Coffee and Cigarrettes

chapter one

Hey lovelies! So here's a chapter I wrote at like 2am as usual. Enjoy ~~

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chapter one

The sun glares down at me from it's perch in the stunningly blue skies of Stonetown harbor. A seagull reminds me that I'm on the coastline by pecking at some spilled Doritoes on the sidewalk, it's stupid brain fixating on the artificial cheese flavoring of this traditional American food staple.

Typical.

With my suitcase rolling behind me, I drag myself by direction of my creased map, attempting to find the apartment building I've began renting. I've just hopped off the statewide bus that brought me here to Stonetown, and I'm a complete stranger to this city, let alone this side of the country.

I find myself at a little sushi shop with a dock that hangs over the beautiful sparkling water. I tug at the door of the entrance, unsticking it with great difficulty, and then stumbling in.

Japanese flags and traditional artwork hang on the pastel colored walls of this tiny squarish restaurant. It has a counter that is home to several solar-powered waving cat toys, and their menus, which seem appetizing since I haven't eaten in quite some time.

I wander to the front, resting my arms on the counter where you would order your California rolls.

"Hello?" I call out, but no one seems to be here.

I glance down at the counter near the cash register. There are words and music notes scrawled on he backs of receipts everywhere, and little sketches of eyes and a cat. I tilt my head to stare at these scraps of inspiration intently, completely lost in them. I couldn't believe someone would do all these in their spare time at work.

"Can I help you?" A voice startles me from looking at the scraps of paper. I jolt backward and grip my suicase for balance, my eyes wide.

"I- uh- um- well," I straighten myself up, fixing my hair with one hand and pushing my sunglasses up onto the top of my head.

"Are you a tourist?" The voice is coming from a boy. As soon as our eyes meet, I freeze. He has scruffy hair and stretched earlobes with lip piercings and tattoos littering his body. His eyes a dark hazel-green, and his smile is off to one side, like a smirk. He's tall and thin, wearing a white apron and underneath I'm sure I see that he's got black skinnyjeans with blown out knees and a green tee. His name tag says "Chris ♪".

"Ah, I'm, well, I'm sorta a tourist, I mean, I just got here and..." I clear my throat, "Anyway, I'm looking for a way to find my apartment." I spread out the map in front of him and I flip it around so he can see it. He bites his lip and plays with his lip ring before he draws a line with his finger from the sushi shop to my new apartment.

"Here, you just wander up this street, past the bait shop and god knows what, and then turn there and you're right here." He highlights the route with a green Hi-Liter and hands it back to me, "Got it?"

I smile, "I think so. Thanks."

"Hey, anytime. I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," I wave goodbye as I drag my life out of the store and begin to trudge down the road.