Chapter Five: Missed Mornings and New Faces

The sunlight poured through the window, warm and relentless. Nina stirred first, her face scrunching against the brightness. Slowly, she sat up, stretching as her eyes adjusted to the light.

Blinking at the clock on the wall, she froze.

“Oh no...” she whispered.

The clock read 12:15 PM.

“Amara!” Nina nudged her sister, who was sprawled across the bed with her hair a wild mess.

“Mmm… five more minutes...” Amara groaned, half-buried in pillows.

“Amara! Wake up!” Nina's voice sharpened. “We missed the class!”

That snapped Amara awake. She shot upright, her eyes wide with shock. “What time is it?”

“Past noon,” Nina replied, her voice edged with panic.

“The coffee class—” Amara gasped.

“We totally missed it,” Nina sighed dramatically.

Heart racing, Amara grabbed her phone and hurriedly typed a message to Frankie. Sorry! We overslept. Can we join the afternoon session?

A reply came almost immediately: No worries. Join at 2 PM if you can.

“Well, that was embarrassing,” Amara muttered, tossing her phone onto the bed.

Nina shrugged. “Guess we have time to eat.”

After a hurried lunch of sandwiches and leftover snacks, they made their way back to the café, the streets buzzing with midday energy. The air was crisp after the morning rain, carrying the faint scent of petrichor.

As they entered the café classroom, the rich aroma of coffee wrapped around them like a warm embrace. Students chatted animatedly at their stations, the atmosphere lively and inviting.

Before they could settle in, Frankie clapped his hands together.

“Alright, everyone, listen up!” his voice boomed over the chatter. “We’ve got some new faces joining us today.”

Two boys stood near the espresso machines, both exuding easy confidence.

“This is Alex and Kiran,” Frankie introduced. “They’ll be learning with us from now on. Be nice, people.”

The boys waved, offering friendly smiles. Alex, tall with a charming grin, exuded energy, while Kiran had sharper features and an air of quiet composure.

The students greeted them warmly, and the class resumed. Amara kept her focus on perfecting her latte art, carefully swirling milk into a delicate leaf pattern. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Alex stealing glances at Nina.

Nina, catching the looks, smirked slightly but kept her attention on her cappuccino.

After class, as they packed up their stations, Alex sauntered over to them.

“So, do you guys come here often?” he teased with a playful grin.

Nina arched an eyebrow. “That’s your line? At a coffee class?”

“I like to keep things classic,” Alex quipped, his grin widening.

Nina chuckled. “You might need to work on your delivery.”

“Noted,” Alex said, clearly unfazed.

Their banter flowed effortlessly, drawing amused glances from Kiran, who stood nearby, silently observing.

“Careful, Alex,” Kiran finally chimed in, his voice dry. “You might scare off your new friends.”

“I’m not that easily scared,” Nina shot back, her tone playful.

Amara watched quietly, surprised at how at ease her sister seemed. The heartbreak from the previous night seemed distant now, replaced by Nina’s usual confident demeanor.

As they made their way out of the café, Alex walked alongside Nina, his chatter animated.

“You know,” he said casually, “I’m really glad I joined this class. It just got a lot more interesting.”

Nina smirked. “Is that so?”

“Absolutely,” Alex affirmed.

“Well, let’s see if you can keep up,” Nina teased.

Behind them, Amara and Kiran followed in comfortable silence.

“You’re quieter than your sister,” Kiran noted.

“I get that a lot,” Amara replied with a faint smile.

Nina glanced back at her. “Hey, you okay back there?”

“Yeah,” Amara assured her. “Just enjoying the show.”

Nina laughed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

The day had taken an unexpected turn, but Amara found herself grateful for it. New beginnings often came in surprising forms — even through missed classes and spontaneous flirtations.

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