First Glance

The girl was walking home and decided to stop in a coffee shop before heading home, a cozy cafe with a warm atmosphere.

The Cat cafe was busy, and the girl found a small table in the corner nearest the back where it was quieter.

She sat her purse down, and went up to order a drink, her mind elsewhere. A barista smiled at her as she approached the front.*

"What can I get for you today?"

The girl smiled back as she looked at the board, deciding on what to order. She spotted a caramel flavored drink and her eyes lit up.

"Could I get the caramel latte, please?"

The barista smiled and nodded, typing the order into a screen behind him. He looked up as the girl handed him cash.

"Of course, any name for that?"

The girl thought for a moment.

"Luna..."

"What a beautiful name", the barista said, smiling. "I'll get that out to you soon."

The girl nodded and moved back to her table, sitting down. She looked around, watching people at the surrounding tables. A couple sat in the opposite corner, a man and woman smiling at each other. A man near the front was on a laptop, sipping on a drink. Two teens sat at one of the window tables, looking at their phones and drinking coffee together.

The girl pulled out a small book from her purse, opening it to the marked page. It looked like a diary of some kind, and she leaned back in her chair as she began writing in it. Occasionally, she'd look around, and watch the people sitting nearby, before looking back down to write once more time.

The sound of a mug being set on a table drew her attention, and she looked up as the barista set her drink down on the table. He smiled at her and went back to the front. She picked up the mug, sipping at the drink slowly, as she continued writing in her diary.

At the front of the café, a boy entered. He was tall and handsome, with messy black hair. He approached the counter with a small smile on his lips. The barista at the front smiled and spoke*

"Good afternoon. Anything I can get for you?"

The boy nodded, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Yeah I'll order a mocha frappe", he said, his voice smooth and friendly.

"And a chocolate chip cookie as well."

The barista typed on the screen behind him.

"Alright, and is that for here or to go?", the worker asked, picking up a small cup.

"For here", the boy said, fishing out some bills from his pocket.

The barista nodded and continued to make the drink, setting it down on the counter once he was finished.

"That'll be three dollars, seventy-five cents", the barista said. The boy handed him the cash, and turned to find a table...

The boy's gaze flickered to the table where the girl was sitting, and he noticed her almost instantly. He took in her appearance from across the room, his eyes lingering on her face. She seemed lost in thought, her gaze occasionally flickering up to look out the window. The boy couldn't help but be drawn to her, her quiet demeanor sparking his curiosity.

He began walking towards the table where the girl was sitting, his casual pace making it seem as if he wasn't specifically heading for her. He approached the table and cleared his throat, catching the girl's attention

girl looked up from her diary, her eyes meeting the boy. Her expression was a mixture of surprise and curiosity, as if she had sensed his approach but wasn't entirely sure why he was there.

boy smiled at her, an almost shy smile, as he stood beside the table. He shoved his hands back in his pockets, trying to appear casual, although he was secretly feeling quite nervous.

After a moment, the boy stepped back and turned to look around, his eyes scanning the café for an empty table. He spotted one in the corner and made his way there, sitting down and making himself comfortable. The girl watched him go, her curiosity now tinged with a hint of confusion. She shook her head and went back to her diary, her mind now filled with thoughts of the strange boy.

As the girl continued reading her diary, her thoughts were still focused on the boy who had just approached her. She couldn't shake off the feeling of curiosity and intrigue that he had stirred within her. It was rare for someone to approach her in a public place, especially a stranger.

She tried to push aside the thoughts and focus on her writing, but her eye caught a boy behind the window like she seemed to know him.

The girl's heart skipped a beat as she saw the boy standing outside the window. It was the same one who had just approached her in the cafe. But something was different about him now.

The girl looked at the boy through the window again, but this time he was gone. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But there was definitely no one there. She felt a chill run down her spine, and a sense of unease settled over her.

She shook her head again, trying to convince herself that it must have been her imagination. After all, she had been up all night and had barely slept.

The girl closed her diary and looked at the table where the boy had been sitting just a few moments ago. But to her surprise, the table was empty.

Confused, she got up and approached the barista at the front.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice soft but tinged with a hint of uneasiness. "I was just wondering... did a boy just come in here and order a mocha frappe and a cookie?"

The barista looked at her with a confused expression, his brow furrowing.

"No, not that I remember," the barista said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "There haven't been any customers in here for a few minutes now."

The girl's heart sank a little. Had she been hallucinating? Was she just tired and seeing things that weren't there?

She thanked the barista and returned to her table, her thoughts swirling with confusion and doubt. It was odd that no one had seen the boy, but perhaps it wasn't that strange. Maybe he had just left quickly and she hadn't noticed.

As the girl started to packed up her belongings and left the café, she couldn't shake off the strange happenings from earlier. Her mind was still racing with questions and doubts, and she felt a sense of unease as she stepped out into the street.

She began walking in the direction of her home, her footsteps quickening with each passing minute. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see the boy again, but he was nowhere in sight.

As the girl continued walking, her mind still filled with thoughts of the boy and the strange things that had happened earlier, she finally reached her house. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, grateful to be in the comfort of her own home.

As she closed the door behind her, she couldn't shake off the feeling that the encounter with the boy would not be the last of her mysterious experiences....