The Kindness Of A Sunflower (h.s)

one

above is what i imagine joes coffee shop to look like :)

4 Years Later
October 3, 2021
Paige

I wake up to sounds of traffic, sun shine, and my alarm. I groan as I go over to slap my phone in attempts of shutting off the horrid noise. I pick up my phone to check for any notification I may have gotten the night before as well as my Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

After a few minuets of scrolling, hearting, snapping, and retweeting I decide to get out of bed and get ready for the day a head of me. Today was the day. I was going to pick up my friends from Penn Station this afternoon and then go to the concert. We have been counting down the days since we bought these tickets. I have had my outfit picked out for weeks.

A few weeks ago, my friends Maya and David wanted to go to a thrift store down the street that someone had been talking about in class and I decided to tag along in the hopes that I would find something to spark some inspiration for my outfit. When we walked in I wandered around before ending finding a pair of brown corduroy pants that fit like a glove. I immediately thought about a white cropped blouse I already had and a pair of white platform sneakers.

I never really wore those shoes because I am extremely self conscious of my height. I am five foot eight and for a girl that's considered to be on the taller end. I was the tallest one out of most of my friends and I know this sounds stupid but I didn't like being taller than my guy friends. I never really wore heels because of it and when I did I usually ended up taking them off or wearing short ones.

I made my bead and then walked over to my closet and grabbed the pants, shirt, and shoes and layed them out on my bed for tonight. I grabbed a pair of loose fitted jeans, an old t-shit, and a brown belt and threw it on.

I sat down at my desk which I also used as vanity and started my makeup. I didn't usually wear much makeup. Just usually some sunscreen, because ginger, some concealer, mascara, eyebrows, and sometimes some blush and bronzer. I never like how the "cake faced" a lot of makeup can look, but I don't actually suck at it. When I get bored or am just feeling a little creative I play around with different looks and stuff like that. I don't think I am brave enough to ever wear one of the color pieces of art out in the world, but it is fun to just mess around with it.

Once I finish my face, I run my fingers through my wavy hair before deciding to just throw it up into a top knot on my head. I grab my phone and check the time. 10:39am. Maddison and Anna's train was coming in at 2:30 so I had some time to kill before they got here. I decided to text Maya and see if she wanted to go get some breakfast with me at Joe's.

paige: hey wanna go get some caffeine with me at joes???

maya: yea sure ill swing by ur dorm in like 5

paige: okie sounds good :)

Maya wasn't a music major like I was, but she was still in the arts. She was just in the visual part of it, not the performing. I tried to get her to do karaoke with me at a club one night and I swear I think she almost had a heart attack. No more karaoke from there on out. She was a painter and a damn good one at that. She one time asked me to model for her for a class project and it turned out amazing. It was a painting of me laying on a piano but it was done in almost every color on the color wheel. It was incredible.

I hear a knock on my door and I grab my keys, wallet, and I threw on a black and grey flannel because it was October and in the city it can be pretty chilly. "Hey," Maya said as I opened the door.

"Ready to go?"

"Yup."

"Dude I'm so jealous! I can't believe you get to go to his concert tonight!!" She squealed.

Another reason Maya and I have become such good friends. She was obsessed with Harry Styles. She and I met freshman year at a party. Both of us just kind of chilling out on the couch not really having much interest in what was going on. Don't get me wrong I love to have a good time, but some nights it's just not the vibe. We both were just sitting there when one of his songs came on and we both started singing along and we immediately started talking and just kinda clicked.

"I'm so excited I can't wait. Don't worry I'll send you tons of videos." I said as we reached the elevator.

"Oh my god yes please. Please send me Falling and Canyon Moon and To Be So Lonely. OH and if he does Medicine pleeeaassee film it and don't sing in the background. Maybe we can get a good audio. OH and if he does something funny. Oh and-" I cut her off.

"Jeez Maya maybe I'll just FaceTime you for the whole thing." We both start laughing.

"Honestly I wouldn't be opposed," she says as we walk out of the elevator and on the busy Manhattan sidewalk.

We walked the two blocks it took to get to Joe's Cafe and walked in. The familiar sound of the bell above the door tinging was something that just brought me a little bit of joy.

There was a Starbuck across the way but for as long as I can remember I have always liked going places that were small and not as popular. I was never trying to be one of those people who are like "I'm not like other girls" but I just feel like places like this just feel more personal. I like going to small boutiques or thrift stores as opposed to chain stores like Hollister or Macy's because it feels like your getting something that only you will ever have. Also I think its super important to support small businesses.

Joe and his wife Maura were both standing behind the counter making coffees for other customers. I had been coming here since the first day of freshman year and this point I'm a regular. They always tease me and say if I come in anymore they might name a drink after me.

I stared bringing Maya and David here a lot after we all met and we all just kinda made it our place after that. We would come here to study or gossip or just hang out. I love so many things about this place but the main reason I love it so much is because it reminds me of the crepe place I used to go to with my girls back home. Both are decorated to with plants hanging and it feels very organic minimalist. Its a very calming place.

Maya and I walk up to Joe and Maura to place our orders. They were a relatively young couple around their 30s and they have a beautiful love story. They are high school sweethearts and they both came to New York when they were 19. Their parents didn't approve of their relationship but Joe never told me why, so when they came here they had to completely start over. One day Joe walked in here to get a job and his boss's name was also Joe which I find extremely funny. Joe says it was fate. Him and his old boss got super close and when he passed away he left Joe everything. His apartment, the shop, and some cash. Joe says the guy never had any children and his wife passed away a few year before and he said Joe was the closest thing he ever had to son. I always love to hear that story because it reminds me that everything happens for a reason and everything will work out.

"Hello ladies," Joe say with a smile. "The regulars for you guys."

"Yup," I say.

"Today it's on the house."

"What? No Joe we are fine with paying."

"Nope. Not today. Because today is concert day."

"Oh god Joe," I chuckle. "Well that's very sweet thank you."

Maya and I go to take our usual seats by the window. We sip on our coffee and chat about school and how David's got a new boy in his sights and anything else we come up with. By around 1 we head back to the dorms.

She goes to the art studio to work on a project and I head up to my room deciding to work on some homework before I have to leave to head up to Penn Station. I get a good amount done but one of my assignments has me completely and utterly stumped.

For my Music Creative Writing class we were told we have to pick a song that means a lot to use and create another part to it making it a duet. I had absolutely no idea what song I was going to pick and I needed to think fast. It was due in about 2 weeks and was our final project before fall break.

I headed down to the subway station with my mind still on the project, swipe my Metro card and hop on the subway car. While on the way to Penn, I think about what song I could pick. I was a perfectionist, and because of that assignments always took me longer. I wanted to pick the perfect song and create the perfect track.

The subway finally reached the train station and I jumped out filled with excitement. I was finally gonna get to see my girls. I go over to wait by track nine which is where their train was scheduled to arrive. I see straight blonde hair and curly brown hair and I squeal. They were here.