Oliver.

My eyes flickered across the menu. What do I want? God, there’s so many options! I looked around the small cafe. How can one small place have so many options? In reality, there weren't many options, but I can never make up my mind. Even if I get the same thing over and over again, I always wonder if I should switch things up, so then I read the entire menu anyway.

Usually, Nick would be here to help me choose. I felt my throat constricting. Why can’t you just let it go? I said to myself. He’s much happier with that rich blonde now anyway. I straightened my posture and blinked. 

“You have such bad posture.” He always said that. Why did he always say that? He always got into my head about the small things. Red flags, much? Apparently not to my past self. I guess I was colorblind back then. I sighed and my eyes flicked back onto the menu.

A waitress walked over to my table, “Can I get you started today?”

She had green freckles and little horns sticking out of her head. Everyone in this time had little features like that. Sometimes when I look back at humans from the Young Ages, I wonder how they even could tell each other apart. 

They all had such normal eyes. Blue. Brown. Green.

“Uhm, can I have a bit more time?” I laughed uncomfortably, then murmured, “I don’t make decisions very easily.”

“Pardon? I didn’t catch that last part.” She had that “customer service smile” plastered onto her face.

I cleared my throat, “Nevermind.”

The waitress walked away.

How about a panini?I love those. Ok, let's look at the panini options. I read the list of options. What kind of a crazy person set this trap for me? I sighed and leaned back in my chair. If Nick had been there, I would’ve decided already.

“I’ve been watching you for a while now,” A voice rang out from behind me.

“Excuse me?” I turned around.

Black hair. Orange eyes. Freckles. Freckles meaning normal, brown freckles that people have had for a while. He had circle glasses on. He’s cute. I thought. Then I grimaced, No he’s not! He just said he’s been watching you! I stared at him a bit.

“You’re very uncertain about your own thoughts. You probably have a lot of internal conflict. You've been sitting there looking at the menu for twenty minutes, half of that time your eyes were glazed over and you were staring off into space as if your mind had wandered on you. I hate it when that happens, don’t you?” He smiled, which flashed his sharp but cute canines, and took a sip of his tea.

Orange eyes and canines. That’s what he was born with.

What the heck?

“Are you a psychic or something?” I laughed.

He winked, and set down the teacup, leaning back in his chair, “Something like that.”

What is up with this guy?

“You’ll have to excuse my atrocious behavior. I found your little quirk some-what special. I don’t often see people born with tattoos and green hair,” His husky voice was appealing to me for some odd reason. “And color changing eyes depending on the mood! Insane.”

How does he know I was born this way? Anyone can dye their hair and get tattoos!

“Pardon me for assuming, but I know that I’m correct due to your silence. People are very flaunty about their little ticks, so if I had gotten it wrong you would have corrected me. That is, if you’re like everyone else in this society, which I catch the notion that you are not. So, why do I think that you still would have corrected me? Well, you see, that’s where I made a small mistake. Go ahead and tell me if you were born with it or not. I’d like to see if I was correct.”

“You are correct, sir,” I faltered.

I felt the small hearts tattooed onto my cheeks. My natural crocodile green hair. I looked back at this man. This very, very odd man. Suddenly, I had lost my appetite. I stood up, ready to leave the building. I glanced at him with narrowed eyes as I quickly walked towards the door.

“Hey.”

I paused.

“What?” I snapped, and turned around.

The man was a foot away from me, standing too. How did he walk so quietly? Oh, nevermind that! I’m sick of this place. I wanted to leave and never see this mystery man again. I wanted to open the door and run away. 

“Don’t be angry,” He smirked. “This isn’t a personal attack. I’m just testing out my ability to read a person, that’s all. Go ahead and leave, tell all your friends about the creep you met… but I really must know something.”

“And what is that, sir?” I scoffed.

“What made you come to this old restaurant anyway? The Young Age is its theme. They even have physical menus. Look around. No one is here but you and me. So… what does this place mean to you?” The man mused.

Memories of Nick and I flooded through my brain. He took me here on our first date. He was a Young Age enthusiast. Nick was born looking like those of the Young Age. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Normal features and everything. He liked the way he looked. I liked the way he looked. Most people called him a freak. 

I called him a freak. I swallowed hard. I was angry at him. Why couldn’t he have understood that? I felt so terrible after. He was breaking up with me anyway. God. I wish it wasn’t like this. Don’t cry. Not now. This isn't the time or place. I had a feeling that my eyes were blue with flecks of red.

“What does this place mean to me?” I repeated, then narrowed my eyes and took a deep breath, “Why would you ask me that? I don’t know you. I don’t even know your name! You expect me to just talk to you about everything and anything? What is your problem anyway? Talking to random people… Telling them everything about themselves. It’s weird. Especially to young men like me. Buzz off, creep!”

“I’m not into guys, Oliver. You don’t need to worry about me,” he soothed.

I flinched at the use of my name. Suddenly my voice was low and conniving, like a villain's. My eyes were dark gray. “Oh, but you see, I do need to worry about you,” I looked the man directly in the eye, “I don’t know who you are, but obviously you know who I am. If I ever see you again, you will rue it.”

Fear flickered across his face. 

Good.

I walked out the door.