In Between | Eren Jaeger

chapter 1 | awkward encounters

My boss, bless her, was a really kind woman.

It'd been a couple of weeks since I moved back to Brooklyn and immediately, I began to search for work. However, this wasn't exactly an easy feat to achieve considering the bustling populace of the area I lived in as well as how the influx of individuals searching for work increased by the minute.

I guess you could say I hit the jackpot when I stumbled across a cosy, amble cafe that was located just around the corner from my university, a hidden gem if I supposed, and that they were hiring for applicants looking to work long hours. Naturally, I applied and with my decent credentials, Melissa had welcomed me with open arms and a wide smile.

If I wasn't cramming in work and catching up on lecture notes, I was here serving customers and kneading dough, Mel allowed me to work on assignments during slow days and even prepared lunch for me as well. She didn't understand the depths of it all, but the sentiment was truly appreciated considering that the move back here wasn't an easy one. Kindness, especially the kindness of strangers, went a long way.

During the time I worked here, I'd become accustomed to the twists and turns this place had to offer. On Monday mornings, the construction workers from a site a couple of streets away would all totter in like a crowd of unruly football players, engage in small talk with Mel before ordering their usual breakfast sandwiches and black coffee (with heaps of sugar!) to kickstart the day. Tuesdays were relatively calm for being so earlier on in the week, the occasional student or corporate worker would walk in and order a to-go-bag for their lunch break or a bagel to snack on. Thursdays, however, were gradually becoming my favourite and I assumed it was because of our regular who I'd slowly developed a... friendship (?) crush on.

Okay, it was difficult to explain but before settling down in Brooklyn, Ant and I travelled around a lot, never staying in one place for too long before we were always on the go. The longest we had stayed in a country was around 6 months, and that was because Greece had a sort of feel to it that made it impossible to part from. Inevitably, that also meant that I was unable to maintain long-term friendships or any sort of friendship at all, instead, I had to resort to longing-stares in hopes the person would magically read my mind and desire to befriend me.

It was pathetic, yeah, but so what?

"You okay, darling?" Mel said, touching my arm. "You zoned out on me for a while. You're not overworking yourself, are you? Because I swear I'll force you to take a break."

"Sorry, Mel." I said sheepishly, blinking a couple of times. I pulled an all-nighter but she didn't need to know that. It was then, I somehow mustered the courage and glanced over at the pretty brunette who was sat by the booth near the window. "Who's she?"

"Oh, that sweet girl? Sasha's one of our regulars." She stared at me curiously, tilting her head to the side. "You like her?"

My eyes widened as my head snapped towards her. "What? No, she just- she seems really nice. That's all."

"Then why don't you go and speak to her?"

I shrugged, keeping my head down as I continued to drizzle syrup over the pancakes. "That's scary."

"Honey..." Mel started off, giving me a sweet smile as she placed a hand on my shoulder. My cheeks warmed, there was something really maternal about that gesture. "Life is scary- heck, the world's a scary place, but what makes it a little less scary is taking the risk and not regretting it after. In fact, it might even be a blessing in disguise. Now, speak to her." She encouraged.

"That's good advice," I bobbed my head, "like really good. But can you tell me that when I'm feeling a little braver? I feel like I'm gonna cry."