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

Chapter ONE

Thursday - January 03, 2019 - 21:05

Landing in Heathrow was something else. Everyone was in a hustle to get to their desired destination. It was exhilarating. But what was even more exhilarating was the drive from Heathrow to King's College. Everything was so...so...breathtaking. Even the houses along the M4 fascinated me to no end. The roads all blended together––I have no idea how I'll remember anything about getting around––I felt like we were driving in circles. I was pressed up against the window of the car, not wanting to miss a single detail of this new place I'd be calling home.

—

"McLane Roberts?" I said my own name with hesitation and grimaced, "I––uh––I'm a study abroad student––but on an exchange program––I'm from America––I don't know whose place I'm taking––but––I––I'm supposed to be here," I squinted my eye, "I––right?"

The two student resident advisors who were checking in students looked bewildered at my uncertainty. Or my American accent. Hopefully it was the latter. The one resident advisor––Sophia––had her mouth slightly agape, eyes wide as saucers. The other––Georgia––had her eyebrows up so high they were hidden beneath her bangs. Georgia's pen fell from her grasp.

Oh God, I thought, they're going to deport me.

Sophia cleared her throat and elbowed Georgia, who picked up her pen and flicked through her papers. Every few seconds she would glance up at me and I felt the bile churning even more in my stomach. Every possible thought ran through my head––I wasn't registered, I missed something in the application and that wouldn't allow me to live on campus, then I would have to find somewhere else to live while completing my courses, How do you even find a place to live––

"McLane?"

"Uh–Yeah," I vigorously nodded my head, "That's Me––McLane Roberts––I––From America."

Sophia now looked at me with amusement, but I noticed Georgia scoot her chair back a few inches.

"Right," Sophia cleared her throat, "You're on the third floor, there's an elevator over there," she gestured somewhere to her left, "here's your key," she snatched it from Georgia, who was still wide eyed, "and welcome to Stamford Street Apartments."

I nodded my head and felt my shoulders relax as I let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you," I went to grab my luggage and turn around before I heard Sophia call out my name again. I peaked my head over my shoulder and she dangled the key out.

"Oh, the key––wow––" I glanced at Georgia who seemed to be even more petrified of my presence and was not afraid to show it. I cut myself off from embarrassing myself further and took the key with a smile, "Thank you."

I walked to the left, faintly remembering that Sophia waved her hands in this direction, but I was met with no elevator. I looked to my left and then to my right, but I was only met with friends greeting each other with "nice holiday?" Or "Can't wait to head out tonight with the lads."

Lads.

With not so much grace, I walked around in a circle and made my way to the opposite side of the building, making sure I passed the front desk with my head down to avoid Georgia. But I was met with the same thing. More friends reuniting and more talk about lads.

With a dejected sigh, I went to make another large circle with my luggage to head back to the front desk. But a friendly voice caught my attention.

"Need some help?"

Unfortunately, I had to waddle around half more of a circle to come face-to-face with the voice. I could have let go of the handle of my suitcase, but I needed some sort of physical support since I had no emotional support from any friends or family.