'We'

Chapter One

"What would you suggest?"

The man looked quizzically up at the sign above his head. The words on it seemed to merge, and he could hardly make out what each meant. The bustle of noise around him worsened the situation, and the strong smell of gingerbread dulled his senses.

Bright red and brown filled his vision, covering every surface he could see. He blinked again, trying to clear his head of the fuzzy haze that was covering his mind. He looked again at the sign, squinting to read the tiny font.

Why did ordering coffee have to be so complicated?

"I'm not actually a fan of coffee," the man behind the counter answered his question, a smooth smile adorning his face. The artificial light of the lamps above their head caught them, causing the white enamel to shine.

"You work in a coffee shop?" The man questioned, lowering his eyes to the red name tag adorning the man's brown uniform. The colour looked deceptively good on him, but he was sure it must be uncomfortable. In the bold red text, the man discovered the Barista's name.

'Hello! My name is Felix.'

"I don't have to drink the coffee," Felix pointed out, raising his left hand to thread the fingers through his mousy-brown hair, a posture of thought. He angled his body slightly away from the customer, gazing up at the sign. "If you don't mind tea, we serve a delicious apple flavour. It's my favourite."

"Apple tea?"

"It's got a really nice flavour."

The man considered for a moment, staring for a second too long at Felix's face before averting his gaze. He thought he heard the other man laugh, but it was so quiet that it might as well not have happened. He looked up again, nodding his head.

"Can I take your name?"

The man hesitated for a moment, unsure why he had asked this. The confusion showed on his face, and Felix's face curved into a smile once more.
"So I can put it on the cup," he corrected, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"Oh. Erik. Erik with a 'K'."

"K-R-I-C? That's a weird spelling."

Erik could not help the laugh that escaped his lips, and Felix's smile brightened too. He picked up an empty cup expertly, grabbing a pen from the desk before him. He lent over the surface and started writing, and as he did so Erik reached into his pocket for his wallet. He unfastened the clasp before looking up again. Felix had moved away from the counter, mixing liquids at the back of the coffee shop. Erik watched him for a moment, before calling out.

"How much is it?"

Felix called out his answer, and Erik searched the inside of his wallet for the exact change, completing small calculations in his head as he worked. He pulled out the change and pressed it carefully on the counter, before returning his attention to the man working on the other side of the desk.

When he turned back around Felix craned his head over his shoulder first, checking to see if Erik had been watching. Satisfied with what he saw, he swung the rest of his body around and walked with gentle strides over to the customer. He placed the cup down elegantly, and Erik smiled at the rich aroma that spread to his nose. He made a small sound of satisfaction, and Felix clicked his tongue.

"Wait until you actually taste it!"

A joyful smile found itself onto the Barista's face as he scooped the coins into the palm of his hand. He placed them into the metal box beside him before turning his head back to Erik, who had not moved - too intoxicated by the sweet smell of apples and spices gracing his nose.

"If you don't drink it, I will."

Erik jumped back to his senses, clasping his hands around the warm cup. The heat that pressed against his skin was pleasant, and a smile reached his face again.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Felix replied with a chuckle, running his left hand through his hair again. "I hope to serve it to you again."

Erik nodded and turned to find a seat. It took him a few moments to locate an empty table, and he rushed towards it before it could be claimed by anyone else. The chair opposite him remained empty, but Erik was too focused on his drink to pay much attention to this fact.

The tea was, as Felix had promised, delicious. The man said a silent thanks for the Dyslexia that plagued his brain; if he had been able to comprehend all the words he would never have chosen this drink. Sometimes it was a pain, but Erik had learned to love the lucky coincidences it gave him.

He glanced back over to the counter, where Felix was serving another customer. Erik had been surprised by his friendliness, and his willingness to help the indecisive man. It was a small gesture - Felix would not remember him by the end of the day - but it was one that had lightened his mood tenfold. Erik took a sip of the tea.

He finally allowed his mind to wander back to the events of the day. It had been particularly stressful, and a frown quickly found its way back to his face. His recent promotion had been a blessing, but the increased workload was something he had not yet adapted to. Erik thought of the piles of paperwork on his desk - piles of paperwork he would have difficulty reading. He sighed involuntarily and committed himself to focus on the pay rise.

The apple tea was half empty by now. It has cooled to a drinkable temperature, and the man once more found himself relaxed by the sweet aroma blossoming from it. He closed his eyes for a moment, pressing his hands into the corrugated paper that insulated the liquid inside. A sigh escaped his lips.

"This isn't what I ordered!?"

The angry remark broke Erik's trance-like state. His eyes snapped open, and he craned his head to see who was yelling. A tall man was stood where he had been a while before, glaring down at the mousy-haired barista. The height difference did not seem to phase him, and he smiled back innocently.

'Of course, sir. What was your order again?"

Erik blinked, humbled by Felix's patience. He watched as the man remade the drink, feeling a stab of resentment that this stranger had been so confrontational about the situation. He rolled his eyes, looking back down at his drink.

There were only a few measly drops left, and he considered getting another but debated that he would lose his seat by the time he had received his drink. And anyway, he didn't want to seem too enthusiastic about the tea. While it had been good, he was sure Felix would not appreciate the extra work. With a final sigh, Erik rose from his seat, picking up the empty container to place it in the bin.

He strode over to the door, not giving the paper cup a second thought. It was only when he had lifted it to throw it away did Erik catch sight of the neat writing on the side. He almost overlooked it, but something in his mind stopped him from throwing it in the bin. The text seemed much longer than his name should have been.

He lifted the cup back up again, curious. He had to squint his eyes, pushing away the blur of his dyslexia, however, the neat handwriting assisted him immensely. He let out an exhale of breath as he finally registered what was written on the small plastic cup.

The word 'Kric', followed by the 11 digits of a phone number.