Where We Lay (newtmas au)

Chapter 2

[chapter two] ; all I wanna do is be near
*

Newt isn't that fond of mornings. Hell, who is? But, unfortunately, he needs to work because he doesn't really want to become homeless. The cafe down the street from his new apartment hired him shortly after he moved. He had moved from England to America several months ago due to being accepted by his dream college, The Glade University. It was even close by to Harvard, which made Newt nervous about being so close to such prestigious school.

He had taken a gap year before applying for college to help his father with his shop. Luckily, he had convinced his cousins to help him, seeing as they didn't actually have big plans with their life at the moment. But Newt plans to go far in life. He's in his first year of culinary school and he's loving it. Sure, it's hard and he spends most of his nights studying his ass off and binge drinking coffee but that only means he's getting closer to his goals.

Newt chugs the rest of his milk, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He heads to his room to put on decent clothing, only wearing some worn out sweats, when he sees his roommate passed out on the couch.

He's only had a roommate for a month but he's barely ever talked to the guy. Minho, his roommate, always has friends over. Mainly, from the voices he's heard, it's always the same girl and boy. Occasionally there are different voices, but those two Newt hears the most. He doesn't want to bother Minho, seeing as he barely knows him and doesn't want to get on his bad side because he can't afford an apartment with what he makes from the cafe.

He walks over to where Minho is laying, pulling the blanket over him further to make sure he isn't cold. Newt continues his way to his room.

Pulling on a plain black t-shirt, his leather jacket, and a pair of jeans, he tucks his wallet and phone into his back pocket and heads out of the apartment. After going down the stairs due to the fact that the apartment building was one without an elevator, which sucked quite occasionally, Newt fishes his keys out of his jacket pocket and climbs on his motorcycle.

As a going away to college present, his grandparents bought him a motorcycle. Newt felt sort of bad because one of his old friends only received a couple dvds as a present. But, then again, the boy had always been a giant brat.
Newt supposes only good things happen to good people. He can only hope something great'll happen soon.

Only he didn't think it would happen sooner than expected.

*

If Newt was tired when he entered the cafe, he would've been slapped awake by the strong smell of coffee. Seriously, what the hell. The cafe is the most busy in the mornings and late nights, so Newt has to squeeze between an old lady and a little kid and its very awkward for all three of them.

He almost bumps into his coworker while opening the door to the back. "Newt! Thank the lord for your British ass, " Brenda, his friend and coworker, exclaims," Hurry up and get to the cash register, I need to take yesterday's trash out." She shoves Newt his apron and disappears behind a second door.

He attempts to process what just happened before remembering, oh wait, I have a job.

He smiles at a few of his other coworkers and quickly taking off his jacket and replacing it with his apron, taking his place behind the register. He smiles as real as he can to the customer in front of him, just hoping the day passes by fast.

*

Almost three in the afternoon and Newt is still at work. He was promised by his boss that he would be out of the cafe by two thirty but Brenda's little sister ended up projectile vomiting at school so Newt offered to take her shift for her. Worst decision he's made all week. As soon as Brenda had left, a sum of teenage girls and frat boys from the university nearest decided to rampage the shop.

But, Newt supposes, it's better than feeling guilty about making Brenda stay at work.

He owes her one anyways for the time he had rushed home back to England after founding out about his mothers illness.

A couple years back, Newt's mother fell sick with a very deadly virus that had spread throughout his hometown. She had caught it and everybody thought she was going to live, seeing as that was what the doctor had told them. But Newt had looked into his fathers sad eyes and noticed that they weren't a cheery blue anymore. They were more grey than blue. And that was when he knew his mother was fading away.

When your soulmate dies or is in process of dying, your eyes turn to grey; to represent how incomplete you will feel without them.

Newt hadn't told anyone, not even the doctors. As soon as reality hit him, he locked himself in his room for days, maybe weeks. He only came out to arrive at her funeral.

The following year was hell. His father had attempted suicide two months after her death because he felt so lifeless. He's better now but Newt still worries.

He looks up from the cashier when the door bell rings, signaling new customers. He frowns when sees his roommate, Minho and his girlfriend. He's never seen them here before. There's someone else with them but Newt can't see them behind Minho. He smiles at Minho when he reaches the counter. They say their greetings and Newt takes their orders. The person that was behind them orders next and its the boy that he always hears with Minho in the living room. Newt doesn't look up from the cash register, mainly too lazy, and completes their order.

And, yet, him and the world are completely unaware that he just bypassed his soulmate.

*

When Newt finally falls asleep that night, unfamiliar brown eyes haunt his dreams.