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 Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:25 pm
Normally, when on the way to DCU's library, James would pass Slave to the Grind without a second glance. It was often too crowded for the young man's liking and thus, often ignored. He had heard good things about the coffee however, which was the exact reason he took his chances and pulled the glass door open and stepped inside.
It was smaller than he anticipated, which was saying a lot because it was pretty small on the outside. For a moment James regretted his decision, standing with the door held open with his palm and he considered turning around to leave. He didn't though, because he was already inside and he could feel the weight of the gazes from the other patrons. So he sucked in a deep breath and squeezed his way around the chairs until he was up at the counter.
Green eyes flicked up to glance at the menu before looking at the barista behind the counter. "Could I get an iced vanilla latte, with soy if you've got it?" He asked before getting a good look at the boy. "Oh hey," he blinked. "Do you go to Meadowview?" Recognition was written all over his face, because the face looked familiar even if the clothing did not.
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Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 8:04 pm
Jude was a machine behind the counter; he moved without thinking to fill orders, especially when the line was long. Today, though, things were quieter -- students home on break, perhaps, or maybe it was the heat that drove them from the barely-air-conditioned storefront to cooler climates. Starbucks making a mint off of the rising temperature. Without the clientele to keep him occupied, his mind had a tendency to wander, as it did now; the order lost in the face of the question, leaving Jude blinking at a familiar face. He, at least, remembered who it was. Maybe James had hundreds of students, but Jude only had so many teachers -- "Um. Yeah." It came with a flush, sudden. The green apron wasn't that much different from his Meadowview uniform, and yet somehow, it made him more self-conscious. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cheney, I uh. What did you say you wanted?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:34 pm
James was quiet for a moment, studying the boys face while he tried to pick the name out of his information filled brain. It was a bit embarrassing to recognize someone and not be able to put a name to the face, especially when the other could remember his name with ease. He tried to keep the mild embarrassment from showing on his face, his cheeks didn't turn pink, and he liked to think he was doing a decent job.
"Oh," James blinked at the question. "An iced vanilla latte, with soy if you could," he repeated. Another second of studying and the man was sure he knew the teen's name. "Jude," he said with a hint of excitement in his tone. "It's Jude right?" He was a little pleased with his sudden recollection and it showed in the grin spreading across his face. "How's your summer been? Still writing?" He hadn't forgotten that Jude was always scribbling away in a journal during class.
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 7:22 pm
"Uh. Well...." Jude hesitated over that question, cup in hand, the machine churning into action as he debated his words. It would only take him a moment to ease into the familiar motions of making up the latte, routines that occupied him enough to keep things moving, at least. It covered up his embarrassment, some. "I guess. Not very much. I'm...I'm here a lot." He cleared his throat, flicking a look to James. He was here, yes, and also at his other job. Not that he could mention that bit. "It's been kind of a weird summer."
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:42 pm
He frowned slightly, because he understood the inability to write and it always made him sad. Writing was a great escape and with the crazy things constantly happening in DC it was hard to focus on much now-a-days. "Well," he began, "I'd really like to read some of your stuff sometime."
James always liked reading other's work.
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Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 12:41 pm
That got a breath of hesitation, Jude's eyes flashing around the place in search of rescue -- but there was no convenient boss to tell him to get back to work, no crazy queue full of frustrated student chasing down caffeine. There was no out for socially awkward teenagers who preferred the mask of anonymity... "No one really reads my stuff." It was mumbled, down toward the cappuccino machine instead of to James, but maybe it was more ballsy than Jude usually got....
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Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 8:04 pm
It wasn't the answer he had been expecting, but he wasn't completely surprised. Jude had always kept his notebook well hidden, even when scrawling away in it in class. "Because you don't want them to," he began to ask, pressing his lips together in a frown. "Or because no one wants to?"
Either way, he likely wouldn't approve of the answer because he'd been in that place one time or another. Now even, he hated everything he wrote and refused to share with anyone but that meant he couldn't grow from it. Couldn't be a better writer.
That was the most tragic bit of it all.
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Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:53 pm
Another pause, and then Jude had to step aside for a moment, leave his coworker to pick up the slack. The conversation was, rapidly, becoming too distracting for him to continue while he worked. Slowly, he handed the drink across to James, picking his words carefully. "I post on the internet. Sometimes." Anonymity was his umbrella. "There's no one I trust out here."
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:46 pm
Holding the cup in his hand, James traced the outline of the lid listening. "Do they ever give you feedback?" He asked snagging a straw, shedding it of it's paper covering and sticking it through the hole in the lid. "Writing should be shared," he mentioned softly, sipping at his beverage. He didn't fully understand why some people preferred the animosity of the internet because often, people were vicious without cause and did not give proper feedback but many preferred it and that was disappointing.
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Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 1:31 pm
Judging from Jude's pause, quiet, hesitating -- yeah, he'd gotten some of that nastiness. But then he shrugged, slowly, licked his lips, digging for just the right words to say in reply. "Sometimes. Sometimes it's helpful. I don't know." Another beat. "Maybe college next year and stuff, you know how it is, that'll...you know."
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 5:46 pm
Jude's hesitation only made James frown because it meant that he didn't want to share, which he could respect but at the same time he felt a twinge of disappointment shoot through him. It kinda felt like failing because that was his job, right? To encourage students to share their work.
He cleared his throat, gaze shifting to stare at the coffee cup in his hands. "Well, if you ever want to share any of it or want advice, links or whatever, my email is always open." James hoped he sounded encouraging because really, he was interested in what type of writing Jude liked.
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:34 pm
"I...I have it somewhere, I'm sure." It was as committal as he could be while still being polite, but that didn't necessarily mean that Jude wouldn't do it, nor that the idea failed to appeal. As readers came, James was pretty much the perfect choice: non-judgmental, invested in Jude's capabilities, well-educated and capable... "I'll email. Um. After college stuff." After all, this was his senior year; and once he'd said it, he slipped away, to help other customers. Maybe he even would, eventually... Nuxaz fin for here, maybe, but I honestly would like to have them do a tutor type deal, if you're interested??
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