“Riverside.” I answered.
Cassie nodded at me still hopping in one place and I could sense her impatience. I stood from the bench and she linked arms with me. “Come on then we’re walking with the wind at least.”
The Tim Hortons at Riverside was reasonably busy and full of people of all ages trying to escape the chill. Cassie and I both sighed at the smell of baked goods and coffee and groaned when we heard the new Ariana Grande song on the radio. Not that it was bad it was just always on the radio.
Cassie in normal fashion had kept up a steady stream of chatter throughout the walk here, telling me more about how her theory might change once she got around to factoring in cup size. She got quiet though once we got in line to order and stayed that way.
Drinking my coffee became harder and harder with each gulp as the silence stretched and I knew from the amount of sugar I had put in that the bitter taste in my mouth wasn’t the drink.
“Cassie-”
“I need to tell you something.” We spoke at the same time my surprise at her voice causing me to spill my scalding coffee on myself.
Cassie was on her feet in a flash wiping me down with napkins and making me pull my jacket off so she could see my skin. She was muttering under her breath what I was pretty sure was first aid about burns. She had been interested in becoming a doctor for about three months last year and learned a lot before Grey’s Anatomy killed off her favourite character and she swore off medicine.
“You’re fine.” She said after a moment. Already Cassie was grinning again and it was only now that the smile was back that I noticed it had fled in her panic.
“Don’t worry about it.” I said swallowing my cough medicine. Starting fires had always been Cassie’s role where as I was far more comfortable standing on the sidelines with a fire extinguisher.
“You are ok right?”
“Yeah.” I missed the coffee. Riverside made great coffee.
“Moment of truth?” Cassie asked finishing her own cup. I nodded. She used her teeth to pull up her cup’s rim while I used my nails.
“Please try again.” We read at the same time.
Cassie of course was more upset about this then I was. “Hey what did you want to tell me?” I asked, hoping to distract her.
My question did not have the desired effect, Cassie’s grin which slipped to a small smile at her loss was now wiped completely from her face.
She took a deep breath. “I got into Harvard.”
I had misdiagnosed myself. I shouldn't have taken cough syrup but antiacid. My stomach rolled.
“Congratulations that's amazing.” I said and I meant it. It was, Cassie was brilliant and deserved it but I was already thinking about how many coffee mornings were between now and when she had to leave for school.
“I don't know if I should go.” Cassie confessed to me.
“Its Harvard.”
“I know. I haven't even told my parents. I know that's what they’re going to say.”
“You don't want to go.” I wasn't sure if it was a question or not.
“I know what an opportunity this is but I don't know what to do with it.”
“You mean you don't know if you want to take it or not, or you don't know what you would do with the opportunity if you did take it?”
“This is why you're my best friend. You understand me like no one else.” I’m not sure what my response to that would have been but I was interrupted by–
“Hey I won!” I recognized the young kid who had stood behind us in line.
I smiled sheepishly at Cassie who looked indignant. “You did say â…“.”
She grinned like the flash of the a camera, quick but I could see the shadow of it after it faded. “Erica.”
“I don't know.” I told her. “Whenever I don't know something I ask you because you're not only the smartest person I know but the funniest. You have a way of making every problem seem…”I thought about her coffee theory “trivial. Able to be solved and fun while you're at it. So I’m going to tell you what I think you would tell me.”
Cassie’s fingers had stopped playing with her cup during my speech. Having her full attention was a heavy weight.
“Its like this cup of coffee. Maybe it's a big winner, maybe it's a please try again. I can't know until I finish it and roll up the rim. I have to play the game to know either way.”
Cassie’s grin was slow and softer than most. “Speaking of knowing things I made some graphs showing how I think time of day might affect-”
Cassie pulled out her phone pulling up Google slides and I resigned myself to the lecture. If I had chosen the Tim Hortons on Main Street would I have to listen to this rant?
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