Crowns and Pastries

Chapter Five | Nostalgia is a bitch

{A/N} | So, one thing I'm going to introduce in this chapter is mental health. It won't be a major part of the book but mental health is a real issue and I feel like there aren't enough stories out there that tell this. Well, I'm going to.

So please, if you can't handle somewhat depressing thoughts, that's okay. I'll place a warning before it creeps in. There won't be anything disturbing in this chapter, I just thought you should know. :)

In the meantime, have fun reading!|

~C~

As I walked through town on my way to my favourite cafe, Molly's Beans, I noticed that the people on the streets were very excited. It could be because they knew why the prince was here, news travelled fast in a small town, or it could be because of something different. My gut told me it was the first thing.

With my laptop under my arm, I entered the cafe. It wasn't really big but it was cosy and the workers were locals. I'd become a regular here since I moved back into my parents' house for the holidays a few streets down. The coffee was good and the food was even better. It was a place for me that allowed me to relax and focus on my studies, but also made it possible for me to have contact with people who wouldn't bug me, like my parents. Cups and Cakes did some delivering to this cafe when they needed freshly baked pies that were bigger than the ones they made themselves.

'Morning Corey!' Ashley, the barista, greeted when I entered. 'The usual?'

'Hey Ash, yes please.' I smiled as I walked over to my table in the corner of the shop. It was the only place where I could charge my laptop and see everything that was happening.

I'd known Ashley since we were kids. We went to the same elementary school and then high school. After high school, I moved to college in London while she chose a college closer by home. We had never been extremely close but we were good friends when we saw each other again. I was glad I'd never really lost her like my other friends. When I came out in my last year of high school people hadn't taken it very well. My friends left me, my father distanced himself from me but it only made my decision to leave this place behind even easier.

Don't get me wrong, there were still people in my life who supported me. My mother and sister never left my side. Being away from this small town and broadening my horizons to the big city only showed me the people who did care about me.

'Hey, daydreamer.' Ashley's voice shook me from my thoughts and I raised my head to look at her. She held a tray with drinks in one hand while her other hand was placed on her hip. 'You okay?' She eyed me with a worried expression.

I nodded. 'Yeah, I'm good.' I answered. 'I was just thinking.'

'Well don't think too much. You're supposed to be stress-free since the school year's over.' she smiled as she balanced the tray on her hand while placing my order in front of me. How she did that without dropping everything was unknown to me.

I rolled my eyes. 'Oh shut up.'

'How's Valerie though? I haven't seen her since Christmas break.'

'She's fine. She's back home in Holland until uni starts again. It'll be her last year so she probably won't see her family as much during the days that she doesn't have classes. She's making the most of it.' I answered. I knew that coming to London and getting to study there meant a lot to my best friend but having to leave her family behind was tough on her. I'd helped her through several breakdowns in the last few years when the distance between her and her mother and brothers became too strong.

Ashley made a sympathetic noise. 'Well make sure to bring her back here when she does have time off, alright?'

I chuckled. 'I'm sure she'd love that.'