cozy cup

II

(chapter 2)

Owen was exhausted. His body felt heavy, his eyes gritty with lack of sleep. He was glad he stopped to get a coffee on the way to campus instead of when he was already on campus. That gave him a little more time than usual to try to wake up before his morning class started. He would need it extra today. He also had work that afternoon and a meeting with his advisor to discuss what next semester might look like for him.

He felt even more tired thinking about it. In order to graduate on time, he had to ask special permission to take a fifth course. Luckily, permission had been granted, but he was dreading the work load already. He would have to cut back at work, too. His father would not be happy about that. His parents were well-off enough, but after he had gotten his first job, they refused to support him financially unless he was helping out at his father's law firm.

His eyes rolled as he settled into his regular seat for class, middle row, all the way to the left to sit against the wall where the door was. Not many other people sat on the same side as him, but he preferred it that way. Everyone took notes on their laptops and he always got far too distracted when anyone sat in front of him and used one. Luckily, there was an empty seat both in front of and behind him, so he can give the class a shot at focusing on it.

All of the things he needed for the next 45 minutes were spread out on the small desktop: crisp notebook, black ink pen, print-outs needed for that day's discussion. People were still filtering in and finding their seats. Some were still coming in after the professor had arrived, throwing his books and materials down on the table at the front of the room, flustered after having rushed all the way from his office on the fourth floor.

The class went by quickly, as did his second class of the day, and soon it was lunch time. He debated whether to go back to the apartment for his break between class and work or going somewhere else. If he went back home, he knew his roommates would be gone and he would have to prepare something and eat in silence, alone. But if he went somewhere he would be surrounded by people and able to forget how lonely he was.

Flinging himself into his car, he scrubbed his hands over his face, pushing his hair back roughly as he sighed. He didn't know why he was suddenly feeling such a way, but he blamed it on the psychology classes he had to take as per his minor. Owen shook his head and started up his car, turning the radio up to drown it all out.

He drove off campus, just driving around until he found somewhere that piqued his interest. Apparently, the only place to do that was the small coffee shop he had gone into earlier that morning. He wasn't even sure they served any lunch foods, but he knew they at least had smoothies and baked goods.

Parking out front and walking into the shop, he was relieved to see a new menu up that displayed the names of different sandwiches, cold and warm ones alike. His eyes fell to the grilled ones, feeling the need for something warm. Comforting.

"Afternoon," someone chirped. He blinked, looking away from the menu to see who had talked. It was one of the people who had completed his order that morning, the girl with the curly hair. They bounced as she greeted him, her tan cheeks pinkening as she grinned at him. "What can I get for you?"

Owen glanced over the menu quickly before settling on one. "I'll take the turkey and swiss panini," he said, grabbing his wallet from his back pocket and taking out his debit card.

"You alright with everything on it? It has mushrooms and kale mixed in." Her finger hovered over the screen, eyebrow raised.

"Even better," he said, smiling. He was always finding ways to be healthier, and he enjoyed all kinds of vegetables.