DELICATE | 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧.

1.

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the air was cold as i walked through the door of the downtown coffee shop. the comforting smell of peppermint, and hot chocolate greeted me. i love winter. it has to be my favorite season of all time.

i know what you're thinking, mira, you live in the outer banks for christ sakes. shouldn't your favorite season be summer? well, hear me out. every single season is great in their own way, but the feeling of winter is warm. not literally. but you understand what i mean.

it's not warm in the way that fall is warm, but it's warm in the way where you feel okay. for me, winter is the point of the year where anything could happen, but i would feel relaxed.

during winter, you can see the true beauty of the world. the beauty beneath all the colorful leaves, sunny days, lush grass, and flowing waters. in the winter time, mother nature covers everything with a chilly ivory, snow. and when you're too cold, you go inside, throw a couple logs into the fireplace, and get cozy.

this is, at least, my perception of true worldly beauty.

ever since this morning something has changed. the snow was starting to melt, but i knew there was going to be another snowstorm next week. the sun shone a little brighter than usual. something about this energy made me feel delighted. i could tell that this winter was going to be one to remember.

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i grab the hot chocolate i ordered and sit down at a table near the window. i open up a book i brought with me, east of eden. it's a new year, and i need to get all my reading done before school ends.

i've applied for a respectable amount of universities, a majority are not far from home because my parents didn't want to 'be away from their little girl'. but some are states away.

if i get accepted into those schools, i'm gone. goodbye outer banks, you won't be hearing from me any time soon. unless there was something to bring me back here..

the bell on the door rings, a group of 3 boys come into the coffee shop. i look up from my book and watch them interact with the cashier. what they're saying is inaudible, but i can tell that they're not ordering coffee.

the cashier leads two of the boys to the back of the shop, while one is told to wait at the front. the boy looks nervous, his arms are shaking, and there's a concerned look on his face.

he comes down and sits at the table next to me. the shop is empty, besides us, and an adult man on a laptop. i continue reading my book while glancing at the boy every 10-20 seconds.

every time i look up at him, he seems more anxious. i think about asking him if he's alright, but i'm nervous as well. he has a familiar face, but i can't quite piece together where i known him from.

finally, the courage comes to me, "are you alright?," i ask him. he looks up at me, his face is becoming paler. "yes, i'm okay," he says, while bouncing his leg.

"are you sure?" i continue, looking around to see what i can do to help the situation. like instinct, i grab the unsipped hot cocoa next to me and hand it to the boy. it cooled off quite a bit but the cup is still warm. "you can have this, i haven't drank it yet, it's hot cocoa," a smile forms on my face as if i have done a good deed.

he takes the cocoa without saying anything, sips it, and then says "thank you." i smile at him, then continue reading my book. i can feel his eyes wandering over me, at this point i'm regretting the decision of opening my mouth.

most of the time, i'm a focused reader, but i couldn't even finish the sentence i was on. i just continued glancing to my side, keeping an eye on the boy. i was examining his every move through the corner of my eye.

i didn't want to ask any questions, just because of how weird it was. there was an unspoken tension between us. we were both patiently waiting for the two boys to come back.

three people re-emerge from the back of the store after a few more minutes of complete silence. they were all beaming with delight. i watched the boy who was previously quivering with anxiety, calmly get up and greet his friends.

the cashier goes back to his previous position, prior to the arrival of all the boys. i notice one of the guys reassuringly speaking to the boy who was next to me, hand on the shoulder type shit. although it was none my business, i couldn't help wonder what they were discussing, and why he was so deeply concerned.

i notice the half-filed cup of hot cocoa on the table next to me as they're about to leave. the two boys have already walked halfway through the door, and he is flowing closely behind.

he casts a short glance at me, and our gazes lock. "your cocoa," i exclaim loudly, gesturing to the nearby cup. in a moment of realization, he slightly opens his mouth and grabs the cup. "thank you," he says quietly. i give him a comforting grin as he walks away. he returns it and heads out the door, catching up to his friends.

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