the artist and the barista

the project.

jughead sighed as he left the cinema. another exhausting night repetitively cleaning the same rooms. it was boring, exhausting, and with low pay, but it kept him going. it gave him just enough for meals, art supplies and clothes. a home was yet to be confirmed, but that wasn't an issue for jughead. he'd had to fend for himself for a while now. it was almost automatic now, his daily sequence.

it began at one in the morning when he'd finally finish cleaning the cinema. he'd catch a couple hours sleep in the unforgiving discomfort of a cinema chair, wake up at around half four and start the twenty minute walk to the coopers coffee house.

he'd wait outside for a little until the barista- betty- arrived and opened up, when he'd follow her inside a little awkwardly, order a coffee and a bacon sandwich and sit in his corner chair and begin to draw.

He preferred to use watercolours, but he felt a little awkward whipping out brushes and paints in a coffee house, so he usually stuck to charcoal pencils or the usual lead. he usually drew in black and white since he had too many memories of ruining good drawings with the wrong shade.

it was around twenty five past four when jughead arrived that morning, and was surprised to find the coffee house already open. he pushed the door open hesitantly, peering his head round to see if it was actually open or if betty had just forgotten to lock up last night. the smell of bacon filled the coffee shop, mixed with the harsh but comforting smell of a brewing coffee.

"uh, hello?" jughead spoke out cautiously. he wasn't used to changes in his routine. "heya!" betty chirped, her voice practically radiating positivity. "it may have been a little presumptuous but you've come here every morning for about a month now, and you're always here for opening time so i figured i'd get your order ready! coffee, one sugar, milk and a bacon sandwich, yeah?"

jughead blinked, his sleepy brain trying to process what seemed like an immense amount of information from the bubbly blonde. "um, thanks. that's uh, nice of you." jughead responded, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocking on the balls of his feet, a little uncomfortable.

"well, i mean you still have to pay for it so there's not really anything to thank me for! you're a regular customer and as my mother always says: 'reserve the most respect for the regulars!'" Betty grinned at him then turned her attention to the sizzling bacon. jughead hesitated in front of the counter, just a little ways in the door, unsure what to do.

betty glanced over her shoulder to see jughead and chuckled slightly, before quickly covering her mouth. "you can go sit down, don't worry! i'll bring it over for you." betty's attention moved back to the bacon as she flipped it over in the pan.

jughead smiled slightly at the back of her head, and made his way to the corner. his usual seat was a reassuring sight, and he slid into it with an inaudible sigh of comfort as he sunk into the soft leather. there was a reason it was referred to as a coffee house and not a coffee shop- it was too casual for a shop. 

not that this was a bad thing of course- at least not to jughead. given that his home was effectively the cinema, since that was where he slept, this was the closest thing he had to a furnished house. it was only a small building, it had to be to fit into the tiny side street. there were around seven or eight tables, with stunningly intricate engravings on the legs which only a regular could have the time to notice.

the rich, dark colour of the wood complemented the mahogany coloured leather of the armchairs, with that torn and worn aesthetic- jughead had found himself ending up with that kind of look a while back, less because he enjoyed it but more because it was easy.

throw on a pair of black jeans, a tshirt and a denim jacket and he'd be set. jughead stretched and yawned, opening his brown satchel and pulling out his worn sketchbook and charcoal pencils. he was careful not to get any of the charcoal on his fingers- he was well aware that charcoal and bacon do not mix well. he'd learned from experience.