[1] Exposure ➳ The Flash (S1)

|01| Sometimes You Meet Someone And You Just CLICK

First Chapter !!

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Jitters was the last thing Avery Moore needed.

And yet here she was, pressing the rubber soled heels of her white and black Nike hi-tops into the concrete from where she stood outside the coffee shop; Central City Jitters. With her face covered by the hood of her black thin sweatshirt—despite the sun being out there was still a chill in the air—sunglasses shielding the streak of sunlight shimmering through the gaps between the buildings, and alternating between gripping the strap to her bag and rocking back and forth on her heels, she couldn't blame anyone for thinking she looked like some sort of creeper.

Everyone in Central City had to be on edge at this point. Who wouldn't be? What with all the...enhanced people roaming around the city disguised as your average man or woman; who was to know who was normal and who was one second away from causing chaos? Having first arrived in the beautiful city around five months before, a newspaper article or radio report about the strange goings on made her want to turn around and head straight home. But the longer she stayed, the more she just got used to it; much like a lot of things in America—especially portion sizes of food.

Lifting her hands to reach behind her neck, Avery pulled her pig tails forward around the sides of her neck to provide extra protection against the cool air. It was time to move. She grasped the door handle and pulled hard, blinking in surprise, stumbling back just slightly at how easily the giant door swung open, allowing the aroma of coffee and cinnamon buns to crash over her like a wave.

"Far out," she muttered as she caught her balance. She lifted a hand to check that her sunglasses were still secure on her face before letting out a breath of air, stepping into the building.

"Welcome to Jitters," a blonde girl said, hurrying over to Avery the minute the door swung shut behind her. The girl reached her free hand up to brush her hair from her face, her other hand clasped around the handle of a coffee pot. A black apron covered her waist, complimenting her curves. "Are you ok? I saw you stumble."

"Yeah, I'm alright..." Avery replied, with a simple nod of her head. She quickly glanced down at the oval pinned to the blonde's blouse. "Tracey. Cheers." She lifted her hands and pulled down her hood before sliding her sunglasses up into her hair. A frown tugged at the corners of Avery's lips when a dull ache pressed at the tops of her eyes. Just ignore it, Ave, this won't take long. "How ya going? I'm looking for Iris West?"

"She's right over there," Tracey replied with a smile. With a quick flick of her head, she pointed Avery in the right direction. Avery shifted her gaze, lifting her hand to block out the few rays of sun that was pointing at her before gently rubbing at the top of her eyes. Tracey frowned. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Oh, yes, I'm just a bit knackered," Avery replied with a hint of a smile. "Thanks." She adjusted her bag on her back, making her way across the dark linoleum flooring to the African American woman who was clearing a table, humming to herself. "Iris?"

"Yes?" Iris asked, blinking her warm brown eyes in question as her lips parted into a smile. She straightened, drawing herself up to her full height. "Can I help you?"

"Hey." Avery thrust out her hand and gave Iris's hand a shake. "I'm Avery. Avery—"

"Avery Moore, right." Iris's smile widened as she responded with a strong handshake of her own. "Hey. Hi." She closed her eyes for a brief moment before batting the air with her hand. "Sorry. I go on break in a minute, if you could..." She waved her hand in the air. "Find a seat."