Starbucks With A Smile

Smile.

Victoria Cross – or Vic for short – was a regular nineteen year old with a regular life and regular friends. Trust her when she says, her life couldn't get more regular than this. Three months ago she signed the contract to sacrifice the next four years of life to a university in order to possess a degree in biotechnology. She still remembered the yellow cab zooming out the street, leaving behind a trail of flying dust. Victoria felt like it wasn't the taxi that was going away, but her last chance to escape this architectural hell hole. 

Her first bitter encounters were still fresh in her mind and she made note to avoid those people at all costs in the future. Her room mate was thankfully a nice person and Victoria couldn't thank the heavens enough for that. So in three months, Victoria had settled in her new room, befriended her room mate without scaring her, and could successfully navigate her way through the corridors without getting lost.

One year into her course, she realized how clueless she was about everything. Her friend circle consisted of two girls.  There was also one guy in her Humanities class from second semester whom she was comfortable with. However, 'till date she did not know his major or his full name. She found that Jinny (her room mate/friend) was a contemporary design major and came from a well off family. Other than the fact that Victoria had to hear her spazz over a new guy every week, Jinny was pretty cool. Victoria stopped keeping track of Jinny's crushes after Boy #4, the fair blonde with pretty eyes. Or was that Boy #2...? Whoever it was, Victoria didn't care. The only reason she'd pretend listening to Jinny's raving  was because she didn't want the only girl she gets along with to think of her as a stuck up snob.

But the day Jinny came back to their room with Helen in tow, Victoria had a feeling something was about to happen, something she wouldn't like. Her dazed expression and big eyes were red lights for Victoria. Great, another crush, and Victoria will have to feign excitement as Jinny went on to describe every minute detail about the new guy whom she couldn't care less about. But it was different this time. Jinny never dragged Helen into their room, she'd always tell her later when they met for lunch. What was so special about this new kid that had Jinny doing the unusual?

"He's a filming major!"

"Wow, isn't that nice," Victoria  dryly commented as she flipped through her molecular biology book. Their teacher just announced a quiz, and although it was two weeks away, Victoria wanted to be prepared.

"That's really cool!" Helen was genuinely excited. Then again, she was always excited. In fact, every political science major Victoria encountered looked like they were high on something.

"And he's so cute! He also has a cousin here! OH MY GOD THIS GUY IS SO PERFECT!" Jinny practically screamed and hugged her feather pillow. Victoria sighed; this was the second guy this month whom Jinny called 'perfect'. If Victoria wasn't mistaken, then since the day she befriended her room mate, Mr. filming major would be...Boy #7.

Yes, #7.

Another hour was spent with Jinny's erratic chatter polluting the air. How does she even find out so much about someone when Victoria didn't even know what her only guy friend's major was?

"He works part time at Starbucks. Sunday to Wednesday, 3 to 7 with a half hour break after 5 at the campus branch." Jinny pulled at her friends' sleeves to make sure they heard this crucial piece of information.

"Do you guys know what that means?" She asked with big round, excited eyes. Victoria blinked and exchanged glances with Helen who looked just as confused at her friend's question.

"You get free coffee...?" Helen tried and failed because Jinny shook her head.

"No! It means we get to see him at his work place! We'll go tomorrow!" She beamed and Victoria's face fell. Helen registered the fact and giggled for God knows what reason since there was obviously nothing to be happy about. Victoria pulled her arm away, surprising her friend.