I'm Sure You've Heard It All Before

panic attacks in a coffee shop

I appreciate Saturday's.

It's nice and sunny when I wake up and the sun is coming through the window so I feel all warm when it hits me.

Aleeah is sleeping in my bed and is snoring so damn loud, which is the reason why I make her stay in the guest room usually but we passed out last night talking about...I think music? I honestly do not remember.

But her snoring actually didn't bother me last night because I felt giddy. So, so giddy.

Jane and Franco left immediately after three Black Mirror episodes since it was like 1 in the morning. And before he left, he hugged me. But it wasn't like intimate, really, more like a "later, bro" one. He did rub my back slightly during said hug and he smelled so good, like fresh laundry with a hint of citrus. Jane was standing there at the door who looked at me with raised eyebrows and a knowing smile on her face.

As soon as he left, Aleeah was already upstairs on my bed using her phone.

"I'm sleeping over, Rob. Too lazy to trudge back home."

"'Kay," I said. And I climbed into my bed and tried to drown in a sea of blankets.

When I woke up the next morning, I went on my phone and started scrolling through Instagram. This is always part of my morning routine

Aleeah finally wakes up and she stretches and yawns.

"What time is it?" She asks, grudgingly.

"11," I replied.

She was still dressed in her clothes from the night before and she gets up and starts putting on her shoes.

"I've gotta go. My parents have a brunch to go to in like an hour and I just want to inhale an entire plate of french toast." She throws her navy blue peacoat on.

After Aleeah leaves, I get up to go pee.

Then I take a shower because I kind of want to go out. And I like hanging out by myself even if I sound like a grade-A loser saying that.

I go to my closet and pick out black jeans and a white button-up, then I throw a black sweater over it. The weather notification I got on my phone told me it's pretty warm outside.

So yeah, I'll be dying of heat but I look pretty good.

I'm slipping on my black and white converse when I spot the cologne on my dresser that Aleeah sprayed on me last night. Usually, strong fragrances give me headaches but I felt fine last night so I grab the bottle and spritz myself.

Also, this has nothing to do with the fact that Franco told me I smelled good. Turns out Aleeah knows what she's doing.

My parents aren't in their bedroom and I think it's because they went to brunch with their friends like they do almost every Saturday. But it's not the brunch Aleeah is going to, I'm sure of it.

It's a good day to do some writing so I grab my notebook and my broken laptop and head out the door. Grabbing a blueberry muffin on the way out.

When I arrive at my favorite coffee shop I start setting down my stuff. There are a million coffee shops in Chicago but it's nothing like this one. This one is warmer and more intimate. It's sorta kitschy with all if its decals on the walls. Also, it's never really busy. Their daily customers being college kids grabbing a coffee before their next class starts.

Suddenly the barista says, "Robin, your coffee is ready!"

I immediately make my way to the counter to get my iced coffee. Coffee is something I usually find disgusting but this iced coffee specifically is made different and is waaay sweet. Tastes more like diabetes than a heart attack.