He sat at the café, waiting for his order to come. It had been a long day at the university. He was worn out. He looked around, there weren’t many people there. A young couple –around 16 or 15 both- sitting very close to each other and holding hands, a business man drinking coffee while reading the newspaper, and his mustache full of cookie crumbs. And then he spotted a girl. She was reading a book, her long hair reached all the way down to her waist. She mouthed the words in the book as if she was chanting a spell. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.
He –Charlie- wasn’t anything special. He had very dark black hair that, sometimes, covered his eyes. And eyes the colour of ash. He was a shy, bashful guy. Charlie had a love for the art of acting. And he was good at it too. He wanted to be in movies and T.V. It was ironic to him, he was shy but he loved being on stage.
He glanced at the girl every now and then; he took as long as possible eating that slice of Chiffon Cake he had ordered. And whilst staring at the cake he made a decision. He would walk over and talk to her. And he stood up, walked over, and suddenly her eyes shut up from the book to him. He got nervous, but he was determined.
-“Um… h-hi.” He said
She put her book down, crossed her arms, leaned back in the chair and look at Charlie strait in the eyes. ‘What am I supposed to do?’ he thought
-“Can I sit?” he asked
The girl was taken by surprise. She didn’t expect for him to actually make a move. She thought he would walk away. Like all the other guys. She nodded and Charlie sat down. It was awkward; he fiddled with his thumbs and she stared out the window not paying attention to him. As if he wasn’t there.
She –Kassidy- was a college student, like Charlie, she read in her free time. She was a frequent customer at the café. She was a pretty brunette. With eyes the colour of apples. She wasn’t very tall. 5’3. Exactly a foot shorter than Charlie. She studied photography. But what she really liked was singing. She just didn’t think she was cut out for it. Kassidy didn’t have any parents. They had abandoned her at the age of three. Her mother used to write. But Kassidy never wrote back. And then her mother stopped writing. Kassidy didn’t have anybody. Not a single soul. She worked at the libraby. And she lived alone.
-“W-what’s your name?” Charlie asked. Kassidy darted her eyes from the window to him.
-“Ka-Kassidy, you?” she answered. She wondered why her voice shacked. ’Her voice; it sounds so sweet and…broken’ he thought.
Charlie had a sort of gift. He could easily see through people. He could read other people’s expressions like no one else.
-“Charlie." he answered "That’s a pretty name” he said. Kassidy suddenly blushed and her cheeks grew hot. She looked away, and Charlie smirked suddenly getting cocky. ‘She’s easier to read than most.’
But she wasn’t. Of course Charlie didn’t know that. He thought he could, but he couldn’t. He was reading her all wrong. And suddenly Kassidy looked back at him with a glare across her face.
-“You think you can walk over here with those pretty eyes of yours,” she started her voice raising with every word, and Charlie’s eyes suddenly got as big as saucers. “say a few compliments, act all sweet and ill give in?! What kind of girl do you think I am?!”
Kassidy grabbed her book, shot up from her chair and walked out of the café. She was furious.
Kassidy got home at about six thirty. She had stopped by the library to get some books. The silence of Bonaventure Arrow and As I lay dying. She had seen them when restacking books and they called her attention. She didn’t feel like reading though. She sat down in her polka dot bean bag and looked up at the ceiling. She started thinking about his gray eyes, and his hair ‘it was a bit long… could he see?’ she thought.
-“Charlie…” she whispered under her breath.
Suddenly she opened her eyes wide. ‘Why am I thinking about him?!’ she thought. Kassidy walked to the bathroom and washed her face. She stared at herself in the mirror.
Charlie walked into his apartment. It wasn’t anything special. Just a two room apartment, one bathroom, the kitchen. It was cozy. He liked small places. He had just moved out of his mom’s house. He thougt it was about time he left that house. So he did.
Charlie threw his keys on the table and lied down on the couch. Usually he would watch movies on Netflix, but he couldn’t get her out of his head. She was stunning, her beauty captivated him instantly. He thought about her light green eyes. And her long hair that fell down her shoulders perfectly without her trying. Her skin was pale, like the snow. And her lips were a scarlet red. ‘How am I going to find her?’ he thought. He didn’t go to bed. He just stayed on the couch looking up, until he fell asleep.
And even in his dreams she was there.
