What I Once Called Love: The Drafts

Hello

I saw you once.

It was a chilly afternoon, the golden leaves floating through the air like wishes on stars. My knitted sweater wasn't nearly as warm as I hoped it would be, but I knew a bowl of soup would help heat my shivering core. I entered the cafeteria, relieved to be in from the cold. To my surprise, there were several empty tables. Must've beaten the lunch rush, I thought. Lucky me.

I placed my bag down at a table near the window before grabbing a fresh cup of coffee and a bowl of soup. As I returned to my table, the room thundered with the echo of the incoming crowd. Glad I got here early.

Familiar faces flooded the floor, with conversations toppling over one another like crashing waves. Despite the noise, my strategic seat allowed me just enough peace and quiet to focus on writing out the deadlines for the semester. My schedule was going to teeter on the edge of overwhelming between work and classes, but I felt confident that I could manage it, provided there weren't any major distractions. My hand reached for the last sip of coffee when I heard a laugh from across the room.

I could've sworn I had heard it before.

Quickly scanning the room for its owner, my eyes found your chuckling frame at a table in the center of the room. I recognized some of the people you were sitting with, but there were several I didn't know. None of that mattered, however, because I couldn't remove my attention from you. As if you felt my gaze, your eyes briefly met mine before returning to your group. I felt my body freeze at the short spark of intrigue.

You seem foreign to me, like a breath of fresh air, but that laugh was so familiar, so comfortable, so...warm. My stomach fluttered.

It's just a new guy. No big deal.

I tried to return back to my coffee and planner, but the bubbling inside wasn't going away. I harshly swallowed the last bit of coffee to try to shake the feeling. Nothing changed.

I threw a glance in your direction, trying to solve the mystery only to find your eyes already locked on my shivering frame. I self-consciously nodded in acknowledgement, feeling like a kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. You surprised me with a nod in return and a smile that encompassed your dark brown eyes.

My heart spoke the one word I couldn't muster saying out loud-Hello.