He had this smile you could see from miles away and I think that’s how I found him. He was way over there and I was sitting at the table across the cafe. His eyes were lighting up as he talked to the other boy and asked the barista for what I assumed was his favorite coffee. I was alone that day and I kick myself every time I think about it. I watched this beautiful boy for a few minutes when I should’ve been drinking my coffee or studying for my chemistry midterm. After a few moments of watching his eyes sparkle in conversation with the other boy, the second boy left, leaving this wonderful, mysterious boy behind.

My phone rang and I got distracted reciting the link to the study guide online to my friend from class, when I looked up, the boy had his coffee and was scanning the tables for a place to sit. Our eyes locked and the corners of his mouth lifted in such a way that my my heart flutter. He came to the edge of my table and gestured to the empty seat across from me. “May I sit?”

I blushed and nodded slightly and he sat. He scanned the notes and papers scattered across my table and crinkled his nose in disgust. “Chemistry? That’s gross.”

I laughed. “My midterm’s tomorrow. I have to ace it if I want to keep up my GPA for my scholarship.”

He nodded and sipped his drink. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that. If you don’t go to college, you don’t have to worry about your GPA or chemistry. You just have to slip by in high school.”

I nodded and sat in silence, over studying my cup until he spoke again. “You know,” he said casually, “your eyes sparkle in the cutest way when you blush. Has anyone ever told you that?”

I felt the color rush to my cheeks again and I buried my face in the sleeves of my sweater, knocking my glasses off their usual spot on the bridge of my nose. “Stop!” I whined in my shy, childish way.

He laughed gently and reached across the table to move my arms away. “Why stop?” he asked. “If a girl is absolutely stunning in the most extraordinary way, she deserves to know it.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He sighed. “Sorry. I have to take this… Hello?... I’m down at the cafe… Now?... Yeah. I’ll come pick you up. See you in ten.” He hung up and looked at me again. “Sorry about that. My baby brother got himself into a little bit of a sticky situation. I have to come to the rescue.”

I nodded. Something about a boy that cared so much about family gave me butterflies. He took his coffee cup away and stopped just by the table. “I guess this is good bye my gorgeous friend with the sparkling eyes.” I blushed again. “Hopefully I’ll see you around again.” And then he was gone.

I had him on my mind for weeks. He was the only stranger to ever leave me with a compliment of such high magnitude and not even leave his name. I went back to the cafe months later to study for my second semester finals. On the memo board in the front there was a handwritten missing person note:

Missing Person

Looking for the beautiful girl with the eyes that sparkle when she blushes and covers her face when she knows people know she’s beautiful. I met her at the third table from the door under the painting of the old library downtown. She was studying for chemistry and as I pack up my stuff today to move across the country, I’m deeply saddened by the fact that I never got her name.

Pretty girl, if you see this, I want you to know that it’s been a pleasure to be captivated by the girl from the coffee shop whose name I never asked. I wish we really would’ve seen each other around.