The sun shines playfully through the windows of Café Del Amor and hits 17 year old Madison Small squarely on the nose. It is a beautiful October morning in Potomac, Maryland and at 8:45, the regulars have already shuffled through and claimed their favorite spots. Inside the café, the air is spiked with the delicately sweet aroma of freshly ground coffee and flakey honey glazed croissants. A Bob Marley song plays softly in the background, creating a soft and welcoming ambiance. A handful of giddy college students stand in line texting vigorously on their phones, while waiting to get their hands on a steaming hot latte or an ice cold smoothie. Madison and her fellow co-workers are busy preparing multiple beverages at a time. Although they occasionally bump into each other, there seems to be a synchronized harmony that prevents complete chaos and individual worlds from colliding. Madison, a senior at Winston Churchill High School is normally a girl who can brighten a room with her smile alone and make even the saddest man laugh, but today she is behaving rather peculiarly. She’s dropped 3 of her customer’s drinks so far and it’s not even 9:00 yet. Her normally pencil straight and radiant auburn hair is now frazzled in a high side bun and her bangs brush across her face, restricting her eyesight. The line begins to die down and suddenly there is only one person waiting. Madison’s grim expression lightens momentarily as she walks to the register and the customer approaches. Mitch Thomas stands awkwardly yet smiles at Madison, as they have been classmates since Kindergarten. Tall and gangly with bushy brown hair and glasses the size of Shrek, Mitch isn’t exactly the Prince Charming girls like Madison dream of finding. Regardless of his appearance and awkward tendencies, Mitch was probably the most caring and “real” guy in their whole school, according to Madison. As Mitch approached the counter, he could sense something was up but before he could get a word in edgewise or muster up the courage to order his drink, Madison butted in and immediately started going on an angry rampage about god knows what.

“It’s like she doesn’t even listen ever”, Madison spluttered as she angrily prepared the tall pumpkin spice latte Mitch had just ordered.

She added the finishing touches on Mitch’s latte and handed it to him somewhat carelessly.

“Bon appetite”, she said with a sharp edge and undeniable sense of sarcasm in her voice.

Mitch gaped at her, taking his drink and paying without mustering a single word.

“Sometimes I just want to wring her neck and shake her”, gasped Madison whose normally olive complexion was now becoming vibrant with crimson.

Mitch opened his mouth as if to speak but Madison droned on, talking more to herself than to her friend.

“I can’t get over how friggin obnoxious she is. She’s like totally trying to ruin my life and what for? I’m a nice person. I’ve done nothing wrong”, hissed Madison as she slithered over to the sink to wash her hands.

After dousing her hands with generous amounts of cool lavender soap, Madison headed back to the counter where Mitch reluctantly handed her $4.68.He stood with one hand in the pocket of his new khaki shorts and the other clenched slightly, while listening all the same.

“The nerve of some people. I mean really, like come onnn, it’s simply ridiculous”, stammered Madison while accidentally spilling hot water on her hand.

She ran it under cold water and dried it off nonchalantly as if this happened every day. She walked back to the counter and gingerly handed Mitch his change, as to not aggravate her already searing hand.

He looked at her hard, waiting to speak and finally his window of opportunity had arrived. He looked at Madison with confusion etched on his face and cocked his head slightly to one side.

“Who are you even talking about, Mads; Yourself?” chuckled Mitch.

And with that, Mitch turned around with a newfound courage and walked away whistling to himself, leaving Madison at a loss for words for the first time since he had entered the café.

Madison angrily finishes her morning shift, spilling about three whole cups worth of coffee on the floor and scorching her hand another time as well. She mutters under her breath about boys, and them being so clueless and not understanding the female race at all. While Madison crouches on the floor muttering unintelligibly to herself, her boss, Ryan comes over with his brow furrowed and a frown tattooed on his face.

“What on earth is going on, young lady”, he says to Madison with clenched teeth in a deep almost animalistic growl.

“I uhh, it’s not what it looks like. I’m just having a rough day and am off my A game”, responded Madison, stuttering slightly.

“Well, you’ve messed up multiple people’s drinks and have spilled half the ocean on the floor, so I suggest you take a break and clear your head before you do anything.

“Ugh, I mean I guess I can take a break for a little while. I have some business I have to take care of with my dear friend, Mitch”, remarked Madison.

Ryan shot Madison a piercing stare but then turned away wiping the grimace off of his face, replacing it with a cheesy smile as he approached an agitated looking customer. Madison reluctantly changed into her regular clothes, and stowed her uniform in the locker room. She bought herself a large caramel iced coffee and walked around in search of Mitch, hoping to give him a piece of her mind.

“You are so dead, punk”, snarled Madison, as she sat down across from Mitch and stared at him, her eyes piercing through him like sharp knives.

“Whatttttt?! I just thought…oh never mind, it doesn’t really matter”, Mitch responded in a whisper.

“Ugh, whatever. I just have a short fuse and lose my temper easily”, said Madison while avoiding making eye contact with Mitch.

Unfortunately, the two made slightly awkward, unintentional eye contact with one another and their eyes locked in an unusually bizarre way. Madison’s light brown eyes interlocked with Mitch’s ocean blue ones and Madison went from being in a state of utmost disgust to being in a state of euphoria. The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours but was merely a few seconds, and could see each other clearly for what might have been the first time ever.

“Wow, ummmm, that was like super weird”, said Madison as their moment of unintentional clarity broke and the two returned from their fantasy to the hustle and bustle of reality.

“So, I actually, well I don’t know how to say this, but I uhhhh, think, I maybe possibly like you
, said Mitch cheekily to Madison, as his cheeks flushed and beads of sweat drenched his forehead.

“Mitch, I don’t know what to say”, remarked Madison.

“We have known each other for years . . . basically forever and I think of you as more than a friend. I know we fight and I harass you a lot, but in all honesty, it’s because I have true feelings for you and have just been denying them for all of these years”, said Madison methodically, chewing her straw as if it were gum and tapping her foot to Bob Marley’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.

“Madison, I don’t know how to tell you this, but . . . I like you and think of you more than just a friend. Will you go out with me and uhhhh be my ermmmmm girlfriend”, stammered Mitch in a weary yet relieved tone of voice.

“Ohhhh emmmmm geeeee. Yes Mitch. I would be honored to be your girlfriend. I am shocked, but am completely overwhelmed with happiness right now”, said Madison as her voice cracked a little and happy tears formed in her eyes.

“I’m so glad I told you how I truly feel. You know it can be hard for guys like me to express my emotions and even like talk to beautiful girls like you”, remarked Mitch while gazing into Madison’s tear filled eyes.

“I’m so touched, Mitchy. You mean so much to me and I’m so glad we are like official now. I honestly never saw this coming, but I’m so happy we are together”, sniffled Madison, a tear falling gracefully down her rosy cheeks.

Mitch reached over, wiping the tear delicately from Madison’s face and kissed her on the cheek, his lips pressing into her soft olive skin perfectly, as if it was a puzzle piece that belonged there. He kissed her with newfound passion and the two lovebirds now stared at each other like they had never done before. Mitch stood up, reached over and tenderly grasped Madison’s slightly trembling hand. They threw away their trash and walked out of Café Del Amor hand in hand, into a sunlit realm filled with happiness, love and new beginnings.