globetrotters

new york is always hopeful

I woke up again to dim morning light streaming through the window. Leaning dangerously far, I grabbed my phone and checked the time.

9:26 AM

I opened up snapchat and slid open Noah's chat. I have some debt to pay off, plus spending time with him is more enjoyable than hanging out by myself.

noah lee

me| hey if you're up i'll buy you breakfast

I turned off my phone and threw it on my bed before heading to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth.

After a quick 5 minutes, I came back and checked my phone for any response.

noah lee

noah| sure :) meet u in 15 min outside

Shit, that does not give me a ton of time. I washed my face as quickly as possible and swiped on a bit of makeup. Running back to my suitcase, I threw it open to attempt to find the best outfit for today.

I pulled out my trusty white sneakers and black trousers, and resumed my search for a t-shirt.

After pulling on one of my favorite crewnecks, I searched around for my clear tote bag, rings, and a belt to spruce up the outfit.

Releasing my hair from its knot on my head, I brushed it out and kept it loose.

With a quick mirror check, I was out the door and in the hallway.

The long hallway was empty, so I walked down to the staircase before taking a seat on one of the top steps.

No less than 30 seconds later, the Noah shows up in the corner of my eye as he walks down the stairs.

I watch him and silently appreciate his clothing. To say that he looked like a model was an understatement.

He was decked out in designer, from his sneakers to the black headband sitting in his hair. The strands on his head were carefully styled, parted down the side to expose his forehead and eyebrows.

I quickly stood up and headed down the stairs, not wanting to make any uncomfortable eye contact.

Noah's sneakers tapped on the stairs behind me, and after a few seconds he broke the silence.

"Where are we going?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Hm, I was thinking a cafe, but I'm not sure if you have been. Amaretto?"

"Hell yeah, let's go. I've always passed by but I never decided to go in."

Amaretto was a trendy cafe a couple blocks from the university, sitting in between a dry cleaner and a pet hotel. Often frequented by NYU art students and hipster millennials who only order the avocado toast and almond milk cappuccinos, it was famously known for its interesting minimal aesthetic and killer coffee.

In a couple of minutes, Noah and I found ourselves seated in the cafe, sipping on small foam cat lattes and savoring bombolnes in the smooth morning light filtering through the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

"What are you doing today?" I say with a slight clink of my spoon.

"Nothing really, what about you?" he responded, his hair and eyes shining golden brown in the light.

"I'm doing dorm shopping."

"Oh, that's cool. Can I come?" he said with a smile.

"Uh, yeah, for sure," I said slowly.

"Great, let's go after this."

yooo im back