F, H, & S: Part One Continued

Raya smiled back at Addison as she left.

"Did you make some coffee?" Belle asked Raya as she headed back into the bathroom to begin her makeup and hair ritual.


"Yep. Want me to make you a cup?'

"Sure!"

Raya set her journal and Bible on the stained couch cushion in preparation for taking a break from writing, "I need a break from this poem anyway."

"What?" Belle yelled over the whir of the hair dryer.

"Never mind!" Raya yelled as she began to make Belle's sweet vanilla coffee. Raya was the resident coffee virtuoso, but wasn't really the strong coffee type. All the roomies liked it best when she made the coffee, except Addison who always liked it black and strong. Military coffee as she called it, which had always been odd since she was in no way connected to the military.

The aroma of the vanilla and freshly brewed coffee began to rouse Diedra. Raya would have to make her a cup as well. She enjoyed making the coffee and seeing the gratitude on the roomies’ faces, but she had to admit that the assumption and expectations sometimes became a burden. She delivered the over sized cup to Belle who was now on to curling her blond locks.

"Thanks! You know, you should open a coffee shop. I would pay you to make my coffee any day."

"How about now?" Raya said expectantly with her hand on her hip and her lips in a lopsided smirk.

Belle froze and looked at Raya in the mirror. "Are you serious?"

"No, dork."

"Oh." Belle paused to study Raya's expression and then went back to curling her hair.

Raya chuckled to herself as she headed back to the kitchen to start Diedra's cup. It wasn't hard to get a confused look from Belle, especially before she had her morning coffee and Raya relished every moment she could. She passed Diedra, who was now looking sleepily toward the kitchen.

"Don't worry, I'm making it now."

"Cool! Thanks." Diedra stretched then sprang to her feet like something had bitten her on the butt. She sprinted toward the bathroom. "Heads up! Gotta pee!"

Raya laughed as Belle jumped out of the way with a gasp expressing her frustrations. "Why don't you keep doing your makeup? She's only peeing."

"Oh gross!"

"Honey, out of all of us you have the least amount of modesty."

"Yeah, but I draw the line at toilet related body functions."

Diedra came swaggering out of the bathroom with Belle's cup in hand, bringing it close to her lips, and baiting Belle all the while.

"Uughh! Diedra, that's my coffee."

"Relax, I didn't actually drink any." Belle grabbed the cup and headed back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"Here ya go Diedra. I put it in a travel mug so you can take it with you back home."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing." Raya sat down at the kitchen table and prepared for entertainment. "Last night you said you needed to leave by 9:30 and it's now 9:20."

"WHAT!? Thanks I gotta go." Diedra grabbed her duffel bag and threw open the back door.

Raya turned just in time to see Diedra do a face plant into the grass. "Addison said you had coordination issues, but that was hilarious! Are you okay?"

" I will have to thank Addison for that during practice Monday. What the heck is this box doing outside your back door?" Diedra said as she rolled over and examined her knee.

"I don't know. Does it say anything on it?" Raya topped off her coffee and sat back down at the kitchen table.

"It's for you."

"What?"

"Are you expecting anything?" Diedra stood up and brushed the dry grass off her arms and legs.

Raya walked over to the door to inspect the box. "No, are you serious?" She picked up the box that was deceptively light and placed it on the kitchen table. "Diedra, this isn't for me. It says care of Raya, that's what the c/o means."

"Well who is it for then?"

"I don't know there isn't anything else written on it."

"Open it."

"Don't you have to get to the Y?"

"Macy will cover for me till I get there. Now open the box!"

Raya studied the generic brown packing paper to determine the least invasive way of opening it in case she needed to re wrap it for the true recipient. The end opened easily to reveal red wrapping paper so she ripped through the remaining paper to see if anything else was written on the new wrapping.

"It's for Jasmine."

"How do you know?"

"Diedra, there's a card."

"It's not her birthday is it?"

"No..."

"Who do you think it's from then?"

"I don't know"

Diedra pushed past Raya. "Jasmine! Get up! You got a box!"

In a moment, Diedra returned tot he kitchen with Jasmine who was trying unsuccessfully to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"You woke her up! This could have waited till later."

"No it couldn't, I have to be at work. I should be at work."

"Can someone tell me what's going on? Diedra, why did you wake me up, this is my one day to sleep in?"

"Diedra is being a snoop."

"Hey!"

"She tripped over this box on her way out and now has to know what is inside it for her life to be complete and fulfilled."

Jasmine smiled as she caught Raya's sarcasm. "I'll open it so Diedra can get to work, but who is it from?"

Diedra jumped in, "that's why I can't leave yet, we don't know who it's from."

"Oh," was all Jasmine said as she opened the card and read it. "I have to sit down."

"Why?" Diedra grabbed the card to read for herself as Jasmine sat on the couch.

Diedra read the card out loud, "Dear Jasmine, You were beautiful last night. E"

"Who's E?" Raya questioned.

"I don't know."

Diedra and Raya looked at each other, grinned, and in unison said, "You have a secret admirer."

Raya followed up with, "Where were you last night that you would have been beautiful?"

Jasmine broke from her trans, "Gee thanks."

"I didn't mean..."

"I was no where. I was with you guys last night."

"You guys are forgetting something."

"What?" Raya turned to look at Diedra.

"What's in the box?" Diedra squealed. "Whoever this E is, he got you a gift! Are you going to open it or what?!"

"Oh yeah!" Jasmine walked over to the box and began unwrapping it. Inside she found a box of chocolate covered strawberries.