N Has Fallen

I - Belletrist

I - Belletrist

bel·let·rist
/ˌbelˈletrəst/
noun
a person who writes essays, particularly on literary and artistic criticism, that are composed and read primarily for their aesthetic effect.

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The steady rhythm of the rain against the window of her favorite coffee shop lulled Jessica to sleep. She looked around her, fighting the drowsiness that is slowly seeping into her system. The cream paints on the table are slightly chipped around the edges, the pink walls are fading making it a pale shade of pink, the place is empty except for her but it was never dull. The world is cruel, she knew that and this cafe had been her safe haven ever since she could remember. Away from the troubled city, away from the busy streets and away from the unhappy buzz of life that is reality. But she could never escape that, could she.

"Hello dear, sorry to keep you waiting. Here's your order." The old lady smiled warmly at her. The smile that would let you know she bakes cookies on her free time and would go to your house after you called and told her that you don't have food in your fridge. Her name was Mrs. Emma Waltz. Jess smiled back at her letting the kind lady know that it's alright. Mrs. Waltz slid her hot chocolate and tuna and cheese panini. Just then, the bell on the door chimed indicating that someone had entered.

"Jessica!" Via, her bestest friend shouted. But then again she only have one friend so Via has got to be the best.

"Here." She waved as her friend made her way onto their favorite spot in which Jess is currently perched on, the top of the double deck that the cafe has. "I already ordered my food, you were taking so long. Where have you been?" She asked Via as soon as the latter situated herself comfortably.

"Just making errands." Via shrugged and waved a hand to Mrs. Waltz. "Hi, Mrs. Waltz. I would like what Jess is having please."

The old lady smiled. "Okay, but I need to bring you a towel first, you'd get cold dear." Jess and Via couldn't have found the best lady in town.

"You don't have to, but thank you." Via shyly told the kind lady. Jess snickered at the corner at seeing her friend looked like a wet chicken.

"You don't have to tell me what I look like." Via narrowed her eyes. Mrs. Waltz already left leaving them with their thoughts.

"I wasn't about to." Jess said in her defense.

Minutes later, Mrs. Waltz like her name slowly waltz in with a towel and soon with Via's order. Jess giggled at her inside joke mentally. They start off their afternoon with their usual chitchats until it was time for Jessica to grab a tissue and asked Via for a pen.

"I ran out of black ink." She said while stretching out her hand.

"Sure you did." Via got her pen out and gave it to her friend. She always wondered why her friend would write letters and leave them everytime they're eating or just basically going out. As long as she saw a pen or even if she doesn't as long as there's paper, Jess would immediately scribble something on it, it doesn't matter if she has to ask someone for a pen if there's none nearby. She asked her and had been answered a million of times but she still doesn't get her friend. She is weird but Via loved her.

Via knew that Jess was finished when she went back to sipping her hot chocolate and the latter made her read it.

She folded the tissue and placed it on the table just as another batch of their food arrived. They don't even remember how many times they would order when they're in this place.

"I really don't get you sometimes. What could you possibly gain from this aside from wasting ink? And that was not gaining by the way." Jess had heard Via asked it on multiple occasions.

"I don't know, it comforts me I guess. I like saying those things since no one really said those to me." She replied feeling sad. If people are having a hard time and we don't get them, it's not because they don't want us to understand, they wanted us to but we are actually the ones who don't understand them. They're confused. Tired and misunderstood. They just wanted assurance. Of someone being there. Of someone listening to them. Jess knew this because she had been through it. She'd been left alone, bullied and hurt but she surpassed those. It never truly stopped but she knew herself better than anyone and she wanted to tell people that through her scribbles. She was never alone. but she always felt lonely and she knew she wasn't the only person who feels like this and it comforts her somehow that whoever reads her letters or poems or whatever those are called, atleast they would know that somewhere out there people like her exist, people who don't need words to understand each other. Just feeling and sense.

"Oh what am I then? A ruined potato?" Via asked while her mouth was stuffed with chicken nuggets.

Jess laughed. "Well to be perfectly honest, we both looked like ruined potatoes, if that makes you feel better. And I've said this to you before. I like the feeling I have after writing those."

"Yeah sure. You were writing on a tissue, I totally get why you feel better." She said now munching on her burger sarcasm dripping from her tone.

The girls talked and ate some more and after they finished eating Jessica saw her target "letter holder" for the day. She carefully slipped the letter on the big compass inside the big letter N (North) but unfortunately the N slipped down along with her letter. She had to go down the deck and get it and this time she was successful on putting the letter N back to its place and her letter. They left soon after.

She was contented and happy but somewhere deep within her mind she couldn't help but ask if people actually found her letters. She shrugged the thought away and walked home.

Never did she know, she changed a life with that simple letter.