FALLING IN LOVE AT A COFFEE SHOP | D.H [✓]

One

Wednesday 

(Aria's POV)

Everyday was the same. The same dull routine. Wake up. Coffee. Work. Go to bed. Wake up. Coffee. Work. Go to bed. Over and over and over. Day after day. It was getting old, but of course I couldn't do anything to change it. This was my life, boring, but my life. I had given up on trying to make life extraordinary and eventful when I realized how shitty the world actually was. Yeah I know it's a negative outlook on it, but after a while you eventually stop trying.

So here I was. Staring at the ceiling while laying in bed at 7:00 in the morning contemplating whether it was truly worth getting up or not. Part of me was tempted to just shut my eyes, curl up in the warm blankets, and forget the world, even for a day. But the other, more persuasive part of me was hungry. And I didn't deal with hunger very well.

I got out of bed, not bothering to make it since I would just end up ruining it the moment I returned home from work and into the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water was a blessing and once again I was contemplating whether it was worth it to leave the flat. But of course my stomach had to rumble and ruin any hope of staying home once again. It was almost as if it was forcing me to get out of the house. I exited the shower, put my hair into a bun, and got dressed into my black jeans and sweater. Black was usually my go to colour, but I wore actual colours on rare occasions. Soon I was putting on my converse and exiting the flat with nothing but my bag filled with any necessities I needed to face the day. And by necessities I meant my phone, ear buds, and wallet. I currently resided in the city of Manchester. I didn't always live here, in fact I didn't always live in the UK. Originally I was from Canada but certain circumstances led me to move overseas. Far, far, far away from the life I once knew.

The moment I stepped outside I praised my decision to wear the sweater. The autumn wind immediately nipped at any exposed skin, turning it a shade of pink. Thankfully my daily breakfast destination was in walking distance, which in turn saved me money on gas or bus fare and also meant I wouldn't have to spend a lot of time in the cold. Cold was another thing that I didn't get along with.

The walk was uneventful, much like my life in general. I just wanted something new to happen. Something that would make me see that we weren't just stuck doing the same things over and over again, that everyone's time on this planet could be interesting and fulfilling. Unfortunately for me, that event hadn't occurred in my life yet, but everyday I had hope that it would. Maybe today will be that day.

My destination was Takk. My absolute favourite coffee shop in the world. Well, the part of the world I've actually seen. The inner Tumblr girl inside me came out whenever I was there. It gave off an Icelandic vibe with it's arty interior, artisan blends, and not to mention the sandwiches and cakes. Literally to die for. If I knew that the world were to end in a day I would spend it there and probably be okay with the preceding doom heading towards the earth. Soon I arrived and the atmosphere came over me and made me feel like I was home.

"Good morning Aria!" I heard as I entered. The familiar voice could belong to only one person. Grace. She was a barista that worked there and she was one of the few people I actually considered as a friend.

"Good morning Grace." I replied returning a warm smile to her.

"What can I get you on this blustery day, sweetheart?"

Deciding on an item at Takk was like choosing a puppy to adopt. You wanted everything.
"Hmm... I think I'm going to have your vanilla latte with the cheese breakfast sandwich, please."

"With cinnamon on top of course." She said with a wink. "I'll bring it over to you when it's ready."

I thanked her as I paid and sat down in my usual spot. Since it wasn't the busiest place in Manchester, the booth by the window was usually unoccupied. It was my favourite seat because I could see the array of people walking on the busy streets. People watching was one of my hobbies. It was fascinating to me to try and figure out the lives they lived and also free entertainment for a loner like me.

As I was lost in my thoughts Grace came over to give me my food. "A little early to be zoning out, don't you think." She said with a smile.

"Oh come on Grace, you should know me by now! Have I ever let the time of day affect my true talent of zoning out?"

"Apparently not I suppose."

I could always count on Grace to make me smile so early in the morning. She was a ray of sunshine to anyone she met. Something I wasn't skilled in and envied.

"How are you this morning?" She asked as she sat down across from me.

"I'm doing well, same as usual, how about you?"

"I'm doing well too. Dave and I were thinking of going on a trip somewhere which makes me enjoy life a little more than usual."

"That's great, where are you thinking of going?"

"Not sure to be honest... But somewhere that isn't here."

That was another thing I envied about Grace, having someone to share adventures with. Being able to go travel with someone you loved and being able to create memories to share in the future.

"Well I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time wherever you go. You and Dave always find something."

"I can't wait until you find your special person Aria, we could all travel together and make some great memories."

"I'd like that. But of course that requires me actually attracting someone, which we both know is something I don't excel at."

"Oh c'mon Aria, you're beautiful! Any guy that doesn't see that is either blind or just plain stupid."

Like I said before, you could always count on Grace to make you smile. I laughed, "thank you Grace."

"You're welcome darling, now I'll leave you to eat before it gets cold. Have a great day."

"You too."

Once again I was left alone to daydream, but this time about what Grace said. I honestly believed that I would never find a person to love and spend my days with. But I wanted to. If only I wasn't so damn awkward and introverted. It would be so much easier. I've never actually had a relationship. Back in school I was that quiet girl that never spoke unless forced to and kept her head down low to not draw attention to herself. Of course that didn't help with the whole friends situation, I didn't really blame people for not wanting to interact with me. If they tried I usually just smiled and nodded because that's definitely how you make friends. But then again I didn't want to be friends with anyone back in high school, I was better off alone. I promised myself that I would try to make friends when I moved to Manchester but of course that didn't work out like I planned. At least I had Grace, one friend was better than none. I took a sip of my latte and looked out the window, lost in my mind once again, not knowing I was going to meet someone that was going to change my life forever, very, very soon.