The Fear Of Faith [2]

1. Bethan

I wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck to shield from the breeze as I exited Hamilton Hall building and headed across campus after finishing my first seminar in Literary Texts and Critical Methods. My brain was in overload at the amount of information I had just digested and all I could think about was grabbing a coffee with my friends.

It was my first proper day of classes at Columbia and after the previous week of getting to grips with how things worked, getting to know campus, extracurriculars, societies and everything else, the high of it all finally came down and it was time to start focusing on my studies.

As I pushed the monotone sound of Professor Hartman from my mind, I slid through the door of the campus coffee shop and glanced around quickly for them. A smile spread on my face as I spotted them giving me a little wave from the corner.

Penny and Georgie had befriended me on my very first day on campus as I roamed around helplessly during orientation week. They weren't the usual kind of friends I used to hang out with in New York but they were really great people and I loved spending time with them already.

Penny was cute as a button; a redhead full of freckles and a smile as bright as day. She looked the shy type but once you got to know her, she was as fiery as her hair.

Georgie was what he liked to call himself, and I would agree, a "peroxide queen". His hair was as white blonde as he could get it and his attitude was as sassy as my own. He was openly gay and one of the most stylish people I had ever met. He had no shame or care for anyone's opinions and that's what I loved the most about him.

'Is that for me?' I asked with a grin as I sat at the third seat at the round table.

'Of course,' Penny giggled and smiled. 'Coconut Vanilla Latte.'

'You know me so well already,' I chuckled.

'I remember the important details,' Penny said with a serious point of the finger. 'Coffee being way up there in the top three.'

'Oh, for sure,' I agreed with a giggle.

'I don't know why you guys drink that shit,' Georgie said and scowled. 'I could list for you guys right now a shit ton of negative health impacts.'

'We don't want to know,' Penny interrupted. 'What American doesn't like coffee?'

'This one,' he said in his abrupt, camp tone with a raise of his brow and a dramatic point of the finger at himself.

'There are a million things you can do to coffee to suit it to your taste,' I informed him.

'Oh, it's not the taste,' he responded. 'Like hell am I risking fucking up these perfect pearly whites of mine.'

'Drink through a straw,' Penny giggled.

'I'll stick with my lime refresher, thanks,' he replied sarcastically, before moving his pouted lips back to his drink.

'So, how was your seminar?' Penny asked me.

'I'd rather not get into it,' I said with a roll of my eyes. 'It was information overload. I'll have to go back over my notes tonight.'

'I feel the same,' Penny said as she nodded. 'We'll get used to it!'

It had only been two weeks since the move to New York; a week to get the apartment together and a week to get to know the campus and get involved in the activities before classes officially started. I had only known my new friends a week but already we had become quite a cosy trio.