Summer of Discovery

Chapter 2: Coffee And Cousins

I stretch as I get out of the car. Outside the apartment building stands an older lady with a kind face. I smile at her and wave.

"Good morning Mrs.Winn." I call to her as I approach.

She smiles widely. "Good morning Miss. Hale. I see you're ready to move in?"

"Yes ma'am. I have a lot to do this summer before school starts."

"Good morning Mrs.Winn." My mom says and shakes the womans hand. "How are you today?"

"Oh I'm quite fine, thank you. The apartment is all ready for you. If you need anything don't be afraid to call Mitchell." She reminds me with a pointed stair.

Mitchell is a man in his early thirties and the maintenance man for the apartment building.

I nod enthusiastically, "No need to worry ma'am."

She gives me a curt nod. "Good, well I'm off then, the girls are having brunch." She winks at me before trotting off to her car.

"She seems like a nice woman." My mom muses.

I grin. "Yeah, I lucked out with her."

"Hey! Are you gonna help or stand around gossiping!" My dad yells from the back of the moving trailer attached to the car.

"Coming!" Mom and I yell back.

                            ****

Dad brings up the last box and sighs. My parents and I had gone furniture shopping the weekend  before graduation, the same day I had signed the lease. Mrs.Winn had let us put the furniture in the apartment so thankfully we didn't have to unload any large peices of furniture.

Dad sits down on the couch and leans his head against the exposed brick wall. Mom is carefully unpacking the kitchen supplies she had bought me and putting it away meticulously. I smile sadly at my parents. I don't know what I would do without them for eighteen years I had them to rely on and now I would be on my own.

"We need to take you grocery shopping before we leave." My calls from the kitchen. "Can't have you spending all your money on eating out."

We quickly finish unpacking my decorations and pictures before going to the car and to the grocery  store. Mom and dad help me put away the groceries and then we are at the door saying goodbye.

"Call me when you get home." I demand from my parents.

They nod solemnly. I wrap my arms around both of them.

"Thank you, for everything." I say quietly. "I'll call you as often as I can."

"You better." My mom lectures. "Don't forget to lock your door and don't stay out too late when you're alone."

"Yes ma'am." I reply and pull away from my parents. "Be safe okay?"

"Always am." My dad sniffs. "Love ya Sweet Pea."

"I love you too." I grin and wave goodbye to my parents as they exit the apartment building.

I walk back into my apartment now empty except for me and the furniture. I turn the lock until I hear an audible click. Turning off the lights I head to bed.

                        ****

The next morning I wake up early and check my phone. Nothing.

Good morning. I send to Jesse.

Good morning.  He replies shortly after.

What are your plans for today?

Not sure. Probably go to the coffee shop for a little bit.

The one that you talked about before? With the good student discount?

Yeah, the only one I go to. What about you?

Going to a college tour.

Oh cool. Well talk to you later.

I frown at my phone. He seemed short with me lately. Did I do something to make him mad? I shake off the feeling and get ready for the day. After getting dressed I head down to the kitchen from the loft and make myself toast and a fried egg. As I fork the food into my mouth I pull out my phone and open the group chat with Lissa and Evie.

(C) Going to see Jesse today. He still has no idea.
(L) Yay!
(E) Fill us in later ok??
(C) Duh!

I close the group chat and open the conversation with my guide Alexander.

Good morning Alexander. Will you be available to meet me at The Grind coffee shop around noon?

Absolutely. See you then. Do you want a campus tour today or a tour around town?

Just the town today.

Fantastic. See you at noon then.

Whoever this kid is, he has wonderful customer service skills.

                         ****

At around 11:45 I reach The Grind. I had sent a text to Alexander earlier describing what I was wearing. A white sleeveless button down with light blue polka-dots, high-waisted dark wash jeans and gray booties. I had my hair into a messy side braid to keep it from tangling up later. I push my sunglasses up onto my and enter the coffee shop. I look around slowly but trying to inconspicuous. Golden blond hair catches my eye and I focus on it. The guy turns his head toward the counter and smiles as a girl with tanned skin walk over to him. He stands up and they embrace for a moment before sitting down. Before I can register what is happening I'm walking towards the couple. They hold hands across the table oblivious to the world around them. I reach the table and I'm staring at him. He no longer had his floppy hair and he had grown out facial hair that he kept trimmed neat, but there was no denying it was my Jesse.

"Charlie!" Jesse exclaims. "What are you doing here?" His blue eyes are wild, flicking between me and the girl across from him.

"Hi, I'm Emily. Jesse's girlfriend." The girl says standing and holding her hand out for me to shake.

It's as if the world stood still. In a second I made a decision. I wasn't going to make a scene. Not here, not in front of her. I plant a fake smile on my face and shake the girls hand.

"Nice to meet you Emily, I'm Charlie." I respond. "How long have you been dating Jesse?"

"We started dating about a month after starting school last year."

"Oh wow! How nice" I beam. I don't know how I'm keeping myself together.

"But how do you know Jesse?" Emily asks.

I open my mouth but Jesse interjects. "She's my cousin."

I glance at him. Cousin? You definitely seemed to like kissing your cousin! I swallow my anger and smile at Emily. "Yes. His cousin. Not a very close cousin, but we grew up in the same town so we were pretty close."

"Charlotte!"

I look up to see a guy with dark hair and brown eyes waving at me.