John's POV

"Laf."

He keeps talking and laughing with Herc.

"Hey, Laf?"

He's still talking.

"MARIE JOSEPH PAUL YVES ROCH GILBERT DU MOTIER MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE"

They go silent and finally stop talking.

Herc turns around "Dude, how can you remember that?"

"I-I don't know? I think I messed up 'Yves' and 'Roc', but... yeah."

Lafayette turns around, too. "I can't even remember that half of the time."

"Yeah, well, you two were too busy flirting to listen, so I had to get your attention in some way."

They turn back around and listen, still walking together ahead of me.

"Goddamnit, guys." I have to strain to walk with them "You drag me to Starbucks, you ignore me, and then you don't even have the decency to slow down, just a bit?"

"It's not our fault you're so short, mon petit ami."

"It's not my fault, either!"

"Well, what the hall did you want a few minutes ago, shorty?" Herc just wants to piss me off more, apparently.

"I wanted to know why you're making me spend my free hour at a fucking Starbucks."

"Because, mon ami, I need to try the Unicorn Frappuccino."

Herc falls back, leans down, and whispers "Because I can't endure the torture of the Baguette's rambling alone."

"Ha, ha. Very fu- OHMYGOD WE'RE HERE."

I look at the coffee shop. It's the closest to where we pretty much live our lives and it's on Columbia campus, so it's not like we had to walk around the city to get here. It's nice to have... except for when we have to go on Laf's coffee escapades. The shop had huge posters of the drink on the windows.

Laf takes out his phone.

"Noooo!" Herc is yelling

"You aren't filming this for your fucking Instagram, are you, Laf?"

"Oui, I am. Why shouldn't I?"

"Because no one gives a fuck, French Fry."

"I will have you know, connard, that my 12, 347 followers depend on my opinion and reviews of the latest everything.'

Herc leans into my ear "Oh my god, John, He. Checks. The. Specific. Number."

I nod and throw my hands up in frustration "Fine."

Herc opens the door."

"Such a gentleman." Laf says, pressing his phone into his "not boyfriend's" face, before pulling it back to his waist and kissing Herc's cheek.\

I laugh and tell Laf I'm getting us a booth, and to get me anything he wouldn't order.

Herc comes to sit with me, waving to Laf to show him where we are. He starts going on about... something. I don't know, I just try to distract myself. I look at Laf in line, at the posters on the walls, at the scenes outside of the windows, at the people taking photos, at the group of girls in the next booth over, at the paintings and photos…

And there it is, the perfect distraction.

A hot-ass mother-fucking barista.

He's taking Laf's order, and I'm just mapping out his face. His gorgeously dark eyes. The way his nose sits, his OuTsTaNdInG jawline, his amazing lips.

I don't even realize I'm staring until Herc's loud, deep laugh takes me out of my trance,.

"Someone's got a new crush, eh? Who is it? Guy in line? booth over there?" He nods in the direction of both guys then points his thumb over his shoulder "Guy using the Windows 7 'laptop'?"

I laugh.

"I'm serious, Laurens. Who is it?"

I look over and see Laf heading back, holding our drinks, but I keep looking at the dark-haired barista.

"Oh my god" Herc says "You like the barista."

"What was that, mon cher?" I roll my eyes. He just called Herc "my dear" and they aren't dating? Uh, no.

Our dear little Laurens has a new love interest in play."

"Oooh, who?"

"Barista."

"He is a cutie." Laf says, putting our drinks in front of us.

"Yeah, sucks I wouldn't have a chance with him."

"Ah, but mon cher, haven't you noticed I don't have my drink?"

"Unicorn Frappuccino…. Baguette."

"Oh my god Laf no."

"He gives me a non-reassuring wink.

Alex's POV

God, I hate this fucking drink. Pretty much every person in every one of my classes has been in here. Every other person asked for "the unicorn thing, and of the stayed for over an hour to take photos.

Ten minutes, then my shift is over. I have to go to my last class, one shift, then I finally get to go back to my dorm. Study, finally. I just need this damn day to be over.

But I still make the drink. I still deal with the French guy going on about how "his followers will love it."

It's funny, actually. He keeps switching between English and French. He makes small comments to himself. Maybe I should tell him that I'm fluent in French? Nah, I'll just humor him.

He sits down in a booth with two other guys.

I finish the drink, and give myself a second to laugh before calling out his "Name".

He teases his friend who watches the Frenchie walk up, panic flooding his gorgeous eyes.

I pull myself away and silently pray that "Baguette" doesn't see.

I laugh while I hand him the drink

"What?"

"You're the 40th person to order it this shift alone. It's so stupid."

He laughs "I have this friend, John." he points his thumb over his shoulder at the booth where the boy is still staring at Baguette. "He would say the same thing. You guys would get along."

"Mhm, I'm sure we would, French Fry."

"Seriously, let me give you his number."

"Oh, uh…"

He grabs a napkin and sharpie and scribbles a phone number and the name "John Laurens". He slides it to me, along with the sharpie.

"This is a severe waste of napkins."

"Name and number."

I write what he asks

"My shift is almost over, Baguette. Take your drink and give your friend my number. I'll text him later."

"Will do," he reads the napin "Alexander Hamilton."

I stare at John's face one last time. Wondering if I can count the freckles.

"I'm Lafayette, by the way. We'll be seeing a lot of you. I can tell."