Rings and Lemon Juice [L.S] - Short Story.

ʀɪɴɢs

June 2016.

The fact that the air conditioning wasn't working at the dorms was the main reason Louis wanted to die.

He felt like he was melting that evening.
Too damn hot inside his room and too damn hot outside under the sun as well.

There was no scape.
There was literally no place where he could study for his last final without sweating.

He wasn't even moving! Why the fuck was he sweating?

He was stressed enough with this test, and now, with this unbearable weather, he couldn't even focus on reading his notes.

All he wanted was to run to the fridge and put his head inside it.

Louis groaned, letting himself fall on the tiled floor and sticking his body to it in search of something slightly colder.

"What are you doing, weirdo?" - Stan asked.

"Studying." - Louis mumbled against the floor.

"What? The dirt on the floor?"

"I'm dying. Let me be."

"Okay." - Stan shrugged, walking to their minifridge and getting a bottle of water.

"You don't even care about me." - Louis mumbled.

"Yes, I do. You're just a drama queen."

"King."

"Drama King." - Stan snorted. - "I'm sure someone is going to fix the air conditioning soon."

"Why bother? I'll be dead by then."

Stan rolled his eyes and threw the half full bottle of water to Louis.

"Drink that, continue studying, c'mon."

"I can't!" - Louis whined. - "It's too hot, I can't concentrate."

"Ugh fine. Then we're going to Starbucks. You can study there."

"You know I hate their tea. It tastes like crap."

"Tea? Really man? It's summer."

"What else am I supposed to drink?"

"I don't know, they have lots of options! I'm in the mood for a Starbucks frappuccino  today anyways, so you're coming with me."

"No, thank you."

"They have air conditioning." - Stan smirked.

Louis thought for a second.

"Count me in."

"Grab your books, let's get out of here."

And Louis had to admit that Stan actually was right about this place. It was cold, they had plenty of secluded tables where they both could study, and it was a quiet ambience overall.
They definitely could stay there until the sun came down.

The part he didn't like as much, was the menu.
That awful, overpriced and overestimated, menu.

Louis just couldn't find anything of his liking, he read over it three times and still he found nothing he wanted to spend his money on.

So he gave up, going with the first thing that came to his mind.
Simple, refreshing, cheaper than the other drinks.

"A lemon juice." - He said to the cashier.

The guy behind the counter gasped.

"A what?"

"Sorry, a lemonade."