Unintentionally Falling

chapter five

Aaron

"Could I have a medium hot chocolate, please?" I ask the barista at the cafe I'm ordering at.

"Sure, that'll be four-fifty. Anything else?" She coyly smiles at me and then... winks?

 Was that for me? My eyes widened and I check behind me to see if there was someone else there. What am I supposed to do when someone does that to me?

"No, I'm good." I clear my throat and pay. This place is one of those Los Angeles hipster cafes, with dark couches and red brick walls. Quentin Tarantino's movie posters were placed all around the walls for people to feed their superiority complex when they recognize the films.

She hands me my order and I sit down at a small table near the windows of the cafe. I open up to the page I left from the new book I've started. Pride and Prejudice so far is enjoyable, and I appreciate how carefully crafted Darcy and Elizabeth's dynamic is.

"After?" That was the first thing Jadon commented when he saw the book. He thought that book was made up and only mentioned exclusively in the movie.

It was a film we watched about a week ago because Jadon's date picked it.

I don't remember what the girl's name was except that she had blond hair and kept complaining calling the female lead in the movie a 'slut'. And then, when the English guy showed up she was salivating over him.

If I'm being honest I felt more uncomfortable at her name-calling the main character than some of the moments in the movie. I think Jadon was too by the way he'd stiffen every time his date tried to touch him. 

Then after Jadon drove her home,  he came back and we watched some cheesy romantic comedy that I enjoyed. 

I observe the scenery outside the window. Right across the road was a vintage consignment store and beside it was a frozen yogurt shop. The small bell of the cafe door rings, bringing almost everyone's attention to the person who opened the door.

A girl enters who has beautiful brown wavy hair. She's wearing high-top platform black Chuck Taylor's, denim shorts with those little rips in them that everyone seems to wear nowadays, a cropped tank top and one of those white canvas bags that I see at bookstores. 

My mouth dries a little bit when I recognize her shiny hair. 

It's Iris. 

I never thought that I would see her again, she seemed like the kind of person that you meet once and never see again, but you'll always remember them. She's still the most stunning girl I've ever seen.

I smile to myself watching her. She strolls past all the watchers—and trust me, she effortlessly takes everyone's attention— and she orders a matcha latte. Just like the first time I met her, she barely acknowledges anyone else around her.

I wonder if she remembers me. It wasn't that long ago that we met, and I know I still remember her.

I try to focus on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's banter, but it's hard for me to not be distracted when I think about her. I frown, unable to digest the sentence I just read. I re-read it about three times because I'm not probably comprehending it as I should be.

"What are you frowning about Aaron, this book can't be that bad?" I flinch back suddenly. 

I'm extremely aware that Iris is staring over my shoulder-- the girl who I was just occupying my mind a minute ago. Iris squints her eyes, trying to read my book. 

"Woah, sorry did I scare you?" Iris tilts her head to the side, and her mouth stretches into a lopsided grin. My throat closes up at the proximity, and I can feel my face becoming heated.