✔ Statistics » Timothée Chalamet

T h i r t y - T h r e e

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Timothée had been in Paris before. He had walked upon all the prominent avenues, seen all the favored locations, as well as dabbled in the Parisian lifestyle, but no matter how many times he came back, the well-demanded city remained wrapped in secrets for him to uncover. It greatly differed from what he was used to, but he relished it. The tranquil language that rolled off of people's tongue with ease soothed his ears, bringing him back to his childhood, as did the small businesses that inhabited the streets he walked on that reminded him of the many markets he visited with Manon when they were young. Paris and it's embracing familiarity brought solace to Timothée, it made things that much more meaningful, as though the many people that resided, traveled, or stayed in it were living in the moment, something he often missed out on in New York and its rush hour mentality. 

The infatuated duo strolled its way through a broad street. Timothée found himself following the girl as though he was a lost puppy, his hand clasped in hers, not focusing much about his, or her emotions, but rather on other people and theirs. He looked at the sights that surrounded them left and right, his mind somewhere else, not aware of their final destination and its location. Only when Manon abruptly pulled him into a narrow alleyway, did he snap out of his daydreaming about the life in the city of love. 

"Where are we"? Timothée questioned as he looked behind him, saying a brief goodbye to the spacious street, before connecting his gaze with the sky that floated above the two, barely peeking through the buildings that towered over him and the street that enveloped him all at once.

"My little secret" Manon turned around with a mischievous wink, before retracing her gaze to the front of her feet and stopping beside the entrance to a small, homely café that wore the colors of warm woods and greenery.

"A café? What about Anne-Marie"? Timothée queried, wondering in his mind if perhaps the sudden stop was a way for the girl to postpone the inevitable visit that was forthcoming their way. 

"Visitation starts in thirty minutes. Besides, this is my tradition before each visit. This is my favorite place in all of Paris" Manon explained, reminiscing on all the days she spent in that small café on the corner of the street, a place that held so many deeply treasured memories, the majority of them nothing but dreams in her head. 

"I'm just worried, you know" The boy shrugged his shoulders with an appreciative gaze as he followed Manon up a staircase, having no idea what was truly going through the girl's brain and fearing that perhaps, she wasn't telling him everything that weighed on her heart.

"Don't be, Tim. I've been visiting her daily for years up until Italy. My body is pretty much on autopilot at this point, you can't stop me from seeing her" Manon gave him a small, genuine smile, before pushing the door open and entering the café. 

Manon's response had only made Timothée worry more, for the reality she was so accustomed to seemed far from ordinary to him. He believed in her, he knew she was strong, but the idea of him visiting a loved one that didn't even remember his name sounded horrible. Part of him simply didn't believe that someone could ever truly get used to such reality, no matter how much they said they have.

The moment the two marched inside the café, all attention averted to them. At first, the eyes reached for the red-headed girl, for she was a local, who came in every day, at the same time, and sat at the exact same spot at the corner of the place, further from all and facing the window. She was the girl who always ordered a salted bagel with a cappuccino, the one who always sat alone, never socializing with anybody, and so when they saw her linked palm with the boy that walked beside her, their eyes immediately darted to him.