Cafe Connection

Rylee is sitting alone, typing feverishly at her laptop. The cafe was bustling with people, yet she felt some sort of divide from them.

Taking a sip of her iced coffee, she hums to herself. She takes a deep breath, tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and continues typing.

The paper was due tomorrow and she has revised it many times before; but, she felt like something was missing. In perspective, she was just a perfectionist who expected the best from herself. Sometimes, she went so far that she drove herself crazy.

Her classmate Julie, who was sitting across the cafe, sat watching Rylee slowly break herself down over the essay.

"So, what'd you reckon? Think Saturday is a good time to go Go-karting?"

Julie snapped her attention to her friends. She smiles.

"Yep. Sounds good to me."

"Okay, nice. I'll go book a time for us then. Anyone got something they wanna do after?"

Julie shakes her head and turns to look back at Rylee. Her friends continue to talk. At this rate, Rylee is typing so loud, that she was getting glances from people walking by. But, it wasn't as if she would notice. She was too focused, too honed in on her goal. Julie takes a sip of her own drink - an iced oolong peach tea. It was sweet and cold in her mouth, leaving her with a small shot of dopamine. Her friends' chatter drones into the background as her thoughts become the central voice she hears.

Why is Rylee working so hard on this one paper? Anyone can tell she's stressing herself more than she needs to be.

But, in a certain respect, Julie admires Rylee for it.

Her determination and strength to power through when the current world is full of distractions. She watches Rylee and sips her tea.

If only I was like her, then I'd excel in class. Maybe even the best. It's procrastination and a lack of motivation that is keeping me from my full potential. At this point, I've just given up after spending years trying to fight this problem. She got guts. Something that I'm lacking.

Julie is brought back to reality when Gemma, her friend, taps her on the arm. She smirks.

"Why are you watching that girl so intently? Did you decide that it's time to add some romance into your life?"

All her other friends laugh, and they lean in closer to hear her answer. Julie shrugs.

"Nope. Not interested. You guys can go screw whoever you want, but I don't have time for anyone with all the work I've got."

"That's just an excuse." Marcus punches her in the arm. "Even though we have school and you have a lot more work hours than I've ever seen anyone take, you've got time. I see you spending your few hours moping alone at home."

Julie rolls her eyes. Her friends continue to joke and nudge her, spurring on the idea that Julie should go talk to her - the girl sitting by the window with her iced coffee, typing madly on her laptop.

At the same time, Rylee glances up from her device, suddenly broken out of her trance. The binoculars were out of focus. She sighs, There it is again. A lost train of thought.

Rylee groans and buried her head in her hands.

I'm never going to finish this the way I want it.

As she burrows herself into her elbow, she hears roaring laughter from the other side of the cafe. She peeks her head up, curious about the uproar. She sees her classmate, Julie, sitting with her friends. They're laughing, poking, and nudging each other.

Rylee burrows her head again. If only her friends were free to call her. They were miles and miles away and, they too were busy with work. Here, she almost had no one in spite of her high academic success at school. Everyone only came to her for help.

Rylee sits up and takes a sip of her coffee and fixes her hair.

I can't write anymore. I need a break.

She watches as she drinks.

Julie is pointing aggressively at her friends, saying something really quickly - and they laugh in response. They say something back, their eyes widening with some sort of enthusiasm.

If only I had her charisma and the ability to make friends. God, what I'd do for that, Rylee sighs again.

She sips her coffee in envy, watching the ice cubes float. They're almost melted, big pieces reduced to tiny chunks. She looks up.

Julie meets her eye.

Rylee turns away, but a little too quickly.

Oh god. She saw me.

Rylee puts down the drink and continues to type as if nothing happened. But the things happening inside were a different matter. She bites the inside of her cheek as she writes, typing ever so fast, and she begins to jerk her leg - an old habit that she can't seem to shake.

Julie notices and blinks a couple times. Her friends notice their exchange. They all seem to simultaneously raise an eyebrow at her. Julie shakes the thought off. There's no way that Rylee would have any interest in her. They never talk. The only extent of acknowledging the other's existence is a quick glance on campus when they pass by, or when they'd sat somewhat close to each other in class.

"So, what do you think? She looked at you."

"Nope."

"Uhm, I'm pretty sure she did."

Julie shakes her head in dismissal and turns her focus back to her friends, "So, when are we leaving?"

Gemma crosses her arms. "Not until you go speak to her."

"I don't know her!"

"Then get to know her!"

"Uh, no."

Gemma rolls her eyes. She glares at Julie for a moment before breaking the silence. It was obvious that Julie was adamant about leaving.

"Fine. But you better talk to her one day if not today."

A look of disappointment flashes across her face.

Julie shrugs, finishing up the last of her tea. She stands up.

"Let's go then. I've got some things I want to get before we go."

She begins to walk out of the cafe, her hands in her pockets. Her hands were clammy. Her friends follow her, albeit, a little reluctantly. Gemma rolls her eyes so much they might roll into the back of her head. Marcus drags his feet and groans, reluctant to leave. He wanted to see some sparks fly.

I need to get out of here, Julie thinks, before I make a fool of myself.

Rylee watches them leave in the corner of her eye. She lets out a sigh of relief when they leave her peripheral.

God, that was scary.

She finishes up her coffee, drinking it all in thirty seconds, and packs away her things. She gets up, leaves the cafe, and leaves the noise indoors. Outside, the world is noisy in a different way. It was city noise - the cars, the wind, and the sound of the distant conversations across the street. The wind blows Rylee's hair across her face, but she doesn't fix it. She walks with great speed to the bus stop, and plops herself down, waiting for her bus to arrive.

She's breathing harder than she usually would when she walks. She arrived quicker than she usually did.

Something about Julie was enamoring her.

I want to get to know her, Rylee thinks, but the only problem with that is my lack of courage to talk to her. Or to anyone, for that matter.

The bus pulls up at the stop. Checking to see that it's her bus, she gets on, pays, and sits at the back near the window. She plugs her earphones in after selecting a song and drowns out the world.

Maybe it's the envy getting to me, Rylee thinks, She just has the things that I want in myself. Has to be.