Tingles and Things

Coffee Collision

Tine wouldn't say he identified as an ugly person, per se. Logically he knew his features were placed strategically. He could be mistaken as a model when the light hit just so, and the angle was just right. Well, at least after 45 tries. Maybe it was a little obsessive, standing in front of a mirror trying to hit the perfect angle, but he had a new reputation to uphold. He finally started gaining followers on IG. Just in time to begin his fresh start at college. Turns out thirst traps worked with strangers. Strangers who didn't know him as the insecure kid from his hometown. The lonely boy who was so scared of bothering people with his problems for fear they'll get mad or disappointed in him. Not obviously angry -- just subtle. A clinch of a jaw, brisk tisk of the tongue, a heavy sigh, or a slight eye roll before they can turn their heads fast enough. He's gotten used to reading into these behavior clues from his parents.

His parents love him, he knows -- sure of it. But they didn't have time to coddle him and his insecurities. Instead, they had business trips and social advancement events to worry about. Not to mention the nightly screaming matches, which shook the house so loudly that neighbors avoided eye contact the next day. Plus, they knew Type could watch Tine, or well he did before he left to start his college journey, leaving Tine to navigate the lonely emotions alone.

Anyway, he shook the dark thoughts from his mind. Now was not the time to think about the past. He was being dramatic once again. Dramatic Tine. The overperformer. He chuckled, deleting the other 44 attempts at his good morning selfie. He wanted to make sure he posted in time for everyone to start lazily opening their IG apps as they held on just a little longer to sleep to scroll and see what happened the day before.

The likes were better at this time of day, but waking up at 4:30 to exercise, shower, prep, and take pictures isn't the ideal way to start his day. Especially with an 8:30 morning class. Ugh. Never again would he wait until the last minute to select classes. But it's only 7:50, so if he leaves now, he can still grab a coffee for breakfast. He'll try to get a good, healthy dinner tonight. He was getting his photos taken for a cheer promo this afternoon, and he didn't want to be bloated. He's been looking a lot heavier lately. He made a reminder to himself to tack on one extra mile in his next run.

The campus was still quiet during this time in the morning. Since most sane students opted to start their classes later. Outside of the pressure of attending an actual morning class, he liked it at this time of day. Less pressure and less accidental eye contact with strangers to put him at unease. Tine is what you would call an internal extrovert. If that was even a thing. He loved being around people; they gave him energy. Re-charged him. However, it still made him uncomfortable having the spotlight on him. He preferred to get lost in a crowd and have people search for him, like the Where's Waldo puzzles.

He headed into the coffee shop on campus. It wasn't a chain brand, but they had the best coffee in town, and Tine was willing to debate anyone on this topic. He'll win, hands down. Surprisingly, only one other person was in line this early in the morning. Awkwardly, he took out his phone to see if anyone liked his new post to pass the time as he waited for his turn. Only 45 likes so far. Not bad, but if he can hit 200 by noon, he'll be happy. Later today, he'll post an IG Story, since they always get more views with less pressure. He was so engrossed in his phone that he didn't realize there was another presence behind him in line. The guy cleared his throat, and Tine was finally pulled out of his conceited but slightly insecure thoughts to spare him a glance.

There is a saying thrown around so frivolously that it has lost most of its meaning. To say one was ' unprepared for what was ahead' is an understatement. In Tine's case, the literal definition of the meaning hit him in full force. And he reluctantly has to admit that the sappy romance novels apparently weren't exaggerating the feeling. That tingling feeling often referenced hit him out of nowhere. It wasn't as electric as they described in stories, but more so a muted, numb feeling that left his entire nervous system vibrating at a low frequency. Similar to touching one of those trick electric buzzers clowns and wannabe comedians use as slapstick comedy. Or when your phone vibrates somewhere near you from a call, you can still feel the low, steady buzz.