North Star
treize.
I curled up on the couch with my worn copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. It had been my favorite book since I'd first read it in seventh grade. It was a Friday night and I'd already finished my homework for the weekend. I was so far ahead in my classes I was basically ahead for the whole semester. I'd resorted to constant reading to fill the empty hours. I'd been reading for awhile before I put the book down. The themes were feeling especially disturbing to me after all I'd been through. I wandered over to my bookshelf to see what I had that might be a little lighter. Finally I settled on Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I'd read it before but the story was lighthearted and fun.
I had just gotten comfortable again when someone knocked on the door. I sighed and padded to the door. When I opened it, no one was there. I was about to close the door when I looked down and saw it. A cup of coffee from the place down the street, steam gently rising through the small holes in the lid. I looked around but the hallway was completely empty. I bent down to pick it up and found a note underneath it. I checked the hall one last time before ducking into my apartment. I put the coffee on the counter and focused on the more intriguing part of the mystery, the note. I unfolded it to find a guys slightly messy scrawl.
"Hey Avery,
I've been wanting to ask you to get coffee with me for days but I couldn't think of the best way to do it. I finally figured it out. You don't even have to leave your apartment, we can just drink some coffee and get to know each other.
Leo"
Below his name was a phone number, which I promptly dialed into my cell phone.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey," I said quietly.
"Avery?" He confirmed. I laughed lightly.
"You were expecting someone else?" I asked.
"No, I just didn't want to be presumptuous and assume you would call," he explained. "I'm glad you did though. Can you do something for me?"
"What is it?" I asked. I was still a little nervous even though he wasn't even in the room with me.
"Take that coffee and sit in the most comfortable place in your apartment." I sighed and grabbed the coffee. I didn't head back to my spot on the couch, instead I sat on the big cushy armchair beside it. I curled into a ball and held the coffee in both hands.
"Okay, I'm set," I told him.
"Great," he said with a little laugh. "Now, this is going to sound unusual but bear with me here. I racked my brain for a way to make this happen and still have you be comfortable. This is what I came up with. I also have a cup of coffee here and I thought maybe we could just sit and chat, exactly the way we would if I had taken you for coffee or invited you over." I swallowed back the rush of emotions swelling through me, genuinely touched by how much effort he was putting into this.
"That sounds perfect," I told him, settling in for a long conversation.
I had just gotten comfortable again when someone knocked on the door. I sighed and padded to the door. When I opened it, no one was there. I was about to close the door when I looked down and saw it. A cup of coffee from the place down the street, steam gently rising through the small holes in the lid. I looked around but the hallway was completely empty. I bent down to pick it up and found a note underneath it. I checked the hall one last time before ducking into my apartment. I put the coffee on the counter and focused on the more intriguing part of the mystery, the note. I unfolded it to find a guys slightly messy scrawl.
"Hey Avery,
I've been wanting to ask you to get coffee with me for days but I couldn't think of the best way to do it. I finally figured it out. You don't even have to leave your apartment, we can just drink some coffee and get to know each other.
Leo"
Below his name was a phone number, which I promptly dialed into my cell phone.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey," I said quietly.
"Avery?" He confirmed. I laughed lightly.
"You were expecting someone else?" I asked.
"No, I just didn't want to be presumptuous and assume you would call," he explained. "I'm glad you did though. Can you do something for me?"
"What is it?" I asked. I was still a little nervous even though he wasn't even in the room with me.
"Take that coffee and sit in the most comfortable place in your apartment." I sighed and grabbed the coffee. I didn't head back to my spot on the couch, instead I sat on the big cushy armchair beside it. I curled into a ball and held the coffee in both hands.
"Okay, I'm set," I told him.
"Great," he said with a little laugh. "Now, this is going to sound unusual but bear with me here. I racked my brain for a way to make this happen and still have you be comfortable. This is what I came up with. I also have a cup of coffee here and I thought maybe we could just sit and chat, exactly the way we would if I had taken you for coffee or invited you over." I swallowed back the rush of emotions swelling through me, genuinely touched by how much effort he was putting into this.
"That sounds perfect," I told him, settling in for a long conversation.