Two Sides of the Same Coin Lams College AU {Mature} {Completed}

Chapter 4

Alex POV - Tuesday, August 18, 2020, 6:30 am

Ugh.

Those guys were insane.

I wanted to smash my alarm clock, but convinced myself not to. After all, I needed it for shit later. I had a pounding headache, and the light from outside wasn't helping. I closed the blinds and turned off my alarm, then noticed a note written on a scrap piece of paper.

I made sure you got back to your room last night. If you've got a hangover, take some pain relievers, drink water, eat carbs, etc. See you around.

-John

Great, I thought. Those assholes saw me drunk. Well, I shouldn't call them assholes yet. After all, I'd only known them for- what? A day? I decided to try some of John's 'hangover cures'. It couldn't hurt, right?

I stumbled out into the living room and found Daniel watching TV. I swear, that's all the little shit ever does. He laughed when he saw me. All right, I was mistaken. All he ever does is watch TV and laugh at me. When does he do important shit, like schoolwork? I flipped him off, then walked over to the cabinet above the microwave and began searching for painkillers. I went ahead and took some aspirin, then went back to my room to get dressed. I settled on comfort over style, pulling on my favorite green hoodie and a pair of loose blue jeans. I brushed my hair, then grabbed my keys, backpack, laptop, and phone before heading out the door.

I walked over to Starbucks again, and found that, even at 7:03 am, there were still nearly a dozen people in line in front of me. When I finally got up to the front, I was met by an all-too-familiar barista.

"Hey, Alexandre."

"Hey, Laf," I said. "You, too?"

"Oui, oui, mon ami. I am almost too tired to speak American."

"English?"

"Yes, that."

"Same here."

He laughed. "I mean, because it was my second language."

"Me too, actually. French was my first."

"Really? Intéressant."

"Yeah. It's the first language taught in-" I stopped. No need to tell him about Nevis. "-the first language I learned."

Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice my slip-up. "Anyway, what can I get you, mon ami?"

"Black coffee with an extra shot and a plain bagel with cream cheese, s'il vous plaît."

A/N: I may or may not have Ham's exact order in front of me rn, but w/ creamer in my coffee instead of an extra shot.

"Is this going to be a usual for you?"

"Oui."

"I'm going to remember that for later."

"All right, you do that."

He told the woman at the coffee machine my order. I paid, then stepped out of line to wait for my order to be filled. I picked up my order, then checked my watch. It was 7:32 am. I've got some time to kill. I sat down at a table outside the Starbucks and pulled out my laptop, not noticing the figure seated at another table nearby until I heard my name.

"Alex!"

There, in a hoodie sporting a turtle and a rainbow - seriously, exactly how many A/N: Oakland shirts does Daveed have? turtle hoodies does this guy have? - was John, waving at me frantically. I grabbed my things, stood up, and walked over to join him. He grinned as I sat down, and said, "I see you followed my advice."