late night writing

Picture that mysterious girl hidden at the back of the cafe. Her hair is messily pulled back in a ballerina bun. She's holding a large cup of something in hands. You don't know what it is but you know it's something hot judging from the steam that steadily rises from the cup. She's wearing an oversized sweater which contrasts with her black tights. She's not paying attention to anyone who passes by. She's far too focused on the papers spread out in front of her. She taps her highlighter against the table as she reads. Once in a while, she'll bring the cap to her mouth and chew on it every so lightly. You want to approach her but you aren't sure how. She seems intelligent enough to engage in a lengthy conversation. It's the prospect of this which urges you to say something to her. Afterall, you only want good company.

She looks up. You smile and look at the empty seat across from her. Her eyes shine as she murmurs go ahead. You slide the seat back, making that awful scraping sound against the worn wooden floor. She smiles ever so slightly as you sit down. She looks at you with curiosity and it reminds you of a lost puppy. You try to hold back a smile. You clear your throat and she twirls a loose strand of hair at the nape of her neck. You try to see what she's reading but you know you can't interpret text upside down. You are a bit strange like that. So you take a small breath in and ask her.

She looks up and pauses for a moment, almost hesitant to respond. Then she slightly opens her mouth and utters the word Darwinism. You are slightly taken aback by this. She really doesn't seem like the Darwin type of woman. Fortunately, you still remember that course you took two years ago about evolution. So you start bullshitting and throw in a few key words in there like 'natural selection' and 'adaptation'. She bites her lower lip ans you finish your sentence. There's that moment of silence and she's looking straight at you. Then suddenly, she lets out a small giggle. You are horrified, thinking that you said something idiotic. But she quickly apologizes and admits that she doesn't know too much about Darwin; that the only reason why she's reading up on him is because she's taking an anthropology class, nothing more than that. You let out a small sigh of relief. She begins to open up but you notice she speaks with a low whisper. You lean in to hear her better and that's when you notice the odd number of ear piercings. Four in one, one in the other. You find the asymmetry comforting. And from nowhere, you hear Sinatra's voice bellowing from the speakers. You begin to tap your foot to the beat and you find yourself explaining your love for him. She gives you a big smiles as she tells you that she is quite fond of him too. You are delighted.

Time flies by when you are enjoying yourself but you remember you need to meet a friend. You excuse yourself and politely shake her hand. You slowly walk out and hand extra money to the cashier, secretly paying for her drink. Pleased with the outcome of your encounter with the stranger, you walk out into the cold.

It wasn't until much later that you realize she never gave you her name.