The Trials of November

Chapter Two

She saw him. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Chiseled jawline and broad shoulders. She saw him. Reading a graphic novel with his earbuds in. Perfectly content. She saw him. Sipping his tea. Bouncing his leg. She saw him. Looking out the window, running his perfect hands through his perfect hair. She. Saw. Him. And it was, in that moment, that she realized that she would never be the same. Ever. Then he looked at her.
Suddenly, he saw her too. Her blonde hair and round face. He saw her. The way that she kept looking away, only to look back again. He saw her. Her beautiful blue eyes and her perfect skin. He. Saw. Her. And it was in that moment that he, also, knew that he would never be the same again either.
But alas, that was when the barista called out "Victoria", and Victoria grabbed her latte, and hurried out the door, not looking back. When she got outside, she felt the sharp November air against her face, but she didn't feel a chill. She fell against the brick wall, and felt herself blush. She smiled to herself, and it took all of the power within her not to run back into the coffee shop. She knew she couldn't. What if it was too weird? What if he was not feeling it? She couldn't. No.
She just kept thinking to herself what the heck just happened?
Victoria did not know what she needed to do. She just knew that she was so happy to have been able to see that man. She didn't even know who he was, yet she felt the desire to be near to him again. To look into his beautiful eyes again. To watch him read or sip his coffee or whatever it was that he was doing. It did not matter. It only mattered that Victoria could see him again.
She was overcome with joy and happiness. She twirled around a few times, smiling like an idiot.
Then she practically ran home. She couldn't contain her joy. It was bubbling out of her like it was boiling water. She twirled around a few times and looked up at the sky, just as it started to snow. Not a blistering snow, but a kind, gentle, beautiful snow. Fluttering down from sky in a happy way, which only made Victoria smile more. She couldn't help herself. She glanced back down the sidewalk and saw her own footprints, dancing around on the pavement, and she began to laugh, suddenly feeling much happier than she ever had before. She was practically flying.
Before she knew it, she was home. It was the fastest that she had ever made it home before. Or maybe it was just that she didn't realize how long it actually was because of how simply happy she was at that moment. It felt as though there could be nothing wrong in the world and it was then that she was simply and truly optimistic about everything in her life turning out okay in the end.
Victoria bounced into her house happier than ever. However, that happiness was short lived. Her mother was home.
"Hello Victoria." Her mother said. She was sitting at the kitchen table, on her laptop. She did not so much as look up from her computer to interact with her daughter. Her brown hair was in a bun and her fingers were vigorously typing on her keyboard. There was an empty coffee cup on the table next to her.
"Hi" Victoria mumbled. She only wished to be able to go upstairs to smile and to think about her dream boy that she just had seen at the coffee shop. Alas, her mother would not let her go that easily. She always made wry attempts at conversation, that never really satisfied Victoria's thirst for a caring mother.
"Darling," Her mother said, very insincerely, "I just wanted you to know that I am going on a business trip this weekend so you will be here alone... Your father will be with his friends in Detroit." She said, not looking up from her computer once. That was not the first time her parents had left her alone. At least twice a month, actually. Victoria's mother batted her brown eyes at the computer, pretending to be sympathetic, but Victoria was not fooled.
She saw right through her mother and all of her mother's actions. Victoria had been around them for long enough to know better. She could not possibly be fooled anymore.
Normally when left alone, Victoria sat home and watched movies in the cave that was her living room, or she would read books in her bed, curling up with a cup of hot chocolate. She enjoyed all of the peace and quiet that came with being home alone. Her mother didn't yell at her, and Victoria was able to be much more relaxed. She felt more comfortable and more happy. In fact, any moment that she did not have to spend talking to her mother was a moment well spent.
"I'll be fine." Victoria said swiftly. She hated interacting with her mother. "Can I go now?" Victoria begged. She was not fond of talking to her mother, as it usually ended in some form of argument.
"Yes. But you are on your own for dinner tonight. I do not feel like cooking." Her mother said, letting out an exasperated sigh, as though she had been doing hard labor all day. Victoria was not even surprised. Her mother flaked on dinner nearly every night. When her mother did have something for her to eat, it was always takeout. Which Victoria did not usually eat because of how bad it is for people's health. At least Victoria was learning how to be an excellent cook by herself. Her mother said no more and her typing began up vigorously again. Finally.
Victoria took her leave and then ran upstairs, taking them two at a time. She shut her door and leaped onto her bed.
Victoria then felt all of her happiness return to her body. She turned her face into her pillow and squealed. She then started laughing. She didn't know why. She just felt like that's what she should do in that situation. She couldn't help it. She was in a state of bliss that she had not known before that night, and she didn't even know why.
But that was when she realized that she hasn't talked to him. Ever. She realized that it all had to be in her head. There is no way that he felt the same way that she did. He had to be completely out of her league, right?
All she knew was that she only wanted to see him. She wanted to gaze into his beautiful eyes one more time. But would she make it in time? By the time she would make it back to the coffee shop, he would likely be gone. How could she see him? Would he be there if she would go tomorrow? Dare she even try?
Her heart fluttered like a monarch in her chest. She had never felt that way about anybody before. And she had even had boyfriends before. But she NEVER felt that jumpy, giddy feeling for any of them. In that moment, she would have done absolutely anything to see him one more time.
There was a feeling within Victoria. Like a force that was unstoppable but gentle at the same time. It felt like the undertow in an ocean. There was no way to swim against it. All that anyone can do when pulled under is go with the current.
Victoria stared at her ceiling, just enjoying the bliss and peacefulness that came with those feelings.
Victoria let her mind go wild. She rarely let her mind wander, not enjoying losing control. But that night, that was all she wanted. She wanted to think about all of the endless possibilities. All of the ways that her story could end, and every scenario was more beautiful than the last. Victoria closed her eyes and smiled to herself, completely content.
Victoria then devised a plan. She simply had to try to see him again. She decided that the next day she would for sure go back to the Screamin' Bean to see if he showed up. And if he showed up... Well... she did not really know what would happen. But she somehow felt like the next day would be able to hold all of the answers that she was looking for.