Remember Normandy

Chapter 1- Miss Degarmo - part 1

11:00 am

The coffee shop's double glass door was swung open. "What do you mean we have to change it?" Drienne yelled into her cellphone, much louder than what she had expected.

The customers near the entrance fell silent in unison, their attention flickering towards the woman that had entered. Drienne's medium fair complexion fell into a washed-out white in an instant. A painful awareness washed over her as she took in all the awkward stares directed to her, all while trying her best to hide behind a curtain of long brown hair. "What do you mean we have to change it?" she whispered this time as she continued her entrance.

"I know we agreed on Fisher's idea, and it's a great idea," a female voice sounded from the other end as Drienne fell deeper into the shop, the onlooker's attention not on her anymore. "But I think this will really up our game for this project, I know it."

With everyone having returned to their own business, Drienne draped her hair back and was gifted a sigh of relief as she stepped into the waiting line. "Isn't that the same thing we said with Fisher's?"

"Yes, but Fisher's theory alone won't be enough for this. But if we combine it-"

Drienne pinched the bridge of her nose at the sound of this, "Oh God now you wanna combine it."

"Just listen!"

Drienne exhaled as the woman on the phone began her ramble, a small smile not failing to appear on the corner of her lips. The beginning of her last year of university so far had been anything but also everything of what she had expected. One month in and already one of her project partners was suggesting they make a last-minute change to their capstone pitch. It was true it had only been three weeks since the assignment had been given, and that most groups were still in the beginning stages of their projects, but Drienne couldn't help but feel how this sudden change would surely rob them of those three precious weeks they had as a head start.

"You're overreacting," the woman said as Drienne picked up on the conversation again.

"Tina, I'm not overacting. We-we just have to think about how it'd be quite a few weeks we'd be losing out on."

"We're not losing them completely," Tina drew out the last word, "like I said we'd just combine it with what we have already, fill in a few nooks and crannies, and boom, a work worthy of one of Mr. Woodford's red penned A's."

Drienne chuckled as she fondled with the belt railing at her side, "I guess that would be nice I must say."

"Then you agree!?"

Already feeling the excitement brewing in her partner's voice, Drienne halted. She took a deep breath, the coffee laden air invading her senses as she began to survey the area, her partner's proposition dancing in her subconscious.

The coffee shop her family had decided on today was a lot smaller than the ones they were used to when they visited the city. No wonder they agreed on sending only one person inside. It housed around five to ten small round tables, with the rest of the space being occupied by other coffee displays and chair-less counters. A little too cozy for that matter her uncle would have said. Beyond the customer line, two young males worked behind the counter taking orders. A stressful excitement filled their faces as new customers walked in.

Having pondered on the idea long enough, Drienne let out a deep exhale and answered, "Ah screw it, fine, let's do it."

A small cheer came through, "You're not gonna regret this. We're gonna be fine, trust me."

"Okay, but you're telling Mark though."

An audible grunt now followed, "Fair enough."

"I gotta go now, we'll go over everything later then."