Empty Coffee Cups & Unfinished Novels (Camren) ON HOLD

Chapter 1

Her hair was dark, but hell that was a misrepresentation, this girl was far from a shadow. She looked like an angel; something I would've seen in a dream. But I couldn't quite place it. It was when she walked by me and I finally caught a glimpse of her hazelnut eyes that I knew I was a goner.

  Funny how hell looked more like heaven to me when she came into sight. After I watched her exit through the doors of the campus coffee shop, a familiar ache began in my chest. Right, I thought, I forgot my medication this morning. Damn it. I took a sip of the bitter liquid I had purchased and searched my bag for my meds. Once I found them, I popped two of the blue-grey pills into my mouth and swallowed with another taste of my coffee. When I looked up again I realized the girl had left her book behind, so without hesitation I got up and walked over to grab it. It was a copy of Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird, with sticky notes and highlighted quotes throughout it. English Literature 1002, I mused, sounds about right. As I picked up the novel, I made my way back to my seat with it in hand while I hummed an old tune.

Once there, I took my seat once again. And began flipping through the book to see what the girls name might have been. While scanning I couldn't help but notice the quotes that were carefully selected, along with the analysis' of them on neon pink post it notes. I then found the girls name written neatly on the back of the acknowledgements page. "Camila Cabello, New York University", what a fitting name. I thought a I grazed the letters with my index finger. Simply incredible. My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice, my best friend Ally.

"Jauregui! Can I get your help for a few minutes? The coffee machine won't work." She smiled at me and tilted her head to the side, "Whatcha got there?"

"Nothing." I muttered, as I gathered my things.

"Is it hers?" I felt my eyebrow kink at her question. "That girl you keep eyeing every time she's in here?" She almost squealed, her brown eyes lighting up with a sense of hope. I was standing now with my knapsack in one hand, and the petite brunette's copy of the classic novel in the other. Ally then carefully picked up the empty coffee cup I had been drinking out of and then resumed glaring at me, still waiting for an answer to her question.

"What girl?" I smirked, I knew perfectly well who she was mentioning but I loved pulling her leg every once and a while. The small blonde girl and I have been friends since my very first day at NYU, which makes it that much easier to joke around with her about things like this.

"Oh come on Lo," The blonde latina sighed, "You know, that beautiful brunette that's been coming here ever since school got back in for the year. Brown eyes, reading glasses, Latina, takes her coffee black, and has one incredible ass might I add." Shit, had I been staring? "You were practically drooling when you watched her leave." Ally chuckled knowingly.

I hate to see her leave but I love to watch her go. I thought to myself. "Oh, that girl. Yeah, it is," I lifted the book up for emphasis. "Seems she's a student at NYU. She must be a Sophomore."

"Probably, so what do you plan on doing with that?" The shorter women pointed at the novel in my hand.

"Well I've already read it a couple hundred times, so there's no point in keeping it." I shrugged sarcastically. "So I was thinking I'd just bring it behind the counter and you can wait 'til she comes in again to give it to her. I mean the poor girl comes in every day at the exact same time, so she's not exactly unpredictable. Besides, if I know English Lit, which I do, she'll be needing this tonight in order to do an essay or something." I smiled.

I was currently majoring in English, and minoring in Music. Having taken the course before, I knew exactly what was expected from the students at the end of every three chapters. And that was a thousand word essay on the deeper meaning of a few quotes they'd highlighted. Which by the looks of it, the younger student would of had to do that night.