The Bad Boy Falls in Love novel Chapter 1

“Halsey! Table 21 is still waiting for the coffee!”

“Y-Yes!” A bespectacled girl squeaks from behind a counter. She hurriedly fixes her glasses and rushes over to the coffee machine. Putting the steamy cups of coffee on a tray, she heads for the table.

“Here are your coffees, sir and madam,” Halsey says with a small smile.

“We’ve been waiting for over an hour!” The man exclaims. “Why were you late? This is just bad service!”

Halsey gulps nervously. The man is quite intimidating and she’s too scared of him at the moment. He looks as if he is going to hit her.

“T-The cafe is packed today, sir,” she says. “I am sorry-”

“The coffee is too cold!” the woman with him complains.

“Cold?” Halsey asks blankly. I just poured it though, she adds in her thoughts.

“Get her another cup!” The man yells at her. Halsey jumps in shock but nods. She picks up the coffee cups and goes back to make a fresh cup of coffee.

It seems as if the whole town of Bayers’ Coast is there. The cafe was completely full that day thanks to the end of the school vacation. Several high schoolers have barged into the small shop, occupying all the tables. They are eating and drinking without any restraints. Halsey recognized many of her classmates but they barely took any notice of her. She doesn’t mind; she prefers the company of books anyway.

Her clear chocolate colored eyes are carefully scanning the temperature. She's gonna turn 18 in a few weeks and works part time at the cafe to make extra bucks.

The cafe is bustling with people that day. Halsey wipes the sweat off her forehead. Her long brown hair is tied into a scruffy bun while her usually pale face is damp with sweat. Her pale skin turns too red whenever she is exasperated.

Just like it is turning beetroot red at the moment, partly due to the heat.

She picks up the tray and goes back to the table again.

“Here are your cups of coffee, sir and madam,” she says and is about to put one of the cups on the table when the woman violently pushes the table. Halsey’s hand slips and the hot coffee splashes on her palm.

“Ah!” Halsey hisses but the man rounds on her.

“Look what you did!” the man shouts at her. Some of the students turn around to see what the commotion is. Unbeknownst to Halsey, a pair of dark eyes are on her, watching her with curiosity.

“Isn’t that the nerd from 12B?” One of the girls sneers.

“Looks like she’s stupid!” Another guy chortles. They are all relishing her humiliation.

“Such a bloody klutz!” A red headed girl scoffs. “Isn’t she, Nate?”

She turns to a dark haired boy next to her. Nate has been observing Halsey randomly. Upon hearing his name, he lazily glances at the red head he has been dating for the past few weeks.

“Let’s go outside,” he says in a moody tone. The redhead smiles in excitement and follows him to the back door.

Meanwhile, Halsey is aware of all the eyes on her and she is trembling.

“I-I…” she stammers.

“Let’s go, dear!” The man tells his date. “This place is a dump!”

The woman also scowls at Halsey and leaves with her boyfriend. Halsey sighs sadly and clears the table.

“Halsey! Go and take out the trash!” Her manager barks at her. “Don’t cater to the customers tonight. You’ll just end up chasing them away with your clumsiness!”

“Yes, Mr. Smith!” She says and hurries off to take care of the trash. Inwardly, Halsey is a little glad that she doesn’t have to deal with customers that night. She is too shy to talk to people and after her parents’ death, the only people she is comfortable around are her godmother Charlotte Wright. Charlotte’s son Lincoln is Halsey’s classmate and best friend.