Coffee Girl

Chapter 1: Mystery girl

Over the summer, I created an addiction to coffee. Every morning, I will go to Jean's Coco beans coffee shop and order a cup of coffee. And today was no different.

The bell jingles as I open the door and walk over to the marble counter. The store has a simple layout. In one corner there is a couch and some newspaper, in another corner is a bathroom. There are tables scattered around the middle of the room. It's a small coffee shop, but it's by far the best in town. I make my way to the line with about five people. To keep me occupied, I examine the people in the shop. I recognize a lot of people because I come so often.

There's Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, married for 39 years, and their anniversary is coming in a few weeks. They only come on the weekends and get the same thing every time. Then there is Ms. Gresser who gets five cups of coffee every morning. She reminds me of Lorelei from Gilmore Girls. Then there is Mr. Peter, the old grouch who no one likes.

But there is one person who I can never figure out. Everyday I walk into this shop and see her in the same seat, at the same time, doing the same thing everyday, staring out the window. She wears basically the same outfit everyday. Her hair is always down, she wears blue jeans everyday, and the same sweater except it's different colors and her glasses and socks always match it. She wears a bracelet on her right hand with a puzzle piece on it. Then she wears simple black boots and has her grey coffee mugs with her, and slowly drinks it. 

No matter how early I seem to get here, she has always beat me to it. I once came 30 minutes before the shop even opened, and she was still there waiting by the door for it to open. That was at 4:30 in the morning in 25 degree temperature. Then at 5:00 when the doors open, she goes up to the counter, Jean hands her her coffee which he always pre-makes, and she sits down in her chair by the window and starts her staring.

I've tried to figure her out, I really have, but she's a mystery. I even asked Jean about her, but all he knows is she started coming to the shop around the same time as me, and that she likes her coffee black. Also that whenever he comes down stairs to the shop since he lives upstairs, she will always be there waiting at the door, and he usually lets her in ahead of time. He's only heard her speak once when she first came to the shop and ordered for the first time, and asked politely if he could have her coffee ready when she got in.

"Next please" Jean called out, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hello Jean"

"Your usual" he asked

"Yes please"

Jean must have noticed me staring at her. "I usually like to get to know my regular customers. You know like the basics, but she has been coming to the shop since the beginning of summer and I still know absolutely nothing about her. I woke up the other day at 3 in the morning and came down to the shop, and she was there, waiting at the door like always. I'm starting to think she never goes home or something. I even tried asking her about it, but she just stays silent." he explained.

"Yeah, she's not much of a talker."

Jean chuckled. "You can say that again. I tried to figure out what she is staring at every morning, but I don't know. She's just so mysterious."

"Maybe I should try to talk to her. Maybe I'll have better luck."

"You can try." he said, picking up my coffee, "Here you go sir."

"Thanks," I said, grabbing it and walking over to her table.

I pulled up a chair to the table and sat down next to her. She didn't move, just kept staring.

"Hey" I said to her. She didn't move. "Um... miss... excuse me?" I said trying to get her attention again. This time she slowly turned her head in my direction.

"Um... hello" I said, shly. She just stared at me blankly.

"okay... now that I got your attention, I'm Clark," I said, holding out my hand for her to shake. Her eyes quickly shifted to my hand than back to my eyes, and continued to stare at me without moving.

"What's your name?" I continued. Silence.

"That's okay if you don't want to tell me... um...what are you staring at?" Silence.

"Okay cool" I said awkwardly, "I'm going to go now, but it was nice to meet you." I got up and moved the chair back then went to Jean who was laughing hysterically.

"Oh my... that was amazing..." he said in between laughs.

"At least I tried," I protested, "even if it was useless."

"Maybe she will just remain a mystery and in 50 years we'll look back and wonder about her."