This Can't Be Goodbye

While there are tons of ambiguities in life, moments or people
that are hard to interpret or pin down, there’s one certainty in
my life that’s as clear as Bear Lake on a sunny day: Naomi
James despises me.I’m directly behind her in the coffee shop line. This isn’t
abnormal. Our hometown of Windfall is the size of a postage
stamp. We’re both addicted to caffeine, and the grinds at Sugar
and Sips are the best. We head to work at the same time—me
pulling into Ridgeview Veterinary Clinic at half-past eight after
adhering to all traffic laws, while Naomi drives like an IndyCar
racer high on gasoline to the local high school, where she
teaches science. Most mornings, we find ourselves in line
together, separated by a patron or two.Unfortunately, more often than not, I’m nuts-to-butt behind Ms.
High and Mighty herself, where she lives to torment me. Like
today.Our friend Ricky Sellers is at the cash register. By “our” friend,
I mean he’s friends with Naomi and he’s friends with me, but
by no means are the three of us friends together. Anyway,
when our independent-of-each-other friend moves from the cash
register to wait for his order, the person behind him shuffles
into Ricky’s spot, and the next person steps forward. But
Naomi, who should now move ahead, doesn’t budge.Not one dainty step.There’s no controlling my irritation. Moving forward is an
unwritten rule. All line-waiters are supposed to inch ahead to
take the vacant space in front of them, not leave the yawning
gap there, knowing the person behind them is vibrating with
annoyance because the line can move, but it doesn’t. Only a
monster would purposely induce that level of frustration. Not
even the rich coffee smells and cute pastel decor of my favorite
coffee shop can ease the tension seizing my shoulders.
Naomi’s slim shoulders give a malicious shake—the Baroness of
Awful holding in an evil cackle. She knows how much this move
annoys me.
…