The Institution

Chapter 2: Of Lukewarm Showers and Stalkerish Tendencies

The next morning it was raining. The sound of the raindrops pattering against the window woke me up early, and I lay in bed for a while staring out through a broken slot in the blinds at the swirling grey clouds above. Arthur was still sleeping and I decided it was in my best interest not to wake him or he'd probably complain to Thomas the RA that I'd already broken one of his rules on the roommate agreement form.

So instead, I decided I'd venture out to find some breakfast and maybe a cup of coffee. If there's one thing about me that you need to know, it's that I'm a coffee drinker. I don't usually go a day without coffee for the risk that I'll develop Narcolepsy and fall asleep standing up. Reflecting on that, I really should look into buying a coffee maker for the dorm room.

There were a few early risers lounging in the front lobby when I stepped off the elevator. A girl with very dark brown hair and huge, dark brown eyes that bulged out of her head was sitting at the front desk. She must have just been finishing up her night shift because her huge eyes were bloodshot and tired. I cautiously approached.

"What's up?" she asked me. Her voice was strained.

"Hi," I said. "I was wondering if you knew of any cafés or breakfast places nearby where I could get a cup of coffee?"

"I could seriously use one of those," muttered the girl. "Ovid's is really good, they have great French toast for breakfast and their coffee isn't half bad either. It's the restaurant inside the library. There's also a Starbucks in there too if you prefer that."

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," said the girl tiredly.

"I could bring you a cup," I offered.

"A cup?" the girl asked, confused.

"Of coffee."

"Oh!" Her large eyes got even larger and rounder. "Oh, no, that's really nice of you but my shift is ending in half an hour and then I'll just be going to bed."

"Oh, okay." I turned and made to walk out the door.

"Hang on!" the girl called. I came back to the desk. "I didn't catch your name," she said.

"I'm Ethan," I said, "Ethan Montgomery."

"Rachel Eaton," said the girl, and she smiled. "It's really nice to meet you Ethan."

I smiled back. "Likewise," I said.

My thoughts were stuck on Rachel as I was walking to the library. A bubble of excitement blossomed in the pit of my stomach- she seemed like a genuinely friendly person, the first I'd met so far on campus. I really hoped we could be friends. When I arrived in Ovid's I took Rachel's advice and ordered a plate of French toast and a strong cup of coffee, then wandered around to check out the aesthetics and find a table.

Ovids is a cheery place- the entire café is painted a warm yellow and there are colorful paintings of fruit hung on the walls. The floor is a brown linoleum. There are these huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the front, and through them is a wonderful view of the sprawling lawn. I picked out a booth near the windows and slid in as I admired the general splendor. I decided that my favorite thing about the Ovids decorations is the giant Roman numeral clock hanging on the wall.

My French toast and coffee arrived moments later, and after my first bite I decided that I am never going anywhere else on campus for breakfast, ever. This toast was heavenly- I poked at the bread with my fork and determined that it was made with banana bread. I'd never had anything quite like it before. I took a sip of my coffee, which tasted much better than I expected it to, and made a mental note to thank Rachel for the recommendation.