Airel - Aaron Patterson [1]
As I pulled back the sheer curtain, looking past the glass and into the front yard, I was glad to see the sun would be making an appearance... well, for today, anyway. Around here the weather was about as reliable as the people who reported it. I packed my backpack with the necessary books, make-up, and extra clothes just in case we had a running day in gym. Once a week we were forced to run and I ended up sweaty and gross. Ten minutes from the time my feet hit the floor I was in my trusty Honda and on my way to school... or as I like to call it…Hell!
I didn’t really think it was hell, but it had its hell-like days. I was running a little late, even with my record time getting out of the house, and to top it off, I had a wicked craving for a coconut latte.
I looked at the time and decided to just go ahead and commit to my coffee obsession. After all, it was only high school and I had priorities. I pulled into Moxie Java—I was a diehard fan. The gunko, —yep, gunko is not a ‘real’ word, but if I say it, then that makes it real in my world— they served at Starbucks would peel the paint off the walls. I liked good coffee—not burnt gunko.
My car squealed to a stop outside the coffee shop, reminding me once again that I needed to have Dad do the brakes. I should have asked him do it last weekend, but it rained the entire weekend, leaving me stranded at home doing homework. To my dismay, the place was packed. Looks like ‘late’ just turned to ‘criminally late.’
I looked behind the bar and saw that Lacey, my latte buddy, was working today. She smiled at me, feigning a panicked look and nodded to the line of sleepy people she was trying to serve. I came here often enough that she knew me and exactly what I'd be wanting. We had a good relationship worked out. She would have my drink ready before I made it through the line to the register and I always gave her a nice tip for her extra speedy work.
I didn’t dare look at the time, but surprisingly, the line seemed to move rather quickly. With latte in hand, I turned doing the hair flip thing. It was supposed to look like I was a pro at the order-pay-and-I’m-out move, but as I turned to go someone walked through the door and everything in my world came to a screeching halt.
He was a tall boy—man--with spiky blond hair. As he walked in I felt my heart jump. It was like destiny. I felt something begin as he filled the doorway. It was like he and I were made in that moment.
He was so perfect and beautiful. He was so perfect and beautifully manly. I could feel my face flush and my heart pound within my chest.
He walked past me as if I didn’t exist and got in line. All at once, I was moving—or falling, who knows. All I know is that I rammed into some poor old guy and proceeded to dump my precious coconut latte all over his coat. “Oh. I’m so sorry. I, uh…”
The short bent-over man looked up at me with confusion and amusement as I pawed clumsily at his wet coat, looking around for some napkins. I felt my heart race even faster as a hand reached over my shoulder with about ten of them. I turned and followed the hand up the arm, and at the other end of that glorious arm was—him.
I then turned into a puddle of mush; a fumbling idiot. He smiled and I felt my face grow hot. “Let me... ” He said, as he handed the old man the stack of napkins. I could feel my cheeks flush. I wanted to die. I just stood there like a moron with my mouth hanging open.
The old man took the napkins and cleaned up most of the mess. He insisted that it was no big deal. “Happens to the best of us!” he said. He was so nice and looking back on the terrible situation, I wonder who ran into who.
My legs were shaking now, and I was freezing. I looked around, then down at my feet where