THE CUTE BARISTA
5:06 AM. Constanze sleepily grasped the alarm clock, turning its blaring red letters downwards. The red, luminescent glare was bothering her and she turned the other way, trying to relax.
Her pillow was too warm and not soft enough. She tossed and turned for a good while before giving up. This always happened after her all-nighters.
She was up late studying for her engineering class' lecture. She had some difficulty understanding the presentation a day prior, and wanted to brush up. However, it had gotten late before she known it, and a simple review turned into a review and an experiment as well.
The best thing to do would be to simply wake up at 6:00 like normal and go to sleep at a respectable hour.
Constanze sighed and got up from bed, scratching her neck. She might as well get up now.
Outside of her dorm room, she could hear shuffling and smells of something cooking; her suite mates were up and about. Constanze struggled to remember the last time she had saw them and slowly made her way out of her room.
She was greeted with bright lights and Amanda, toast in her mouth while cutting her scrambled eggs, seated at the shared table with Jasminka. She mumbled good morning and Constanze nodded back. Jasminka smiled and held out a plate for her as well.
Constanze signed "thanks" and took it. The smell of cooked bacon and scrambled eggs never smelled so...good. Grabbing the hot sauce, Constanze eagerly dribbled it over the eggs.
"Up early for once, eh?" Amanda commented, nibbling the rest of her toast. Constanze nodded. "Wanna head out and get some coffee before classes?" She offered, finally finishing her breakfast.
Coffee? Constanze grimaced and Amanda laughed. "Maybe not coffee for you, they have other stuff. Like...steamed milk?" She wondered aloud, glancing at Jasminka. The girl nodded, eating...some kind of sweet thing. Jasminka noticed Constanze's stare and broke her pastry in half, offering it to her.
"Honey lemon with lavender scone. Want some?" She asked. Constanze took it (there was no saying "no" to Jasminka). Sampling it, she gave a thumbs up. Living with a pastry major had its benefits. Jasminka smiled. "I'll come along too. I'd like to see what kind of pastries they have."
Amanda excitedly clapped her hands. "It's an adventure then! Come on slowpokes, before it gets crowded."
It wasn't crowded but it wasn't empty either. A short walking distance from campus, the coffee house was of medium size and boasted a large assortment of drinks. Probably trying to compete with the chain store on campus, Constanze thought, looking at the shelves full of bagged coffee. The trio made their way to the register, Amanda going first. Constanze, occupied in her thoughts, was jostled gently for her order. She quickly scanned the menu and chose something simple - a hot chai. Small, she included, signing slowly for Amanda. Before Amanda could speak, a bright, cheerful voice spoke.
"A small hot chai! Right?"
Constanze blinked. The girl behind the register smiled. "Sorry, it's just that, I know sign language and wanted to help." She nervously laughed, marking the order on a cup while talking.
Constanze gulped and signed "no problem". The barista smiled, holding up the cup. "I'll get started right away then!"
The trio walked away, Constanze still trailing behind, trying to catch another glance of the barista.
"That was pretty cool, huh? Amanda commented. Constanze nodded. More than cool it was...unexpected. Constanze was more than used to curious (and sometimes rude) onlookers whenever she ordered at restaurants. It was even more difficult when she was by herself, and eventually, Constanze was simply eating at the three same places. They all knew her well and were comfortable with...her silence.
Out of the two years she had been in uni, this was the first time she had met someone outside of her friend group that knew sign language.
They relaxed at the coffee shop a little bit more, as Constanze often quickly glanced to look at the barista.
"Just ask for her name, already, geez, its painful watching you." Amanda sarcastically spoke. Constanze glared at her. She brought up her hands, paused, and then lowered them before signing, "What else am I going to say?"
Amanda laughed. Jasminka softly smacked her on the shoulder and gave a comforting look towards Constanze. "Perhaps ask her why she learned sign language?" Jasminka peeked at the barista. "Right now would be a good time actually! She doesn't look busy!"
Constanze gulped and got up quickly, stiffly walking towards the bar, trying to ignore the sounds of Amanda trying to stifle her laughter.
She made it to the counter, silently frustrated that it was placed high (well for someone of her height), and waited for the barista to come back.
Having a better look at her, Constanze noticed she had long brown hair past her shoulders, wrapped up in a sporty looking ponytail. The uniform, while plain, looked good on her, perhaps due to her natural charm. She radiated an easy going, approachable aura and Constanze found herself immediately comforted by it.
"Hello! Oh, it's you! Was the chai to your liking?" She asked, smiling. Constanze blinked and quickly held up her hands, signing, "It was really good, thank you."
The barista smiled. "That's good."
Akko. Her name was Akko. Her name was handwritten on her name plate, next to some brightly colored pins. It sounded foreign, perhaps of Asian descent. Constanze signed again, making sure to not go too fast. "How is it like working here?"
Akko hummed for a bit before answering. "I think it's fun. Meeting different types of people is always interesting! Plus, knowing how to make the drinks is a nice skill!"
Constanze nodded. She hesitated before signing again. "What made you want to learn sign language?" She fumbled a bit. "I-If I may ask."
Akko looked thoughtful. She paused, made some "mmm" noises then nodded. "When I was younger, I learned that sign language was international! Well, sort of. Like, despite wherever the person is from, the language is still roughly the same! Well I mean there might be cultural differences and styles but you can still understand! So I learned it, because I thought it was interesting. And I wanted to be helpful, too! I mostly know ASL, JSL, and I've been learning new things while I'm living here in England."
Akko blushed. "Sorry if I'm talking too much."
Constanze shook her head. "Its alright", she signed, and Akko laughed, startling the silent girl.
"Aww, thanks!" She replied, smiling again.
Constanze nodded nervously, unsure of what to do. She signed again. "Thank you. I appreciate you learning the language. It surprised me." Seeing Akko raise her eyebrows, Constanze got flustered. "I mean-What I mean-I was surprised in a good way." Unable to hide her nervousness, Constanze signed more quickly. "Anywayhaveaniceday!"
Before Akko could respond, Constanze turned around and started walking out of the coffee shop, leaving her roommates behind in bewilderment.
She was halfway to campus by the time her friends caught up with her. Jasminka placed a hand on her shoulder, gently. "So, did it go well? Or not?"
Constanze waved her hand from side to side. "Its fine, I just got shy and" she pantomimed looking at a wristwatch. "Classes, you know?" Jasminka nodded as Amanda caught up with them. "Hey, hey, Constanze, do I need to bust some skulls? Did she say anything…mean?"
Constanze shook her head. "It's fine, guys, really. She's nice I'm just—"
Amanda sighed in relief. "Shy?" She asked.
Constanze didn't reply to that. "Anyway, let's go to class."
TO BE CONTINUED