C'est Toi • Shawn Mendes (Coffee Shop AU)

PROLGOUE

Wednesday - January 02, 2019 - 18:31

There's a lot of people watching at an airport. The thought always crosses my mind––who is returning from a trip? Did they enjoy it? Or are they dreading returning home?Who just left the comfort of their own home? Are they sad? Elated? Well, I guess that's more than just one thought. I still have an hour until my flight. Why is it required to be at the airport hours before an international flight? Just another thought to tack on.

—

"Oh, sweetie," McLane's mother wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, "I cannot believe you're off for another semester!"

McLane let out a breathy laugh, squeezing her eyes as tight as her mother's hug as to not let any tears spill over, "Yeah," it was a weak response, McLane knew it, but she didn't want to cry during her send off, she promised herself she wouldn't cry, "another."

Easing her way out of the hug, McLane's mom held her daughter away at arms length, with her hands softly rubbing her shoulders, "London, oh goodness, how'd you manage to convince us of that, Mick?"

Shrugging her shoulders, McLane abandoned her mother's soft gaze to stare at her suitcase. One large suitcase to stowaway under the plane, one carry on for the overhead bin, and her backpack. McLane's stare soon hardened into a glare at her luggage––she swore they were mocking her and that they knew she was forgetting something.

"Yeah, Mick," William, McLane's twin brother raised an eyebrow, "How'd the golden girl manage to escape for a semester?"

McLane let out a genuine laugh as her mother whipped her head to the side and glared at her son as their father lovingly hit him on the back side of the head. William gave his father a side-eye and rubbed the back of his head. He rolled his eyes, stood up straight, and opened both of his arms wide, "Gonna miss my golden girl."

It was a curious thing––William and McLane––while they were twins, they looked nothing like siblings. William stood at six feet tall, while McLane was five foot and three inches. William inherited his mother's blonde curly hair and green eyes, and McLane had her father's pin straight brunette hair and blue eyes. Physically they didn't look like each other, but they were almost identical in personality.

Once McLane felt her mother's hands drop from her shoulder, she barreled into her brother's open arms. She clutched to the back of his red Maryland flag t-shirt as he soothingly ran his hands along her back. She took in a shaky breath as her brother's fingers continued to ghost over her back.

How was she going to survive a semester abroad?

She and William didn't attend the same college, but she would road trip every spring to watch his lacrosse games at Duke, and he would road trip to see her at least once a semester at the University of Virginia. Between their road trips seeing each other and traveling home for the holidays, they always saw each other a minimum of four times a semester. But with a plane ticket to London being more expensive than a five hour car ride, it would be a different semester for both of them.

"You should probably check your bag then get in line for security," McLane turned her head to the side to see her father looking down at his watch, "Wouldn't want you to miss your flight."

At the mention of her departure, McLane's fist tightened around her brother's shirt and she buried her head back into his chest. William tightened his hold on his sister. He knew his sister better than anyone else, and he knew just how bad she wanted to study abroad. Ever since she was thirteen, he vividly remembered their summers when they shared a room at their grandmother's beach house in Ocean City, Maryland and how she would stay up for hours talking his ear off about studying abroad.

William kissed the top of her head and whispered, "This is all you've ever wanted––it's literally just hours away now."

McLane nodded and once she got her breathing under control, she let go of her brother's shirt and quickly wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm. She took four deep breaths before speaking, "I––I'll just miss you so much," She sniffled, "You know how I am with goodbyes."

William smiled down at his sister and patted her head. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"We'll be here when you get back, idiot."

"William."

William turned to his chastising mother as he held his hands up in surrender, chuckling, "It's a term of endearment."

"No name calling," their mother glared at him before bringing her fingers up to her temple to rub them, "I swear you're the reason why Daisy back talks so often."

McLane snorted, "She's fifteen, she's at the worst age."

"Lucky you for escaping."

The twins shared a beaming smile with each other before turning to their mother with the same shit-eating grin. The one that always got them out of trouble. She looked at her kids with a hard stare, but traded in her faux hardness for a tender gaze, "I miss you both so much when you go away."

"I'll still be around to bother you."

"William's very good at that," McLane nodded her head with a tone that said she wasn't messing around, but playful enough to earn her a forehead flick from her twin.

"Hey––"

"Mick," It was their father who interrupted before any of their shenanigans started. He held up her book bag in one hand with a solemn look on his face, "It's time."

It was like the past few minutes of playing around with her brother evaporated. Her throat went dry, palms sweaty, and she felt the familiar prickle behind her eyes start back up.

Turning away from her brother, McLane took a few steps toward her dad, took her backpack from him and gave him a hug. It was a quick hug––their father wasn't much of a touchy feely sort of guy with his emotions––but she knew she was loved. He kissed her head before taking her larger suitcase and rolling it towards her, "I'll help you check your bag." That was his way of saying everything will be alright. She nodded her head.

She wished checking her bag took longer. She wanted to prolong her family time for as much as she could––five months she would be without them––five months too long.

When McLane and her father reached back to where William and their mother stood, she gripped the strap of her backpack and took her carryon suitcase from her mother. She swallowed down a cry, "I––I'lll––See you later?"

McLane looked at everyones expression. Her mother's eyes were rimmed in redness as she gave a tight-lipped quivering smile, her father sent her a nod with a soft smile, and William was beaming ear to ear. She returned his grin and took her passport out from her sweatshirt pocket, flipping the book between her fingers, and with one final smile––a genuine smile––she spun around and headed for the security line.

"Hey, Mick!"

McLane stopped right before the black barrier and scrunched up her eyebrows at her brother's voice. His hands were cupped around his mouth––very unnecessary, she thought, because she wasn't that far away from him.

"You won't want to come home by the time you're finished!"

With a roll of her eyes she shook her head. There would be nothing that would make her not want to come back to her family. They were her everything. Sure––William could be a nuisance, her mother could nag her to death, her father brought up post-graduate plans every chance he got, and Daisy was at the God awful stage where everything revolved around her as the world simultaneously hated her––but she wouldn't trade them in for the world.

So as she handed her ticket and passport to the TSA officer, put her luggage on the conveyor belt, took her shoes off, and walked through the metal detector, she looked back one last time. Her father cradled her mother into his side as she sobbed into his shoulder and William looked at her with a smirk and a glimmer in his eyes that spoke volumes of him being certain she wouldn't want to return home.

She rolled her eyes and flipped him off.