Every...
What she would usually do upon arriving at the university was go straight to the library. It was her safe place, a refuge where the hustle and bustle of the campus faded away. She lost herself among shelves full of books, devouring pages that transported her to other worlds and allowed her to forget, even if only for a few hours, the responsibilities and confusion of her youth. That corner among old books and the sound of pages turning was her escape, her little haven of tranquility.
However, today something had pulled her out of her routine. Her "Medieval History" class had been moved up, and she couldn't afford to miss it. The classroom awaited her, filled with familiar faces, classmates who, like her, were trying to find their place in the world. The hours of class passed with the same calm and speed as always, but when it ended, for some reason, she felt the need to do something different, to take a breath before continuing her day.
She decided to go to the café. It was across from the university campus, so it didn't take long to get there. It was a place she only occasionally visited, but it always felt cozy. It was usually filled with conversations, laughter, and tranquility. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped her as she entered. She ordered one to go but felt the urge to stay, as if she wanted to enjoy the moment instead of rushing off like she always did. She sat at a table by the window, where timid rays of sunlight fell, and pulled out her book to continue reading.
As she continued reading and making notes, something—or rather, someone—caught her attention.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" asked the girl with a smile.
Jane looked up. It was a young woman with brown hair and large, expressive eyes. "No, of course not," she replied, moving her things aside to make room for her.
"I'm Madison," said the girl, extending her hand. "And you are...?"
"Jane," she replied, shaking her hand, then trying to casually ignore the presence of the young woman across from her. But it was impossible not to glance at this intriguing woman, so full of joy and enthusiasm.
At that short response, a slight smile appeared on Madison's face, and she sat beside Jane, who remained silent.
The atmosphere was thick, filled with distant murmurs from some trivial conversation and the creaking of chairs moving. Madison glanced around, searching for the right words, while her mind looked for an excuse to start a conversation that, unbeknownst to her, would change the course of their days.
"Do you come here often?" she finally blurted, trying to sound casual, though her tone betrayed a hint of nervousness.
Jane raised her gaze from her notebook slowly, arching an eyebrow. "Is that your grand entrance?" she replied, her tone dry but with a spark of sarcasm in her eyes. "I'm not sure if you expected me to say something dramatic or revealing."
Madison laughed, though it was more a reaction to the awkwardness of the moment than to the comment itself. "Well, I'm not very good at starting conversations. But I guess it wasn't that terrible... was it?"
Jane glanced back at her book, a half-smile barely lifting one corner of her lips. "Depends on what you consider terrible. You could have asked about the weather; that would've been worse."
Madison let out a light laugh, surprised by the response. "Point for you. I should have guessed. And... if I ask about the book? Would that improve your first impression of me?"
Jane sighed, closing her notebook calmly. "It's about the First World War. Are you interested, or is it just another excuse to keep talking?"
The girl with brown hair smiled, relaxing a little more. "Both, maybe. I guess I'm interested enough to keep bothering you."
