Up in the Stars

Encounters

The morning of the first day of school.

One of all of our least favorite mornings of the year, I'm sure.

Let me know what grade or year (if you're still in school) you're in!

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She woke up at seven the next morning.

She grumbled under her breath as she took a few minutes to stretch before jumping in the shower.

Enid had always preferred the night.  She had gotten that from her father.

Teeth and hair brushed, she stood in front of the closet and tried to decide which outfit screamed "good first impression."

It was the first day of classes and she had two she had to attend.

After trying on nearly half her clothes, she settled on a white sweater and her favorite pair of light denim jeans.  She laced up her boots and grabbed her coat and gave her reflection in the mirror a two finger salute.

She was ready.

The crisp Massachusetts air rushed to attack any exposed skin as she made her way across campus.

Her hands sought refuge in her coat pockets and her right hand brushed against something.

Taking her hand out of the pocket, she found it was a piece of paper.

Unfolding it carefully, she discovered it was a note from Fiona.

"Good luck, my sweet. Not that you need it. You are strong and brave and all that is good. All my love.
Xo. Fiona"

She smiled softly and tried not to let herself get too emotional.

She folded it carefully back up and placed it safely back in her pocket.  She would tape it up on the wall once she returned to her dorm room.

She look around constantly as she walked, trying to soak in as much as she could.

With the help of her new best friend – the campus map – she found her way to the coffee shop near her dorm building.

She glanced around the space as she waited in line, intrigued as she had never been around so many people her own age.

She hadn't ever spent much time around her peers, often opting to spend time with her father and his friends instead.

He had always said she had an old soul.

Once she reached the front, she ordered a steamed milk with pumps of vanilla and caramel and a chocolate croissant.

Not exactly the healthiest breakfast, but she allowed herself a small celebration for this exciting day.

She found an empty table towards the back corner of the room and sat down with a sigh.

She had only just taken the first sip of her drink when a shadow fell over her.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?  There aren't any free tables."  The boy asked her, gesturing to the empty seat before her.

He was the classic example of an 'all American boy' or at least what Enid figured that was.

He had shaggy brown hair and smiling brown eyes.

"Of course."  She responded with an awkward smile before returning to her breakfast.

'Please don't have him be a chatter' she pleaded mentally.

"So, is that an accent I hear?" He asked as he sipped at his frappe.

Damn it.

"Isn't it a little cold out to be drinking a glorified milkshake?" She responded with a raised brow.

"Touché," he grinned at her, "I'm Jake.  So are you fresh meat?"

She nearly shot her drink out of her nose.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked incredulously, ready to leave this horrendous experience.

No wonder she didn't like people very often.

"Oh gosh, sorry, that's what we call Freshman around here.  I didn't mean anything by it."  He responded quickly, waving his hands around as though to clear the miscommunication from the air.

Bloody Americans.

She simply nodded and proceeded to shove nearly the entire croissant into her mouth.

Anything to get out of there.

"I need to get to class," she said once she managed to swallow the massive amount of pastry.

He jumped up as she stood, grabbing her coat and helping her into it.

Well, at least he had some manners.

"You didn't tell me your name."  He said, suddenly far more intense.

She figured the easiest plan of escape would be to simply tell him.

"Enid. My name is Enid."  She sighed, raking her fingers through her wavy hair.

"Well, I look forward to seeing you around, Enid."  He smiled at her.

"Mhm," she grumbled as she pushed past him and made her way back out into the cold morning.

She wasn't a morning person and she wasn't much of a people person, either.

In the past year she had nearly stopped being a person at all.

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Ah, dear Enid.

Being so melancholy and relatable.

Comments fill my heart with joy!

All my love, Sappho ⊹