Dear random guy at my local coffee shop,

The temperature had finally dropped to the windiness of fall, and I was so in love. It was sweater weather now. Who would not be in love? The faint sound of a bell chimed as I opened the door, and I felt a sense of familiarity with the cafe.

Two people were already ordering in front of me, and I simultaneously read the menu to look occupied.

“Hi, how are you? What can I get for ya?”

*BAM* *BOOM* *FIREWORKS* *EXPLOSION IN MY MIND*

Turning my head, I am met with the sweetest eyes this 16-year-old girl could ever see.
He spoke with such mellowness, but at the same time, his voice had a mysterious tone that made me wonder if he was a distant relative of Sherlock Holmes: “Do you need more time to decide what you want?”

Awwwwwww, even when he was demanding an order, he was so darn cute. I mean, yes I needed more time to observe his beautiful features, I could care less about what I was ordering.

Long hair. He looked like a Greek god. OK, maybe not the equivalent of Zeus. Well, let’s not compare him to a Greek god, because Greek mythology is pretty messed up. I brought myself back to reality. Hands intertwined with nervousness, and topped off with a smooth hair flip to achieve the “I-have-more-important-things-to-do” look instead of “please-be-my-first-boyfriend” look, with two blinks of an eye and a radiant smile. I made a complete fool of myself. “I would like to have a hot choco-oh, uh, I mean an iced latte…”

He smiled at me, but also gave me a reassuring look to let me know he knew I had no idea what a latte was. So, to the cafe boy I have not seen since this 60-second interaction, if you are reading this just know, you made me forget how to function normally, but also thank you for being the reason I drink lattes now.

See ya whenever,

—By Lee Alisha W., 16, Tallahassee, Florida