Wonderstruck

Chapter 1

Serena

It’s a slow day here at Boba Republic, a stark contrast to our usual weekend crowd. Normally, this place is packed with activity. Customers either rush in all at once or trickle in sparingly during my shift. The orders span a wide spectrum: from taro milk tea for giggling preteens, to winter melon teas for sophisticated college girls who have found freedom from strict parents, and grad students seeking solace in our famous Thai iced coffee for their caffeine-craving souls. Then there are families who, for some reason, order an ungodly number of Oreo slushies for their toddlers and trick them into thinking they’re Frappuccinos.

I pop a hip against the counter as I take in the calming presence of the sage-green walls. The room comes alive despite the lack of people for the day. I stare out from the kitchen counter, and my surroundings start to unfold before me, revealing the cozy yet modern space. One corner has our shelf with worn out games like Monopoly and Uno; another side has our flat screen TV playing the latest K-Pop groups, then we have our seating space of various tables, chairs and a lounging couch for bigger groups.

This place wasn’t meant to be a boba shop. It used to be a Chinese take-out restaurant, Liu’s Wok and Roll. It had the best orange chicken in town and it was quite successful. At least until Dragon Buffet opened down the street. The end of my shift can’t come any faster and I find myself sighing every five minutes. The floor-to-ceiling glass panels manage to keep my spirits alive, allowing the sunlight to seep through. Companying the glass panels was the double doors to our shop; it was wide enough to get a decent view of the neighborhood.

There are only two college students here. One student nestled into the booth, underneath our statement wall with a Boba Republic sign written in calligraphy, with floral prints bordering its edges. The other student is tucked in the corner table, overlooking a wooden shelf of fake succulent plants and board games to give the place a fun, mismatched decor to separate our aesthetic from flashy and brightly colored chaos competitors around the city. Wait by Maroon 5 is softly playing in the background, letting me drift away from my thoughts to play my guessing game when times are slow. Days like this, I end up watching people and guess what they do for a living.

“I bet the blonde chick is a graduate student at UNC. And the dude wearing the black hat is fresh out of college, working on his resume.” A voice quietly suggests behind me. I feel the presence shift from behind to settling down in the chair next to me.

“How did you know I was doing this?” I ask, my eyes wandering to them. “I was being discreet.”

“Had a feeling, you like to do this a lot.” He shrugs at me. “I still don’t get why you enjoy this. People watching is weird.”

I glance over and share a cheeky smile with Dylan. “It’s a good way to pass time.” I stand up and grab a damp towel to start wiping and cleaning anything, again, to pass the time. My manager likes to run a clean ship here, even on slow days.

I’ve worked at Boba Republic as soon as I was legal enough. Every weekend, I tend to work doubles and fill in when needed. Mainly because I don’t live the typical teenage life and I needed something to take up my free time.

I was homeschooled since I was fourteen years old, so your guess is right: I didn’t have a lot of interactions with people my age growing up. For the past three years, my days were pretty much the same. I watched educational modules for days, turned in assignments early, read my textbooks day in and day out, and even did extra credit when I didn’t need to. It was all a way to pass the time. Boba Republic was literally the only place where I could socialize with people. God knew I needed it.

My life is actually boring now that I’m thinking about it. I only have one friend. I spend my weekends working. I don’t go to parties. On the off chance that I do have fun, I help my aunt with her catering orders. After that’s done, I have movie nights in my backyard with Alli while eating the leftover scraps my aunt saves for us or the boba I bring over after my shift.

“Serena, I think you can leave early today,” Dylan notes as he nudges at me with his elbow. “Don’t forget you have all of July off. It’s your last month of freedom before school. You should be relaxing before then… not asking for more shifts.”

Chuckling at his statement, I continue wiping down our shaker cups till they’re dry. “I’ll leave in a bit, waiting for Alli to let me know when she’s free.” I glance at the door to see if there are any signs of life walking through the door and glance back down at our counter, displaying our newest special.

My family went to Seattle a couple of years ago. We stumbled upon this boba shop after a day of exploring Pike Place Market. I wasn’t sure what to get, but I was craving to try something different and out of my comfort zone. The drink? Thai green tea.

Once I took a sip, it became my new favorite thing. I pushed so hard to convince Dylan to serve the drink. Being that I’m one of the most reliable workers, he gave me the go-ahead to add it to the menu. I designed the posters and stamped them on our forefront store. Here comes the kicker, though! I worked very, very hard on the marketing, posters, cute drawings, but no one ever orders it besides, well, about a handful of people each week. Dylan doesn’t mind at the moment, since he thinks Thai green tea is unique… just like me. His words, not mine.

“Has Alli prepared you at all for life at Skyline High?” Dylan questions as he sorts through our syrup inventory. “I know it’s been a while since I’ve graduated, but I’m worried for you.”

I let out a quiet sigh and throw the dirty towel into the used basket next to the kitchen doorway. “I’ll be fine. I’m honestly excited.” I turn to look at him with my back resting against the counter, crossing my arms. “Spending senior year with my best friend. Going to Friday night games, homecoming, and high school parties. It’s all a part of the list.”

“You and that damn list.” Dylan snorts. “Just live your life. It’s your fucking senior year, like you said. Break free.”

I made a bucket list a few months ago of things I wanted to do during my senior year. It’s simple to the normal teenage eye. For me, it’s something special.

1)Go to a Friday night game

2)Make new friends

3)Join a club or extracurricular activity

4)Go to high school parties

5) Watch the sunrise

Before I could respond, the bells hanging on the door chimed throughout the place. Dylan juts his chin behind me, “This can be your last order of the day. Don’t forget you’re off for the next two weeks. You are not allowed to text me or anyone else for shifts. Don’t fight me on that. I want you to have fun this summer.” He saunters off to the back kitchen, leaving me to attend to the customer.

I turn around with a customer service smile, “Hi, what can I get for ya?” The heat that races through my body catches me off guard. Sure, attractive customers walk in and I turn my head at them, but this guy… is different.

He’s tall, his brunette hair fell in an effortlessly tousled manner. Those eyes were a striking shade of blue, comparable to a clear summer sky. It’s clear that he’s an athlete, and his confidence exuded a specific swagger of someone who knew their way around the field. Football? Soccer? No, maybe baseball.

The song changes from Maroon 5’s Wait to Cupid by FIFTY FIFTY in the background, bringing me back to my senses. How fitting.

The stranger gives me a charming smile, a smile that he knows I was staring. I always thought the romantic movies Alli and I binge-watched every Saturday exaggerated scenes like this. But damn, here I am, living that scene in real life. I could swear he’s moving in slo-mo, too.

The stranger clears his throat, officially knocking me back into reality. “Can I get a large Thai green tea? Less ice, no topping. ”

My eyes double slightly, I was hoping he didn’t notice my surprise. “Uh, sure.” I tap the touch screen register to punch in the order. I pull out a clear cup and stick the freshly printed label on the cup. “It’ll be $6.”

He hands me a crisp $10 bill. I tap the register to trigger the drawer to open and pull out his change. I reach my hand out with it. “Just give me a couple of minutes to make your drink.”

The stranger nods but remains rooted in the same spot, not moving toward any tables or hovering by the usual pickup counter like most customers do. I swiftly begin crafting his order, the routine of concocting his drink is second nature to me: a shaker cup, less ice than the standard, the pour of the premade Thai green tea, a measured addition of half-and-half creamer, then sliding the cup into the mixing machine for the perfect blend. Once the shaker’s done its dance, I prepare a fresh cup, capping off the process by sealing it with our trusty sealer machine.

I walk over to the counter and hand him his drink along with a straw. “Thai green tea for one.” Our hands graze just a bit, and maybe it’s me not knowing how to flirt properly, but I swear a shock of electricity filters through my body.

I’m insane .

He flashes a smile at me, grabbing his drink and stabbing his straw at the top. “Thanks…” Pausing at the end .

Does he want my name ?

“Serena.”

“Serena.” He repeats as if he’s committing that to memory. He takes a sip of his drink and I swear his eyes twinkle in joy. “I have to say, the best Thai green tea in town. It’s so hard to find this drink at other places.”

I offer a friendly smile at his statement. “Thanks, it’s one of my favorites. I practically begged the boss to sell it.”

He sets the drink down on the counter and returns the smile. “I’ll have to come around often.”

What do I say back ?

“Yeah, you will.”

I’m horrible at this .

He holds out his hand again, offering me his hand… to shake? “I’m Tyler.”

Fuck, do I shake his hand? What would the movies do? Think like Devi Vishwakumar or Lara Jean Song Covey .

I accept his handshake. “Hi, Tyler.” Excitement bubbles under my skin at the skin contact .

I stare, yet again, at him. I make even more mental notes about his charming appearance. Chiseled jawline. He’s lean for sure and is that… a tattoo peeking through his sleeve?

“You’re staring.” Tyler chuckles.

“Sorry,” I mumble. “I’m just not used to people complimenting the drink. It’s not popular around here.”

It’s not my fault his striking blue eyes are holding me hostage.

“Their loss, my gain,” Tyler remarks with a playful wink. “Thai green tea is my absolute favorite. Tried it back in California, and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere and if I do, it doesn’t hit the same.” His gaze momentarily dips before meeting mine with a shy smile. He retrieves his drink, taking a step back.

“Thanks again, Serena,” he says, lifting the beverage in a grateful gesture before retreating, his eyes holding a warmth that lingers even after he leaves.

I wave my hand slightly and watch him slowly back up, keeping his eyes on me. That is until he almost trips on nothing. I stifle a laugh, but I fail, “Nice moves.”

I’m flirting, right? Me. Flirting. Yeah, I think so .

Tyler regains his balance swiftly after his near fall, flashing me a deathly smile to signal he’s alright. “See you around, Serena,” he says with a playful wink before turning to exit. Despite the brief moment, his departing grin holds a lingering warmth that seems to echo in the café even after he’s gone.

“Who was that?” Dylan’s voice sneaks behind me, making me jump.

With a hand over my chest, I compose myself after his jumpscare. “Why are you sneaking up on me?”

Dylan stares at me, waiting for my answer with his arms crossed and a towel over his shoulder.

“He was just a customer.” A good-looking customer, but I leave that part out. Hoping that he doesn’t push this any longer, he uncrosses his arms and reverts to his normal mood. “You’re free to go after you clean up the shaker cup, Jared’s almost here.”

I nod at him and begin washing the cups, thinking about my first day of public school after God knows how long.

My thoughts drift off, thinking about what just happened. Tyler’s cute.

Wait, did I just make a fool of myself? He seems nice, but why does it feel like I stumbled over my words? Should I have said something more to keep him around longer? Had I looked at him weird? I probably had. Did I smile too much?

“Bring it down a notch,” I scold myself. It was a random meeting, he was just a customer ordering a drink… one of my favorite drinks, but he seemed friendly .

I consider the possibility that I could have been more flirty. But, being honest, I don’t know how to flirt other than from what Alli has taught me when she used to read Teen Vogue.

I’m overthinking again. It was just a casual interaction, right? He was just a customer. I’ll probably never see him again. Besides, he might not even be my age too. Hitting on older men is not it for me. Though, he did have a nice smile... and a nice tattoo… Wait, what am I thinking ?

I shake my head to get a grip on life. I let my thoughts run around even more about typical teenager things. What am I going to wear for my first day of school? Will my teachers like me? Am I going to join a club?

Fuck, I need to start thinking about colleges and make a commitment somewhere.

I applied months ago to multiple schools for early decision, just because I could and needed something to do one day. There’s no dream school for me if I’m being honest. I kind of applied anywhere, hoping anyone would accept me. My Aunt Lina, who unofficially dotes herself as my guidance counselor during my homeschool days, always reminds me that my academic records are top-tier and I’ll get accepted anywhere. I didn’t really believe her, I mean, I had no other references, so I applied to any school that came to mind, with no thoughts or plans .

Apparently, though, she was right. Over the last few months, I started to receive early acceptance letters. I have a few more schools to hear from, but it’s super overwhelming to know that three schools are offering me a spot already. Meanwhile I barely know which extracurricular activity I’ll be joining at school.

I never gave much thought as to what I wanted to do at college. Aunt Lina suggested marketing, because I have a little bit of experience from Boba Republic. My godmother suggested something relating to math, because I’m decent with numbers. But I’m eighteen years old. I want to live my life before getting shoved into the adult world and fending for myself in higher education.

I basically missed my entire adolescent life because I chose to be homeschooled at fourteen. I dealt with unwanted attention from my classmates who just wanted to make my life a living hell, and it really did a number on me. No matter how I tried to handle it, it just made me feel worse about myself. At fourteen, I should be worrying about going through puberty, not if they’re going to glue my chair and fill my locker with trash.

There’s no more homeschooling now; it’s time for me to venture out before I’m an adult. Although I’m a senior, I can think about college later, right?

What would my dad say?

Go to college, study, and get a good job .

Something he would tell me when I was like, what, ten? At fifteen, something changed his mindset.

“Serena, I want you to live your life. Whether you go to college, travel the world, or anything really, I want you to live. I mean it, like truly live your life.” He had said while holding me from both my shoulders.

I didn’t understand what he meant at the time. Ever since two weeks later, when he passed away because of a drunk driver, his words have been permanently engraved in my mind.

And I vow to live my life with no regrets.