The Frappuccino Man

“Get that ‘A’ on the Biochem exam/quiz! ~Anonymous”

The young student nods enthusiastically as he heads out the metal doors.

Quick bio:

Name: Anonymous

Height: Short

Education: Junior at University of Florida

Superpower: Words (not just for swearing)

Testimonials on the campus blog, ufl.edu/positivewords/anonymous:

“I saw a folded note on top of my textbook. It said ‘Don’t doubt yourself. You got this. ~Anonymous’ I thought it was weird but I felt a surge of hopefulness. For the first time in the semester, I got a ‘B’ on an organic chem test!”

“I was going through a mid-life crisis regarding my personal life and I felt the world was coming down. I went back out to take a breather, upon returning back, there sat a note. It said ‘Success and happiness are in your future.’ I instantly felt lighter. Right now, I am graduating as a manga cum laude and securing a job offer post graduation!”

“Thank you, Anonymous!”

“Anonymous, who are you? I would love to meet you in person!”

It feels good to do good.

My all-time record is clean and flies with success; the receiver gets a dose of positivity in accordance to the context of the note. Though dosage could be long-term if the receiver properly handles their feeling from there on.

I have been administering these dosages since sophomore year with one fail case.

Wanting to convert his negativism into positivism, I drew green and blue hearts around the card, but he flat out threw it into the trash can.

His name is Michael, a staff member at “Positively Coffee”, and their motto being “Our staff will be on their best positive mood when serving you and your beverages!”

Nah on that motto. Before any Wednesdays and Fridays classes, I drop by “Positively Coffee” to order coffee with a small amount of soy milk. The coffee taste like soy milk and base on my observation, half of it is soy.

I am consistently getting soy coffee and Michael is the one preparing it!

“Hello Michael.”

“Yes.”

“I got soy coffee again.”

“Ok.” He moves to the cooler gathering ice which is tossing with the strawberries and berries.

“This is the hundredth time that I am getting this.”

“Then why you keep coming back? Why don’t you go to Starbucks?”

“Why would you say that?”

“When something goes wrong or is not right like the hundredth time, common sense should’ve kick your brain into gear, telling you to go else where.”

“Asshole, to let you know, you should be the one getting the orders correct. I explicitly stated 1/4 of soy not a 1/2 cup. It is written on the cup,” I show 1/4 cup mark on the side of the cup. “Unless you won’t wearing your glasses.”

“I wear contacts and am in the honors programs for English Lit.”

“A 1/4 cup is lesser 1/2 cup of something. Do you know that?”

“I do but you annoy me.”

“What?”

“With your crappy notes. I seen you sneaking them in my bag.”

“Those crappy notes make a huge difference in other people lives on this campus.”

“That’s great but I do not need them. Also it isn’t polite or nice to watch other people.”

“Fine!” I slam the cup onto the counter. “Take this back and good-bye!” I storm to the revolving doors.

Is my superpower weakening? Or is this a powerful enemy?

My curl up on the pillow. The Frappuccino Man will turn the coffee world to soy-coffee forever!

Should I tie him up and force a bucket of positive messages into him?

Nah.

That will involve the authorities.

Write another note to meet me somewhere to talk.

He would throw that away too.

I have a day to think about it.

I am freezing my nonexistent ass off in the freezing cold outside of Loudoun Hall.

Ah, asshole on target. “Hello Michael.”

He is lighting a cigarette. “Are you going to give me another note? Didn’t I make it very clear about them.”

“I want to talk,” I said. “To know each other better.”

“Are you hitting on me?,” he have a smug grin. “In my town, I was nominated best-dressed.”

“I believe that was in your town.”

“You do not have to be modest.”

“Name is Alda,” I said, smiling. “It means ‘honest’ hence I am not being modest with my remark.”

“How could you smile?”

“Other humans smile also,” I said. “ Smiling keeps the psychiatrist away and I feel helping others does an immensely wonders on my mood.”

“How are ever been unhappy? Sad? Depressed?”

“I have but I got over it by helping others,” I said. “It distracts my minds to focus on other priorities.”

“What would you do if that problem can not go away?” he exhaled the cigarette. “Day or night, it is there.”

“Depends on the problem but I go to my support group or individuals like my dad, mom, uncle, best friend. Now you have to answer my question.”

“Fine.”

“Why, at 11:30, you smoke at this very spot? Even at 1, I do not see you eating lunch.”

“I take a late lunch at 2.”

“Liar.”

“Whoa, are you stalking me,” he takes a step back. “I am flattered that you are in love with me but I decline.”

“I do not have class until 3 on Wednesdays and I take breaks around those times. You still haven’t answer my question.”

“I do not have to answer that.”

“I was afraid for that,” I pull out a white paper box and envelope from the recyclable bag.

“What are these?” he takes them.

“Your lunch which is a one foot-long sandwich and chips and side of a few bucks.”

“You do not know me…we just met. We are strangers.”

“No body is a stranger when someone is starving. Also, in that envelope, there are campus programs in which you could apply for to get meal stamps,” I said turning away. “See you around.”

“No note this time?”

“Check the envelope.”

Fact: Everybody has a superpower to change the world. That includes you.