white is red .

[august de witte]

"Rotting from the inside out," August murmurs as he lays on the sofa at 11AM. "I feel like a vegetable," he says again to the room. Teddi looks at him and shakes her head, Nick shares the same hollow stare as him. There is nothing like drinking from Saturday into Sunday, substituting sleep for video games and then growing into your hangover. A wave of exhaustion and dehydration, he's pretty sure he stinks like shitty pilsner as well. "Like a potato, that's been sitting in the pantry for too long.. growing mutant veins and becoming browner," he turns his head to scream into a pillow. "I need a fucking coffee," at this he rolls off the couch and onto his feet. The boy pushes the door of The Brickhouse Coffee open. He's managed to put on a fresh white shirt and a pair of black pants before leaving the apartment, but his hair still sits messily on his head and those dark circles remain ashy as ever. The Brickhouse is his favourite for two reasons. One being the quality of it's beans, and the second being the immoral crush he has on the barista. He meant to go another day, when he'd maybe had some sleep and didn't smell like a brewery, but when he woke up that morning he couldn't get the craving out of his head. There's a new girl at the register and went he raises his head to look over the counter, he can't see Ava at all. He's disappointed, and to snuff this disappointment he decides to act like an absolute shithead. "I'll take my usual," he gives the girl a curt nod and lifts his wallet from his back pocket. She looks confused and begins to open her mouth. "Are you new?!" he means it as an insult, rolling his eyes. "Jesus Christ.. coffee, black. Right now, vamoosh," he waves her off, digging out a few bills plus a hefty tip.

[Deleted]

With a textbook propped open against an unopened sack of coffee beans, Ava tries to make the most of the hour she has before she goes to work. Sat in the beautiful loft apartment she paid such a questionably cheap rate for, she can barely focus on the wall of text in front of her, eyes drifting to the view outside the huge factory style windows, New Yorkers bustling to and fro, a depressing amount of them with a cup of coffee in their hand. Depressing only for its reminder of work. The hour passes so quickly she can hardly believe it, checking her watch against the clock and then against her iPhone clock... alas the time has come, and the petite brunette dragged herself to her feet, pulling a denim jacket on and forcing herself to leave the oasis that was her apartment. In less than half an hour she's back at Brickhouse Coffee, the familiar scent of coffee hitting her with all the promise of a long shift. She pulls her jacket off as she enters the door, willing Jessa not to have stolen her apron again, leaving only the huge, stained reject apron, a relic of a time someone morbidly obese must have worked here. She's pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail as she walks, silky tendrils falling to frame her face quite unintentionally. "Another day another dollar," she says, smiling at Jessa as she passes, who ignores her. Classic Jessa. Jessa has also stolen her apron and this elicits a sigh, though she's fixed a faint, unconvincing smile onto her face as she turns to ask her about it... only to see him. Caught off guard, Ava turns a deep crimson, seized up with surprise at seeing him here, now. She manages to smile, coming up behind Jessa and taking the paper cup out of her hand. "Don't worry, I can take this. Go have a smoke," she says, more blunt than she ever was at work. She smiles at August, trying to act natural. "If it isn't Mr. Reddit himself." She sees him fumbling for cash, "stop, this is on me. How are you?"

[august de witte]

August sighs dramatically, throwing his elbows on the counter, chin into his palms and looking the barista's direction, "I don't think you could go slower.. maybe you should try? Try go slower. Oh, there you go, you got it. Snail's pace, excellent." He's not usually like this... no, he is. He's very much like this. But not in a way that he constantly treats the service industry like garbage, but in that he's trying to get a reaction. This girl must have some sort of bullshit radar, or maybe she's made of steel. He watches as she fumbles with a cup and then drops it. To this, he claps, "wow. Bravo, new girl... I better be getting a fresh cup or I'll sue." Then a familiar face appears and he gives another sigh, this time one of relief. "Finally! Someone competent. I think this one needs a refresher course on DECENT CUSTOMER SERVICE," he raises his voice as the brassy haired girl scoots out the back door. "Hi," he grins sheepishly and tucks a couple of twenties into the tip jar, "no, really. I was an asshole, tell her that's for keeping her cool." He looks at her, still grinning. God, she was really pretty. "I'm good, thanks, just got in last night. How's things in Ava land?"

[Deleted]

Jessa looks at her as though she's insane to want to take over, but a smoke break is a smoke break so she doesn't protest. Fussing with the machine, Ava dispenses fresh, powdery coffee from the grinder, pressing it down with the speciality stamp. As she does so she can't help but catch sight of herself in the mirrored surface of the coffee machine and she wishes she had made more of an effort today, she would have, had she known. Did that make her a terrible person? "Lay off her," she says sternly, though she can't help but smile. "Not all of us can withstand your abusive charms," she added, knowing full well Jessa would fume about this for the rest of the day. Her eyes follow him as he slips notes into the jar and she shakes her head. The espresso starts to dribble into the cup and this frees up her hands, allowing her to reach over and pull one of the twenties out of the jar, she leans over the counter and slips it into his shirt pocket. "Overkill, Rockefeller. You were an asshole, but she could do with it. Not that that excuses you." Turning back, she finished off his coffee, placing a plastic lid over the top and sliding it over to him. This gives her an opportunity to take him in; that same dishevelled hair, the faint shadows under the eyes, the very same funny feeling she got in her stomach every time she saw him, regular as clockwork. She willed herself to snap out of it. "And you didn't come straight here? I'm offended," she joked, though really she was delighted he came so soon. Then again, he did really have a caffeine problem. "Things are all the same here. Same course, same roomie, same coffee. I have to say I'm disappointed in you, I was expecting you to come in here all tanned and blonde now that you're a Californian. Where's my Zac Efron lookalike?"

[august de witte]

August smirks. He doesn't feel guilt regarding the situation, he's immune of it. It's a constant problem with his friend group, it was a vicious circle. August stirs the shit, he gets his rise, he gets told off, he gets shunned, he cries about being shunned, he's forgiven. But he never learns his lesson so within a month he's back where he started. Being in California helps now, considering he misses his friends too much to act too naughty. "She was a bit slow. I'm counting a ten second difference, and you're even carrying out a conversation," she plucks the bill from the jar and into his breast pocket. It gives him a short thrill to make a little skin contact, his heart practically jumping from his chest out at her. He takes the note and presses it deeper into the jar. "Oh, you know.. people to see, alcohol to drink. I meant to get in touch, but you weren't online and my hands were busy pouring tequila," he did think about it but mixing his girlfriend with his coffee crush didn't seem like a wise idea. No matter how many salty palms he licked and shots of tequila he downed, he didn't change his mind about this. "I know but," he pulls at his hair to show her a bit of blonde growth, regretting it slightly as he's sure it's greasy as hell. "You, my dearest princess, are in need of a thrill. It's packed in here, I know," surprisingly it's not, he's waiting for a line of people to pour in the door, "but come, be a badass, and rest upon this leather throne near that faux fire."

[Deleted]

Grey eyes follow his movement as he retrieves the note, forcing it down further into the jar. She rolls her eyes though she knows this tip will please the team more than he realizes-- she also knows it's not worth arguing with him, that he's as stubborn as a person could conceivably be. "Even carrying out a conversation. I should be given a raise, no?" She's delighted to be speaking to him and it shows in almost imperceptible ways, the slightest bounce in her step, the way she can't stop leaning ever so slightly into the counter, subconsciously trying to get closer. Weeks of his unexplained absence had led her to believe that she was over it, but judging from how giddy she was to see him, perhaps she'd overestimated herself. She tilts an eyebrow at the mention of alcohol, wondering if she was mistaking signs of a hangover for insomnia. The thought enters her mind that he was catching up with his girlfriend and it's so obvious that of course he was, her joke was so inappropriate even if she hadn't meant it that way. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she went to apologize, only for him to cut her off before she can speak, suggesting she take the dangerous decision to sit on the job. "Are you trying to get me fired? Is that the endgame here, get me fired, make me homeless?" She glanced at the clock on the wall beside them... turns out she was still ten minutes ahead of her official start time. Deciding not to tell him this lest he take her for the huge pussy she was, she shrugged. Coming round the counter, she held her arm out for him to take. "Shall we? While we walk the great distance to the fireplace, tell me all about your life. How's California? How was the flight? How's Nick, how's... the girls?"

[august de witte]

August hadn't even had a sip of coffee and he already felt better. Seeing his favourite barista took his mood from zero to one hundred, having practically been crawling on the ground when he came in. "Ah, see, that's where it gets tricky. This is a product of circumstance, a rare 0.3% of your customers will be great conversationalists. The other 99.7% won't be. Unless that changes, I don't see a raise in your future." He finally lifts his coffee to his lips, practically burning himself but acting cool like there wasn't a layer of skin lost. He continues to smile, shoving a hand in his pocket and meeting her around the counter. "Oh, it'll be fine. If you lose your job I'll convince my parent's friends to sponsor a college student." He's delighted when she offers her arm and he loops his through hers enthusiastically. He strolls a bit elegantly, setting the scene to his story. "I traveled many moons to get here. I flew over many states - unimportant ones such as Missouri and Kansas. The flight was nearly unbearable, as it felt I was surrounded by beasts and screaming babes. But when I arrived at my destination, I was greeted at the airport with my friends in their cosplay.. I immediately felt left out. I was also greeted by what some call a doobie, but this doobie resulted in my ultimate demise... an Uber rating of 3.5. I'll never travel again, I'm stationed here now. Nick is well, his health seems fine. He has another girlfriend and she's the worst. Last night I thought I might duct-tape her nose and mouth, and act as though her death was an accident. I couldn't find any tape."

[Deleted]

Ava can feel eyes on her, those of her colleagues' but also the regulars. She wondered if they recognized August after his leave of absence, if they knew he was one of them or if they thought maybe she knew him outside of work, that maybe he was her boyfriend. Or maybe it wasn't that, maybe they knew his actual girlfriend and wondered what the fuck she was doing throwing herself at him like this... with her arm in his, she glanced around, only to realize that no one was really paying them any attention at all. Besides, what harm was there in catching up with an old friend? It took all her self control not to squeeze his arm tight once it was in hers. Laughing, she shakes her head, "it's fine, there are plenty more barista jobs in the sea." Was she suggesting that she was willing to lose her job for the sake of a conversation with him? Would he think she was coming on too strong, would he be creeped out by her enthusiasm? Ava hadn't had a lot of experience with men and felt she was fucking up at every turn, her cheeks took on a permanent pink tinge when she was around him, and her nervousness manifested itself in little tics- she faffed with the small bowl of sugar packets as they sat, for instance, for something to do with her hands. As he speaks she relaxes, the warmth of familiarity allowing her to suppress some of her nerves. "It sounds like an epic voyage, Odysseus. Did you com across any cyclopses or sirens trying to sing you to your death?" She grins as he discusses Nick's girlfriend and his dislike of her, a common thread in their catch ups. "Better or worse than cereal girl? What's she done to offend you so badly, did she ask you to stop playing Overwatch at 4am? Buy decaf? Don't get me wrong, I think either of those should be punishable by death."

[august de witte]

Unlike Ava, August doesn't seem to notice any one else around. He seems to fill the room (possibly with his ignorance) and take it over as though he owns the place. There are people around who are trying to catch up on the Sunday news and others who are hammering away at their laptops, trying to get ahead of Monday before it comes. August doesn't notice, his voice raising theatrically as he tells his story. Coffee shops are a lot like libraries. Speak any louder than a whisper and people tend to look up at you with their eyebrows stitched in a frown. People are doing this presently, but August is too busy waving his hot coffee around and screaming about doobies. "Unless you count the baby in seat in front of me. It sounded a lot like it had one eye, but I couldn't be sure." He pulls her to the gas fireplace, his arm presenting the seat to her before he takes his own in the seat across. He takes another scorching hot sip and this time he's sure he's lost a few tastebuds, so he sets it down to cool. "Oh god," he pulls his face down so it looks as though it's melting from his skull - dramatic. "She's just got this voice. Valley girl, I think that's what I'd call it. And she tries to hard. It was our first time meeting and you could tell she was trying to get me to like her... I hate that shit, 'oh, August, I had a Gameboy Color!'. Well, try-hard, you are the perfect specimen of a 2000's child trying to be a 90's one. The 90's are dead.. obviously." He scrapes a hand through his hair, sighing, "it's not as though I hate her. I'd just rather her be a stranger on the street." He's getting fidgety and reaches for his coffee for something to hold, "anyway."

[Deleted]

She watches him as he speaks, loving how he could get so passionate about something that didn't warrant it at all. She also knew that he wasn't one to get passionate about things he ought to, either-- Nick was always swanning about in a political t-shirt, the picture of a millennial activist. Ava had served August the morning after the election and when asked about how he felt, he answered as he usually would, as if nothing had happened. It wasn't until prompted that he realized she was referring to Trump, and even then, he wasn't particularly interested. In a sea of earnest NYU undergrads, August had been an island oasis. "I'd make fun of a Valley accent but I think the world's agreed that it doesn't get worse than Jersey," Ava said, hamming up her accent to pronounce Jersey, sounding like something off Cake Boss. "Be kind, you know you won't have to put up with her for long." She laughs at the Gameboy Color comment, though it makes her heart ache. It was moments like these she felt they most belonged together-- not only were their shared interests plenty to come by, it was his attitude about them. So often she was accused of being a fake gamer girl, only indulging in a lifelong hobby to impress overweight, neckbeardy guys. So typical that she meets an exception and he's not available, or even interested. "Wait until she tells you she loves Pokemon Go," she said, reaching over and taking his coffee from his hands, stealing a sip. "It's funny seeing you here again, I'd assumed I never would. How long are you in town for?"

[august de witte]

Imagine by The Beatles blares on the speakers and he hates every second of the song. Truth being that if the coffee wasn't the best in a block or more importantly if Ava wasn't behind the counter, he wouldn't be in such a phony place. It's fake fireplace and it's shitty playlist, it made him want to vomit. He hated The Beatles and an admittance of love for The Beatles was an admittance for being as plain and poorly developed as they come. He couldn't be friends with someone who listened to The Beatles, but was too afraid to ask Ava if this was her music playing. If it were he would have to convince himself to dislike her, and that would be very hard. "I don't even think she's from the Valley, she just as though she is.. I think she's actually New York bred," he laughs when she mentions that he won't have to deal with her for long, "fuck, I'd die if she came with him to California. I'd make them get a hotel downtown LA.. no place worse than downtown LA." When she mentions Pokemon Go he throws a fit, his hands running over his face dramatically and an, "oh, Jesus, scum of the earth," coming from his mouth. She takes his coffee from him and she watches as she sips it. When he takes it back he immediately takes a drink. He thinks it's funny how they've practically kissed now that they've shared coffee.. she might as well be his mistress. "I think these walls missed me. Your staff looked miserable.. missing a bit of excitement. My clone, Abel, it's unfortunate that my personality couldn't be duplicated. He really is stale," he'd told Abel to get coffee here and report back about his experience. He never got back, so August couldn't assume whether or not he went. "Till Saturday. School on Tuesday and I haven't gotten my back to school outfit yet. So must prepare, etc.. how's it here? Nick come in lately? Remind me that I gotta get a round of coffee for the house."

[Deleted]

Glancing up at the clock, she catches the eye of a smirking Jessa. It's five minutes into her shift already and here she is, apron-less and chatting to a boy, drinking his coffee and barely glancing at the incoming customers. This would not have been so amusing to Jessa had it been anyone else, but Ava was a goody goody if ever there was one. She didn't mind other people breaking the rules, she wasn't one to lecture or condemn, but she held herself accountable. She spent her breaks with textbooks, she rarely came in hungover, she was never late and would stay behind if the shop was busy and needed an extra pair of hands. Looking determinedly away from Jessa, Ava made the bold decision not to give a fuck. Or to try not to, at the very least. It was easy when she was around August. She felt closer to him now that she knew they'd had so many conversations online, but at the same time it drove a wedge between them - before she could plead ignorance, but now she knew the truth, he'd told her in black and white. What was she doing? What was he doing? He didn't seem the dishonest type, rather, he was painfully honest. She could only conclude that this was a merely friendly thing, that he saw her in the most platonic light possible, so much so that he felt none of the awkwardness she felt. "Is he moving to California too? God, we're going to lose all our customers to those tanned fuckers. These walls have definitely missed you, the staff... not so much," she said with a grin, remembering how he'd treated some of them. "What are you thinking? Some chinos, a nice pink polo shirt? Make sure you tuck it in with a nice belt, finish off with some boat shoes. Nick comes in plenty, though he's been less chatty lately. I think he's been pining for you."

 - befor

[august de witte]

August doesn't consider Ava's work schedule, and maybe he would if he didn't work within his own hours. As a freelancer surrounded by other freelancers, he always got work done but usually it was done within the early hours of the morning when he couldn't bare to toss and turn any longer. He forgot that people had jobs to attend to, and that people had bosses - this would surely bite him in the ass when he finally got a job with Nintendo. When he glances over and makes eye contact with the other girl that was just trying to serve him, he remembers that worker ants exist. "You won't get fired, will you?" he frowns at the other barista, vowing to hate her for staring and being nosy. And like Ava, he was aware that there were feelings there but unlike Ava he mostly ignored them. In fact, there were few things that August didn't ignore - his friend's flaws and how he wasn't good enough for Teddi. He once went two months ignoring a blister on his heel, and one day when he couldn't walk on it, he realized it was starting to puss and blacken. Corinne had to drag him to the ER and the doctor said he was close to having to amputate. "No, he'll visit though... what do you mean the staff hasn't missed me? Everyone likes to be paid attention to. Attentions is attention, does it matter if it's mostly negative harassment?" he sits back into the leather chair and forces himself to be still. Though it's hard and he begins to tear at the lip of the paper cup. "I want one of those sweaters that the yacht boys wear over their shoulders to keep their back and shoulders warm.. I want a Rolex too, I'm sick of telling time off my phone. I want a colour palette of pink, khaki and green," he laughs at the Nick comment, shrugging his shoulders as the gesture was all that was required. "And I bet Ava, he's not the only one whose been pining," he means it as a joke, but when he tips his coffee to his mouth he realizes that maybe it's a joke that shouldn't have been said.

[Deleted]

She mulls over the question. Will she get fired? Marta, the owner of the place, was an exceptionally chill lady who a) was not in work today and b) loved her to death, for her usual diligence. Never one to flagrantly disregard rules, she's torn between what she wants to do and what she ought to do, a difficult thing when usually the two were one and the same. "Hang on," she said, getting up and heading over to Jessa. It was just her luck that it happened to be Jessa working today. The two shared no obvious fondness for each other and when Ava mentioned feeling sick, saying she didn't think she should hang around and make anyone else feel bad, Jessa only looked from her to August and back again, a smirk on her glossy lips. She wanted to slap her. Nevertheless, she said she could handle it and she'd pass Ava's message on to Marta-- who Ava knew she'd have to grovel to later.  "Come on, let's go," Ava said when she got back to August, "we'll pick your friends up some coffee somewhere else. I'm mortally ill, you see." She grabbed her jacket and went to the door, holding it open for him. This was about as rebellious as she had ever been. Laughing at the idea of him with a sweater tied around his neck, she flung her jacket around hers in a similar way, throwing her hair back and trying to look serious. "Does Abel dress that way? Maybe you should raid his wardrobe first, try it on for size." She felt like she'd made time back, the afternoon stretched long and open ahead of her and for once she didn't even feel obligated to spend it studying, since she would have been at work had she not decided to pull a sickie. She's in such a good mood she can't help the stupid grin on her face, at least until he makes his joke. She falters, glancing away from him, trying not to go beetroot red. What was that supposed to mean? Was he taunting her? After pausing a beat too long, she feigned lightness, trying desperately to sound someway convincing, "sure, I missed you. I always hate it when a regular disappears."

 - befor

[august de witte]

He leans forward with his elbow on the arm of the chair and his head resting on his hand, curious to as what Ava is pulling. Jessa looks his way and he can't help but wink at her, the cheeky little shit he is. When she returns, he's thrilled that she's urging him up. The hangover and grogginess lifting like a fog as his feet hit ground and he hauls himself up. "Remind me. 'Cause I forgot my phone and Nick's probably begging," he says in regard to the coffee. He watches her toss her jacket and reacts with an amused grin. It was amazing how similar she and Theodora looked, though Ava seemed to intimidate him less. August laugh when he thinks about Abel, who dressed in button downs and fitted pants. His twin who had long hair and wore it either like Lancelot or in a bun. His twin would was the picture for start-ups. "Nah, Abe dresses more like that Facebook guy. I can't work any look but slob," he shrugs, and shoves his hands into his pockets. There was a chill in the New York air and he needs to comment on it in order to get rid of the lull of silence he's created, "Jesus, it's Octobery out here. Don't you think?" His golden skin is plagued with goosebumps that start up his biceps and lead up into his crisp white shirt. "With my latest savings I'm hiring a portrait artist to paint me. I'll give it to you to hang in the shop.. I'll try convince Nick to as well, but honestly I don't know if Buzzfeed pays much for articles about grapefruits looking kind of like vaginas," August tilts his head to look up the buildings. God, he missed this. California was too open and he yearned to be jammed in a subway like a sardine. "Hey, what time is it? It looks like noon.. I'm pretty sure it's noon. Let's go to a bar."