For Nevermore Season 1

of Josie’s nine-year-old Camry, then drove 16 blocks to Keefer’s.
    Josie kissed Noella on the cheek and said, “Happy birthday, Noey. I love you.”
    Noella told Josie that she loved her, too, then climbed from the car and onto the curb and gave her aunt a final smile, before swallowing hard and entering the coffee shop for a shift that promised to be slightly better than the hell at home.

    **

    Noella didn’t mind working Keefer’s Mondays through Thursday, but she hated Fridays and Saturdays with a white hot heat, and tried to work them as seldom as possible.
    EnvyUs, the ridiculous name the most popular clique in school had given themselves, had other places to be on Monday through Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays, though, they made Keefer’s their own private club, and when Noella was working, she was their poor servant girl. They gave her a hard time when placing orders, with long sequences of complicated directions, sending things back without cause, always smiling at Noella, through thin lips pursed to make her feel small, behind eyes lit with the delight of her squirming.
    Something was wrong when girls like them had all the money in the world, while hardworking, nice people such as Noella and her aunt, had to slave away just to make their frayed ends meet.
    The bell on the door clanged as she pushed her way into the shop.
    EnvyUs was already occupying a table, with Becca and Vicky sitting next to each other on one side and two other members, Britt and Jason, on the other, sipping lattes and comparing downloads on their Nanos and iPhones.
    They mercifully ignored Noella for the first half hour of her shift, though she could never forget they were there, like she could never forget Randy was in the garage. She kept one eye at their table while her mind drifted to the mystery man she’d seen last night, who may or may not have been a figment of her imagination.
    The door dinged and Sam stepped inside.
    Their eyes met and Noella smiled. Sam walked to the counter, “Happy birthday,” on his lips as Noella ran around to the other side of the counter and threw her arms around him. He hugged her hard, but retreated quickly, then handed her a small square wrapped in pink paper, with tiny cupcakes of every color scattered all over the front.
    Noella peeled the paper, already smiling. In an iPod world, Sam was the sort of guy who still burned CDs, and loved making his own album art. For a cover, he drew a picture of Noella’s face, her hair flowing into long, twisting strands which stretched into the sky where they spelled out her name. She pulled the CD case closer to admire his intricate line work and crosshatching skills.
    It was easily the best gift she ever received.
    “I love it!” she said hugging him. “It’s beautiful!”
    “Best. Playlist. Ever.” Sam pointed at the bright blue CD inside. “Been working on this one a month. If you can think of a way to make it perfecter, I’d love to hear it.”
    He smiled, and Noella smiled at the word “perfecter.”
    He pointed to the book beneath the jewel case. “That book has the 100 best album covers of all time, or at least the best 100 according to the authors, but it’s hard to argue with most of their choices.”
    Noella slipped the jewel case behind the book, then flipped the pages, slowly making her way through everything from Sgt. Pepper’s, Houses of the Holy, and Sticky Fingers, to Joshua Tree, License to Ill, and Nevermind.
    “Thanks!” Noella said. “I love it! I haven’t even seen some of these.”
    “You’re gonna love the CD,” Sam said. “Just wait until you hear it.”
    The bell on the door dinged and a customer walked to the counter. Sam stepped aside, and Noella silently cursed Tony for taking what was probably his 20th smoking break since she arrived.
    “Well, see ya’,” Sam said. He smiled at Noella, then turned toward the EnvyUs.
    Noella was happy Sam had come into Keefer’s and given her a gift, but it was hard not to feel rejected, blown off for the cool table at the first excuse, where he could slip on his mask and play his part in their party. She didn’t blame him. As much as Noella hated herself for knowing it was true, she would probably wear the mask with him, if they would let her.
    As she made a vanilla latte for the girl in front of her, she found herself staring at Sam, acting so happy to be hanging out with EnvyUs. She damned Randy for forcing her to cancel the date. Now she had to sit and