Elijah Laurent

“There are a lot of really sad, half man buns out there.” Tripp sighed, proper man buns were fine, but some were just tragic. “Yeah,    down this entire block, then it’s on the left, right next to the tree. You can’t miss it, there are a ton of artsy people always taking pictures of the tree and drawing it.”

“Yeah, my sister used to try to pull my hair into one but it was never long enough.” Elijah admitted with a little laugh, but then nodded. “That should be me soon. Drawing the tree, I mean... I should probably go, thank you for the directions.”

“ oh !! well–it’s REAL good if you’re thinking about trying it. it’s better than iced coffee, in my opinion. but i guess that’s not really accurate for everyone. ” she shrugged once. “ –right ?? i used to think my community college was big, but this place is huge. i’m kinda used to it now, though, so i can definitely show you around. ”

“Oh the library here is perfect, I spend all my time there during the year.” She smiled, some good memories were made in that library. “I’m getting myself a latte so just come with me. I’m Shannon, by the way, what’s your name?” She held out her hand introducing herself.

"Oh, good. It was actually closed to the public when I came to tour here, because I think a midterm was happening inside. I never got to visit it." Elijah admitted. "Oh, alright then. My name is Elijah. It’s a pleasure to meet you." He told her and gave her a smile, obediently reaching out and shaking her hand.

❛ yeah, i get what you’re saying. that’s what trips me out the most though. you would think a cafe and a coffee bar was the SAME thing but apparently phone apps say otherwise, ❜ she shrugged, the idea of it all having been a reoccurring thought during her last two years at crawford. ❛ wait, so you’re from FRANCE? ❜ she asked, his previous comment finally registering in her head.

“I don’t know what the latest hipster trend is but I think the man bun is still very strong here.” He thought about it, but honestly, he didn’t know. “Alright it’s that way,” Tripp pointed down the street “and then it’s right on your left.”

"I don't mind the man bun, as long as there's enough hair that a ponytail would also be possible. Like, when a guy actually has long hair." He hated the trendy one though. "Okay, left on... the first street down there? Near the tree?"

‘ see, there’s actually some sense to that. my aversion to hot drinks was just a result of waking up one morning and deciding i hated them. you’re — french ? ’ she made an educated guess, attempting to assess the accent. ‘ me ? oh, i’m from gothenburg. sweden, i mean. i’ve lived here since i was about eight, though, so i’m kind of used to the weird american way of things. i’m a sophomore, so you’re a freshman. you’ll get used to it quickly, i promise. i’ll teach you the lingo. ’

"Maybe try drinking tea in the morning, without any milk and very little sugar. Especially if it's really warm out. It's miserable for the first fifteen minutes but then you feel refreshed. Yes, I'm French." Elijah admitted. "Oh, I'm half Swedish." At least. He didn't know how much, really. "Freshman and senior are easy because 'fresh' and, obviously, senior. But yeah, I'll learn soon."

lips painted dusty-rose curl into a soft smile when the male approaches, his unnecessary apology shaken off.   ❛ you’re not bothering me, it’s fine. your timings kinda PERFECT, actually.  ❜   the textbooks under her arm are adjusted, low huff let out at the weight. though most of her assignments were complete for the semester, there was still a few things she wished to perfect.     ❛ i was just heading to my favourite spot to cram in some last minute work. come on, walk with me. it’s not too far. ❜   her head nods in the direction before feet begin to move.

Elijah let out a breath of relief when she smiled and told him it was fine. “That would be amazing.” He admitted, starting to follow after her quickly. He was taking a few courses this semester, but none of them had gotten properly started up yet. “Oh, do you want some help with those?” His eyes flicked to the books. They definitely looked heavy. “Why don’t you have a backpack?”

“ i don’t mind at all !! i’m actually in the mood for a cold brew, how that i think about it. and a muffin, maybe, ” her voice trailed off slightly, as if she were mostly talking to herself. “ anyway–it’s okay, you don’t have to get me anything. ” shaking her head, lainey began to head in the right direction, waving a hand for him to follow.

‘ i mean what i say. you’re all good. ’ the redhead cast him a toothy grin, the corner of her eyes crinkling slightly. ‘ i don’t like hot drinks. it’s not much fun back home when it’s below freezing, but at least it’s good for here, right ? ’ beginning to move, she’s careful to walk slower than her usual rushed gait, keeping her gaze resting on the boy. ‘ two years, ish ? feels like longer, but y’know. you’re new, yeah ? ’

“I love hot drinks in the winter, but in the summer it actually regulates your temperature. My mother always insisted my sister and I drink at least a couple cups of tea in the morning so we wouldn’t be too warm once we left the air conditioning.” Elijah explained, before realizing it wasn’t really important. “Sorry, you said something about below freezing... where are you from?” He asked curiously, starting to follow her. “Yeah, I’m a first year - but Americans call us freshmans, right? I’m afraid I’ve had to learn slang mostly from TV and some brits I know.”

“that one where you.. go inside? i swear, i know where it is but i just never thought about it— down the street and you should see it.” sounding far more unreliable than she intends, india gestures vaguely with her hands, sort of pointing in the direction she remembers having gone so many times before, and also just sort of stalling as she tries to formulate some more intelligible pointers. “it’s not a campus bookstore, at least. the regular one.” not that she’s ever bought a book in there, but she’s pretty sure she’d know. “coffe excites, tea stimulates. i guess timezones can be quite the killer though.”

“ sure, there’s a whole bunch nearby. i can take you to one if you like ? ” nellie offered, apparently feeling unusually generous today. “ i know a place that has the best lemon muffins i’ve ever eaten. ”

“Oh no it’s not a bother at all.” Taylor smiled pushing the strap of her camera up on her shoulder, “there’s this small little cafe right down the street, it’s nice and quiet too for those who are still jet lagged.”

“Oh, great, quiet...” Eli said with a little laugh. “I’m in Kappa Epsilon Rho, and it’s mostly quiet, but sometimes very loud. Right when I’m napping.” Ergo, the need for coffee. 

“Honestly, the B and N sucks, even with the student discount.” Shannon shrugged, she didn’t blame the guy for not going there. “I’m not the best at street names, so… I could just show you the way there? I was going to get myself a latte anyway.”

“Oh, that’s not... I just prefer the library.” Elijah admitted. The price wasn’t the probably, definitely not. Of course, spending money uselessly was dumb, but his mom often told him he didn’t need to worry about that. “If you’re getting something anyway. That’s no problem.”

“Oh they are everywhere, in 6 months from now you’ll be able to spot a hipster from miles away.” Tripp laughed lightly, even though he was totally serious. “You won’t be able to miss it, it has street signs and stuff all over the front of it, you know for the city life aesthetic.”

“The locals in Paris all look like that. Without the messy hair, though... or, I guess maybe not all of them, but definitely a lot... I’m rambling, sorry.” Eli stopped himself once he realized, nodding a bit and glancing down the street. “So it’s... where, again? Sorry. Bad memory.”

❛ it’s honestly no bother at all. there’s actually one in the building right there, ❜ she reassured, pointing over to the building in question. ❛ it’s probably N O T gonna show up on your phone because it’s listed as a coffee bar and not a cafe. although i still don’t know why they do that.❜ 

“Coconut oil? Really? I’ve always hear about how good coconut oil is for like your hair and skin, and even then I never heard about it being good for sun burns, but I do have some around so I’ll give it a try. Also, the green stuff, aloe gel.”

“I’m part Swedish, so I burn very easily. Spain wasn’t the best place to go in the summer.” Elijah tried to explain. “So we discovered a few different trips. My mother likes to go every year... and yes! Aloe gel. That’s what it’s called.”