Iced Lattes & Sobriquet

chapter two

IT TOOK AUTUMN almost half an hour to traverse to the café, as the traffic from the college made crossing streets an adventure, but Autumn was happy to be out and about in the fresh air, and to explore the blocks around her new school. The eclectic streets and shops made her feel at home, as the city she'd been born and raised in had a similar downtown feel. She glanced down at her phone for a split second to check her map, and very nearly missed the café. It was nestled in the corner of a large brick building, with large windows at the front that let in plenty of light. A blue and white sign was tacked above the grey door, and as she opened the door, the delicious smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh ice cream overwhelmed her nose. Small wooden tables were placed strategically around the shop, and picture frames adorned the furthest right wall, hanging above some of the tables where several students sat, hurriedly typing away at computers, all with headphones in. Autumn made her way over to the wooden counter sticking out from the left-hand wall, and passed a small section of the store which held Scout & Co merchandise, like t-shirts and coffee koozies and bags of coffee beans. She stopped in front of the large counter, filled with baked goods and coffee machines, and took a glance at the handwritten chalkboard menu hanging on the wall. She briefly noticed that the right side of the menu held the prices and flavors for their homemade ice cream, and her mouth watered at the thought, but she shook her head quickly, forcing herself to focus on the coffee side. It didn't take long for her to decide, as it was quite warm outside and an iced coffee sounded too good to be true.

"Sorry about 'at!" A young woman in a Scout t-shirt and apron dashed over to the opposite side of the counter, poising to take Autumn's order. "We've been so busy since college started, and I had to step away for jus' a second!" Autumn noticed her unkempt hair and felt sorry for the girl, who looked about her age.

"Oh, it's no problem..." Autumn glanced at the girl's nametag, "Bethany!"

"You're no' from 'round here, are ya?" Bethany asked, cocking her head and placing her small palms on the counter.

"Oh, no! I moved here from Nebraska to attend UVM."

"Nebraska?" Bethany opened her mouth in surprise and crossed her arms in disbelief, "I have ne-er met anyone from Nebraska! No wonder you sound differ'nt."

"Yeah, I don't have a neat accent like you," Autumn chuckled, taking a second glance at the menu. Bethany grinned, and Autumn felt like she'd made her second friend in Vermont thus far. "So, what iced drinks would you recommend for a first-timer?"

"Ooh, my favorite is an iced latte with a shot of hazelnut!" remarked Bethany as she reached for a cold cup.

Autumn tapped her chin with a forefinger, and shrugged.

"I'll try it!"

"One iced hazelnut latte, comin' up!" Bethany exclaimed, picking up the cup and beginning to work on Autumn's drink. "That'll be $3.50." Autumn scrambled around for her wallet in her massive school backpack while Bethany began to work her magic, and by the time she fished out four unruly dollars, the iced latte was already finished. Bethany took the cash and happily made change, and handed Autumn the drink while wishing her a fantastic day. Autumn returned the remark with a smile, and went to find an empty table to begin her homework. She took a small sip of the drink and shivered in anticipation.

This is going to be a better year than I ever thought.