I met myself for a coffee

I made a reservation in a coffee shop because I knew my teenage self hadn´t yet fallen for the coffee shop culture. And if so, she wouldn´t make a reservation. We met there, and we were both on time. She was surprised to see me in elegant clothes and, most importantly, with short hair.

She wore sporty, boyish clothes and saw them as a rebellion against society and her mother, even though you probably wouldn´t be able to say so. She wore a flannel shirt with skinny jeans, Converse, and a ski jacket, so it was nothing crazy. I wore formal trousers, an elegant coat, Dr Martens, and a scarf.

We sat down, and she wondered why we didn´t go to a KFC in a shopping mall instead. Then, she ordered a chai latte and thought about buying a cake. I had a raspberry matcha latte and got a French toast I had already picked out online the day before. She eyed my matcha latte with suspicion. Matcha looked like something her mother drinks for her eczema.

I said that I was going for a yoga session afterwards. She was surprised because, with all the volleyball training she had, she wouldn´t have had time for it. I admitted that volleyball got a bit overwhelming at some point: "I still love the sport, but sometimes, the trainings didn´t satisfy me as much as they did before. I felt old enough not to be treated like a kid. I had a break and started to learn more about the activities I wanted to do along with volleyball."

"A break?" she looked at me, shocked, because in her eyes, that must have meant I got hurt and couldn´t play for some time. I laughed apologetically: "It wasn´t a break like that. I went to study in England for half a year."

With that, her eyes widened even more. She had just returned from a school trip to England, and the idea of studying there seemed like something out of a movie.

I told her I loved it.

I eyed her skinny jeans, wondering if they were comfortable. She saw I was curvier than her, yet I seemed okay with having a French toast. But our struggles were never visible from the outside, so she wasn´t sure. I knew exactly what she was thinking about, so I said: "Some days it still sucks, but we know better now."

We chatted about life. 14th February was approaching, so she asked expectantly if I was celebrating it with someone. I said no but assured her that I was okay with that. She said she totally gets me and doesn´t want a boyfriend either.

I looked at her knowingly and said I knew she wanted a boyfriend. But I also added that she´d learn that you develop and learn more about yourself when you're single. And even though she´d still wish to be taken, she´d come in peace with the fact it´d come at some point. There´s no rush.

She had just won an award for her story and was considering getting a copywriter job. I said not only will she get it, but she´ll become a journalism student. She was in awe.

We finished our meals, and I paid for us. I knew she only trained kids at our volleyball club, so she didn´t have as much money as me. She was impressed when I told her I earned them by working as a barista, writing articles, tutoring Czech language and teaching kids chess.

When we walked outside, I offered her a ride. "You drive?" she gasped. I looked at her, confused because it didn´t seem like a big deal. While driving to the same house, she told me about all the possible renovations to her room. I replied that they´d happen but that she wouldn´t care about them then.

"Why?" she asked. "Because you´ll be about to move out soon," I smiled. "You´re so put together," she sighed admiringly. I burst out laughing. "It may seem like that, but I still feel like a kid living in an adult´s world."

We decided to listen to some music. She immediately put One Direction on. I told her she´d see Harry Styles at a concert. She was excited and asked if I still liked him then. I scoffed and said: "Duh! But I have listened to The Beatles a lot lately since visiting Liverpool. And I became a Swiftie!"

When we arrived, she was still looking at me respectfully and saw an independent, confident adult ready to take on the world. She never thought she could look like I did.

But when she reaches my age, she will understand that I´m still as much of a kid as she is—only I know more.

Love,

Book and Tea Girl