Her first class didn't start for two hours, but she couldn't stay in this room any longer. The walls felt too close. The silence too loud. Her thoughts too circular and repetitive and unproductive.
She needed coffee. Maybe food. Definitely distraction.
The campus cafe opened early for the overachievers who couldn't sleep and the athletes who started training before dawn. Noel fell into the first category most days. Today she wasn't sure which category applied.
The walk cleared her head slightly. Cold air filled her lungs. The sun crept above the horizon and painted everything in shades of gold and pink.
Pretty. Peaceful. Completely at odds with the chaos inside her skull.
The cafe was half-full when she arrived. A few students she recognized but didn't really know. Some faculty members grading papers over espresso. Nobody who would require more than a polite nod of acknowledgment.
Perfect.
