely fine. Don’t apologize for drawing so amazingly! I don’t mind if it’s not anything inappropriate.”
Callum smiles and nods.
She unlocks her phone and looking at it, she says, “I still can’t believe you drew that.”
“Are you still looking at my drawing?”
“I am. It’s not everyday I come across someone who draws me this beautifully.”
“I think you’re complimenting me too much.” He says, laughing.
“Well, you deserve it.”
Callum smiles and looks at his watch.
“Oh wow it’s 12:00 already? I have to go… sorry.”
“12:00?! I have to go too!”
They both felt like it had just been an hour although it had been three whole hours since they started talking.
As they pack up, Rayla says, “Wait! We’ve spent so much time talking and I still haven’t got your name.”
“Oh, right! My name is Callum.”
“Callum.” She repeats to herself. “Also, I have a question, how do you know my name? I don’t remember telling you.”
Oops. What should he say? It definitely wouldn’t be nice to tell her that he asked Ezran for her name specifically.
“Um, Ezran told me.”
“Why?”
“He was… introducing you to me. He introduced all his teachers before I went to talk to them and told me both their first and last names.”
“Oh, ok…” Smirking, she says, “Then tell me what Ezran’s Science teacher’s name is.”
Oh shit.
“Um… I… forgot.”
“And somehow you remembered mine?” She asks, raising her eyebrow.
“Yes. Because… you’re… um…”
“Because I’m what?”
“Because you’re the youngest teacher in the whole school! Ezran told me. Which is why I didn’t forget.”
“Ooh, I’m special.” she says, with a coy shrug.
Callum laughs.
“Alright then, bye Callum. Thank you for your company.”
“Wait!” He calls, before she could walk away.
“Yeah?”
“Do you have any plans for the evening?”
“Um…” Does she have any plans? Even if she did, her first option would be to spend time with Callum. He’s just so kind and sweet. She definitely would love to spend more time with him. “I don’t. Why do you ask?”
“Me and Ez are going to the central mall today to just have some fun. Do you wanna come along?”
“I would love to. Text me what time. Ez has my number.”
“Sure, Bye!”
“Bye!”