All of the Colors of You

Jesper POV: Rush

Shoving my way through the crowd, I kept my eyes locked on my target. I strode faster, my heart racing. I was so close I could taste it already. I rushed past the groups of tourists, breaking into a half run. Peeking over several heads, I realized I was gonna miss it. I bounced off a wall and gripped the roofing tiles, praying they wouldn't give away as I heaved myself up. Inej was better at this than I was. I made a mental note to ask her for tips later. I ran along the roof, gaining height faster than I wanted. Then- oops. My boot got caught on a broken tile and I tripped and landed on my hands and knees. My knees scraped the roof, but got up and kept climbing. 

I heaved myself up one more gap, and at last, I got it. The sunrise was almost over, but it was at it's peak. The sun burst into a hundred shades of pink and orange like a water color painting. I quickly picked up the camera that had been bouncing on my chest, steadied myself, and snapped a dozen pictures, and a dozen more. I checked them on the screen, and then fell on my back, trying to catch my breath and smiling like a madman.

I was still grinning when I hopped from the roof and leaving. I weaved my way through the crowd once more, looking for something to eat. My stomach was growling like a bear, and I was exhausted. I was tempted to get waffles, but if Nina knew I went without her, to her new favorite place, The Orchard, I would be heart rendered into a meat sack in seconds. I caught whiff of a smell like fresh scrambled eggs and bacon. I turned myself to see a café. The sign above the door read "Lavender Haze". The name was a strange one, but the smell enticed me to step inside.

The aesthetic of the place was calm, collected. Jazz music played in the background, and with the chatter of people, it felt very serene. I found myself a table in the back by a window that displayed the harbor, and the boats. I had just barely glanced at the menu when the waiter showed up. 

"Good morning!" A chipper voice said. I looked up to see a boy with red hair in a dark green vest.

"Well, hello there," I tried to say smoothly. I'm at least ninety percent sure it sounded smooth at the least. 

"What can I get you?" 

"Well... I am famished. But I can't seem to decide what I want. Got any recommendations.

...

nailed it.

It seemed to take it by surprise, but he said quickly, "Well my favorite is-

"Perfect. I trust you. You seem to have good taste."

The boy grinned. "Anything else?"

"How about your name?"

He paused. "Wylan."

"Pretty. I'm Jesper."

"Okay, Jesper, I'll be right back." He walked away, a glance over his shoulder. I sat back in my chair, staring at the harbor. It couldn't have been longer than fifteen minutes, when Wylan came back, holding a tray of eggs, bacon, and pancakes. The pancakes were stacked high, maybe ten entire pancakes.

"Here we are," he said, setting the tray down. 

"Why thank you. That's a lot of food." 

"I'm sure you can handle it. It's for only two people. Besides, what happened to being famished?" he drew out.

"Aww... you don't wanna share?" I teased. He did what I expected; 

"I'm still on my shift. Unlike you, some of us have to work to look good." 

"Don't be so sure..." I started. 

"See you around," he said slyly. He turned away and walked back behind the counter. 

I admit, I was disappointed, in myself for not asking him out. That is until I saw my receipt. 

Written in blue pen, was a ten digit number. Wylan's phone number.

Who knows? Maybe it's the start of something new.