<span style="font-size: 18px">Spring break was one of Dhara's favourite times of the year. The part of the year where the leaves sprouted on the trees, flower buds bloomed, and bees worked their magic on the world. He could wake up with the sun, go for his daily run and spend his usual two hours sitting in the park with a good book in his hands or his beloved camera he'd bought for himself last week. The impulse to worry over deadlines, word counts, and average grades was nonexistant, leaving space for peace of mind, relaxation, and self-care. <br/>
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It was the self-care aspect of spring break that brought him to the coffee shop he worked at on weekends. He was going to grab his usual pink lemonade, however, not to put on his apron. He walked through the doors and immediately recognised Jason working the counter, Annabelle working the orders behind him. Working the orders was putting it lightly because there was hardly anyone in the shop right now. The exception being a guy with strikingly white hair, some girl he vaguely recognised from college, and two boys hunched over a laptop in the back snickering between themselves.<br/>
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Wearing his signature white t-shirt and a pair of harem pants, he walked up to Jason and smiled as the boy quickly recognised him. Jason had a friendly aura; approachable and inviting, the kind of person Dhara enjoyed spending time with. <br/>
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"Hey, man! S'good to see you," Jason said, "The usual?"<br/>
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"The usual, thank you. Slow day, huh?"<br/>
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"Yeah. But Anna's keeping me good company."<br/>
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"The coffee machine's keeping me better company than you are, J," Anna said, and Dhara laughed as he gestured his debit card to his coworker.<br/>
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They chatted until his drink was ready, mostly about work related things and Jason's Tinder date of the week. They said goodbye, Annabelle slipped him a cookie, and he settled into the the chair that got the most sun. He didn't intend to stick around very long because there was some sort of musical gathering happening at the park and he didn't want to miss it. That was the beauty about spring break; the only obligations he had were the ones he made.<br/>
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Dhara brushed his hair over his shoulder and ducked his head as he lifted the strap of his bag over him, setting the bag on the ground beside him. He undid the button holding the opening flap in place and pulled out the daily newspaper. He'd watched old men read the local paper at the diner he used to go to every week when he lived with his parents, and had gotten into the habit of doing so himself. It was a waste of paper, but there was just something so mundane about reading the newspaper and catching up on local or internatinal news. The comics were pretty funny, too.</span>