Nicotine (Eremin)

Chapter 4

(A/N: Okay, so I want to basically dedicate(?) this chapter to the amazing @iamcalifornia! And even though this is a pretty weak chapter, thank you, amazing person, for overall motivating me to write this chapter. You're really cool, and once again, thank you so much!)

Chapter 4

Armin's POV

        Yet again. I was freezing walking home in the -4 degree weather.

        At least for once, it wasn't icy. If it was icy, I could go from casually walking to bad figure skater in seconds.

        No, today it was just plain cold. But as I swung open the door of the familiar coffee shop, I was hit with a wall of warm, coffee-scented air.

        I ordered the same thing I got and sat down in my usual table in the back of the shop. There was no one I knew here today, even though it was fairly crowded.

        Give them a temperature less than 40 degrees, and Americans will flock to the nearest Starbucks.

        But for once, I decided to stick around for a while. Something about the atmosphere of the shop made me happy inside.

        I got my drink and returned to my table.

       Because I didn't know anyone, and there was no one to talk to, I pulled out my phone to text Eren. 

        Me: hi! what's up

        Eren was a pretty shitty texter, and as usual, it took him a while to reply.

        Eren: trying to study :/ you?

        Me: sitting in a Starbucks. it's freezing in New York.

        I thought I recognized someone as they walked through the door, but I didn't think much about it. My phone buzzed with another text from Eren.

        Eren: aw that sucks :( come to Sacramento, its warm here ;)

        Me: haha I wish

        The chair across from me slid out from under the table, and in place of its emptiness sat a smiling face.

        In the chair sat Petra Ral, my school's guidance councilor.

        "Hi, Armin! Lovely weather, huh?" she scoffed. "Is it okay if I sit?"

        "Oh, yeah, of course." I shut off my phone and slid it into my back pocket.

        "So, how are you?" she beamed.

        "I've been good. How about you?" as I continued the conversation I realized how bad at small talk I was.

        "I'm all right, thank you for asking." there was an awkward pause. "So, if you don't mind me asking, who were you texting? Was it a friend?" she took a sip from her drink and smiled even more.  Ever since I talked to her in freshman year about how to make friends at a new school, I've been on her radar.

        "Yeah, it was." I couldn't help but smile a little myself. Happy radiated off that woman.

        "Wonderful! I'm glad to hear it!" What's their name?" she leaned over the table, hair falling into her face.

        I figured there were two paths I could take. I could tell Petra about Eren, as like a test-run to see how it would go, or I could make something up.

        Well, if there's any person to test a social theory on, it was my school's guidance councilor.

        "Eren. He lives in California." I said. She looked no less overjoyed than she was to begin with.

        "That's pretty far." she laughed. "How did you two meet?"

        "Oh, um, we met on the internet when we were thirteen." I said. Petra just kept on smiling.

        "Oh, that's different! It was nice talking to you, but I really should take off. Bye, Armin!" she waved and left the table.

        That went over really well.

        We are way over thinking this.