Garrett grimaced as he looked up at the old café standing before him. It was an old brick building with vines curling up the sides, an old white wood door. The white paint had been chipped away by the elements, giving it an old look and texture to it.

The windows higher above the shop itself looked to be those of an apartment. They were less clean and white than the big widow below it. They looked worn, as though the owner had not tried to take care of them nearly as much as the one below.

Garrett bit his tongue to keep himself from groaning in frustration. He chided himself, knowing it was his decision and his decision alone to come to Washington. It was thousands of miles away from his old home in New York, where he would miss the sounds of the never ending traffic of New York City.

He wasn't working at this shop, only looking for a place to get some coffee and somewhere to work on his college work. This was not the only café in this town of Washington, but it was the closest to his rented apartment.

He sighed and told himself to get inside before he changed his mind and moved back to New York all together.

He pulled open the old chipped door and stepped inside. Immediately he was hit with the smell of newly baked cookies, bread, and fresh brewed coffee. His stomach roared with demand. Garrett took in the appearance of the café, already liking it more than his apartment and knowing right away this is where he would spend most of his time.

The place had a very classical appearance to it. Sunlight shown through the windows, lighting the café with brightness. Small booths and tables were scattered around the café and over in the middle was a fireplace with a rug and a fireplace sat, vibrating with welcome. He loved how the wood floors creaked beneath him as he walked further in, smiling at the place.

"Hello." A perky looking girl stood at the counter, tapping her pen cap on the wood counter.

"Hi," Garrett replied, still having his keen interest mainly on the café. He quickly turned his gaze to the girl, promising himself he would take a look more at the store later.

"Is there anything I can get you?" she asked, putting the cap back on the pen. "Do you want to sit yourself or be sat at a booth?"

Garrett didn't answer her for a moment, his eyes scanned the menu above the counter. Everything on the menu looked delicious. Crescents, rolls, muffins, cookies, caramel apples. His mouth watered.

"What's your favorite?" he asked, not able to choose.

The girl smiles brightly. "New here huh?" Before he could continue, she said, "A popular favorite, aka my favorite, is the chocolate filled crescent with a nice mocha frappe."

He could tell she was a perky girl with a sense of humor. He assumed that even she could make the grumpiest of people be in a better mood.

"Okay." Garrett smiled. "That's what I'll take, then."

"Sounds good." She typed a few things on a cash register computer. "Three dollars and seventy cents."

He pulled out his wallet and took out a four, handing it to her. "Keep the change."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oohkay," she said in a still bright voice, putting the four dollars in.

Garrett chuckled in amusement. "How was that shocking?"

She smiled at him innocently. "What was shocking?"

Garrett leans forward, staring intently at her. She didn't look at all stunned, which surprised him. "That I let you keep the change."

"Because you seem like the type that didn't let some old café keep the change," she admits, her eyebrows still risen.

"And what type am I exactly?"

"The classical New Yorker."

Garrett couldn't hide the surprise or shock out of his tone. "What? How?"

A triumphant smile appeared on her face. "Because that's where I'm from."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Whoa." Garrett stared at her. The girl didn't look like a New Yorker. She was slender with blonde hair and freckles. But she was pale. He knew he shouldn't compare her to what his parents call 'The typical New Yorker' just like others do.

"We'll have your order right out." She winked and disappeared into the kitchen.

Garrett blinked a few times before making his way to the couches and plopping himself down on one. He didn't realize it before, but there was a girl on the couch next to his. She had long soft hair the color of chocolate, a delicate almond shaped face, with a cute rounded nose and wore skinny jeans and a Green Day t-shirt.

She had her legs tucked up beside her as she read a book. Her expressions changed often as she read, which interested Garrett.

She must have him staring, because suddenly her eyes slowly left the book and landed right on Garrett. He took in a breath when he saw them. They were a crystal blue with a tinge of grey in them. They were beautiful.

But Garrett realized he was still staring and darted his gaze to the fireplace. It had grey bricks stacked up against one another. Classical.

The sound of a door being open came from behind him, and Garrett did not bother too look back. Just as he decided not to, the girl appeared with a bag and coffee. She handed it to Garrett. "Here you go, sir."

"Thank you," he told her, smiling. She smiled back and, instead of going back to the kitchen, went to the girl and kneeled down beside her.

Garrett wasn't one to eavesdrop, but it seemed the two seemed to know each other.

"...Anymore tea, Fiona?" He heard her ask Fiona. That's the name of the girl on the couch, which made him smile. Garrett knew her name.

You don't even know her. He chided himself as he took a sip of his coffee. Don't act like you just won the Olympics.

He felt like he needed to introduce himself to Fiona. He felt attracted to her. Not romantically, but in general. She radiates the type of energy that makes me want to get to know her and be her friend.

Fiona hesitated, "No I should probably be going." Her face revealed she didn't want to leave.

The waitress must of saw it too, because she said, "No, really. I'll get you some more. On the house."

"Rowan-" Fiona started, but she stopped, pursing her lips into a tight frown as if rolling a thought in her head. She finally relented. "Okay."

The waitress, Rowan, nodded and smiled. "I'll be right back."

Fiona watched Rowan go for a moment, before turning back to her book in silence. Garrett took out his phone as he bit into his crescent, scrolling through his inbox of emails he hasn't checked in weeks.

After going through and deleting most of the emails, Rowan had returned with the tea. She patted Fiona's knee and said something in a quiet tone Garrett didn't quite understand. Fiona said something back, smiling gratefully at Rowan.

Rowan said, "Tell me if you need anything."

"I will," Fiona said.

Garrett thought that Rowan would go back to the counter or kitchen, but instead she turned to him. "And how about you? Need anything?"

"No, I think I'm good," Garrett replied to her, picking a crescent crumb from his jeans. "This is delicious by the way."

"It's Lou's own recipe," Rowan told me, agreeing. "Most of the food we serve is her own recipes."

"Oh," he said, impressed by this woman, Lou, who seemed to be the owner of the café.

Fiona had her attention on them now. Garrett could tell because he could feel her gaze on him.

Taking his eyes from Rowan's face, he led them to Fiona.

For a moment the two locked gazes, and he forced himself not to take a deep breath. He willed himself to be completely still as they gazed at each other.

Finally Fiona broke their locked gazes, moving them back to her book instead.

Rowan glanced between the two, and something in her expression clicked. "Well, better go finish making some banana bread!"

She hurried off before Fiona or Garrett had the time reply.

Garrett moved his phone to his knee, finishing off the last of his crescent and taking a drink of his coffee. He had three new texts, one from his mother, one from his father, and one from his little sister.

He chuckles quietly and read his mom's first.

Mom: Hey, Garrett. We miss you already. How is Washington? Love you.

Dad: Hey, son. It's a lot more quiet here without you because Lily has no one to fight with. Enjoying college?

Lily: GARRETT. HI! WHEN R U COMING HOME? I MISS U!

Garrett replied to all of their texts, telling them he missed them all and that he was doing fine and he would be home for Thanksgiving.

After sending his last text to Lily he sat back against the couch back and sighed. He rubbed his face, feeling homesick already. He had only just arrived one day ago and he wanted nothing more to go home. He looked outside and saw the sun was beginning to set.

Checking the time, he decided he should head back to the apartment. As Garrett got up, he wanted to take one more look at Fiona.

He glanced back to where she was sitting, but the place were Fiona had been was empty.

Garrett threw his empty bag and coffee away as exited the café.