Chicago City Lights

The petite twenty one year old brunette wrapped her black scarf tightly around her neck, as she stepped into the cold winter wind. Her coat, a bright red pea coat, was pulled tightly against her, tied at her waist. She shook her head noting her black skinny leg jeans, which were tucked into short red high heel boots, did not keep her warm from the wind.

The girl, Evelyn, smiled lightly, as snow fell all around her. It was her first winter in Chicago, having moved from Phoenix, Arizona. After finishing her first three years of college at home, she decided she needed a change of scenery. She packed up her Nissan Versa and drove across the country. She wasn’t used to the cold, and as soon as she reached the small coffee shop on the corner, she ran inside.

She stood in line, looking out onto the street. She smiled, as the sun was just rising. She loved getting out and about before most. She enjoyed the rare quiet of the city, as most were still sleeping.

Evelyn looked down at her watch, 5:30 AM. She smiled, knowing she was making good time. She would be at her school, Loyola University, where she was majoring in journalism, within forty five minutes. Even though she didn’t have classes on Wednesdays, she loved to roam the library, always looking for a new book to read.

She grabbed her small latte and pastry and headed for a table. Her dark brown eyes fell to the table next to hers, as she pulled her laptop out of her bag, deciding to stay at the quaint café instead of heading to her school’s library. A boy around her age ran a hand over his shaven bald head. He looked tired, having dark circles under his eyes. He gulped down what Evelyn assumed was coffee and walked to the counter, receiving another.

As she began typing an article for her school paper, she felt eyes on her. Turning her head back to the table, she looked straight into the crystal blue eyes of the boy she had been looking at before.

“How can you possibly have coherent thoughts at,” He paused to look at his watch. “six in the morning?”

Evelyn smiled, “I go to bed at night, something you clearly don’t do.”

He smiled sheepishly, getting up from his table and sitting down at hers, closing her laptop with his large hand. Evelyn raised her eyebrows and took a sip of her latte, waiting for him to speak again.

“I’m new to the city, and it’s kind of stressing me out, getting things in order, you know?” He told her, in an accent she was unfamiliar with.

“Where are you from?”

“Originally, Ontario, but I’ve spent the last four years in Philadelphia,” He told her.

Ah, Canada.Explains the accent, she thought, but Evelyn furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering why he had moved so much, but did not press it.

“I’m kind of new to the city, too. I moved here a little under four months ago, after living my whole life in Phoenix. It’s not so bad.”

“I believe you. I guess I should give it a chance; I just got here yesterday.”

Evelyn nodded her head, as he stood. He smiled down at her, and Evelyn found herself staring into his eyes once again.

“Thanks,” He told her.

“Anytime,” She replied, reopening her laptop and resuming writing.

She couldn’t help but glance at him, as he pulled on his coat, picked up what looked like an equipment bag, and left the café. He was attractive, and she couldn’t help herself. Tall, strong-looking, cute…

Evelyn laughed to herself and wrote her article, and when she finished it was 8:30; the streets were beginning to get busy, as she sighed. Saving her work and closing her laptop, her eyes fell to the table she was sitting at.

She raised her eyebrows at the wallet that sat in front of her. Picking it up and flipping it open, her gaze fell onto the driver’s license inside. Even with such a small picture, the blue eyes were hard to miss.

Ben Eager, she read silently. She smiled, thinking Ben suited the stranger she had encounter just hours before. Still looking over the license, she noticed the address on it was not a Canadian one, or even a Philadelphia one, but a Chicago address.

She quickly memorized the address, threw the wallet in her purse and put her laptop in its carrying case. Leaving the café, she began her walk down the street. Her school’s library would have to wait. There was a cute boy who was in need of his wallet.

His place was not far from the café, and when she reached the building, she was slightly surprised to find it was a nice, upscale apartment building. Shaking her head and walking into the lobby, she looked at the bell-pad.

B. Eager, 15A.

Again shaking her head, she walked to the elevator and pressed the ‘up’ arrow. She hummed along with the music, feeling anxious for reasons that were beyond her.

Reaching his door, she knocked.

No answer.

Again, she knocked.

No answer.

He needed sleep. Where could he have gone? She thought. She looked around. There was nowhere she could leave the wallet so he would see and nobody else would take it. Sighing, she pulled a piece of paper and a pen from her purse an began writing.