The café bustled loudly with dreary after-work commuters, the door banging open with an obnoxious clang as they shuffled in like zombies. Kate sat back in her usual seat, her ankles crossed under her table as she looked over the edge of the book she was currently reading.

This was her usual after-class activity; spending her afternoon lounging with her mocha and her book of the week, studying the people who came in and out. To Kate, it was interesting. She loved watching people go on with their lives while she was able to relax. The owner of the café left her table empty every day, at the same time, just waiting behind the counter to personally make the drink for his most favorite customer.

(Kate was sure he was just this nice to her because he had a crush on her. No, she knew this, since a barista had slipped her the news. Too bad her sights were set on someone entirely different, or she could have been putting that news to good use and getting free coffee. Not that she would ever really do that.)

She glanced up from the book in her hands again, her blues eyes landing on the exact certain someone she had been thinking about. A blonde haired barista stood behind the counter, taking another bland order as she kept the strained smile on her pretty lips. Kate spent much of her time at the café just watching her, letting her stomach twist with nerves as she wished for things that couldn't be. Obviously, since the girl was dating the town stoner.

The blonde looked over and met Kate's eyes, giving her a friendly smile. Kate quickly looked down to the words on yellowed paper, a light blush blooming over her pale cheeks as she tried to occupy herself with the book again.

Kate was once again distracted soon enough though as the door swung open, the tinkling of a bell mingling with laughter. Narrowing her eyes, Kate watched as a group of girls strode through the café, talking and giggling and being exactly what Kate despised the most. She hated groups that came in like that, boisterous and loud, not paying any attention to the people who may be studying or reading or trying to do work. Kate rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her book, flipping to the next page as she crossed her leg over her knee and tried to ignore the voices that were grating on her nerves.

Or that was till a soft, gentle voice drifted through the café, prodding her attention away from the over-read words on the page. She looked up, squinting up at the counter to see who could be talking so quickly in the group of girls who seemed to pay no mind. A girl stood at the front of the group, smiling sweetly at the barista, dressed in a navy cardigan layered over a white sundress. She was so different compared to the girls dressed in tight designer jeans and expensive looking jackets and blouses.

Kate lowered her book and couldn't help but stare at the other girl, entranced not only by the velvet voice that reached her ears, but the dark—almost black—curls that hung in perfect ringlets down to her shoulders.

The girl turned and Kate hurried to shove her face between the pages of her book before she was caught staring.

The girls took a table across the café, scraping chairs over the floor as they got comfortable. Lowering the book till she was just peeking up over the top, Kate put her gaze back on them. There were only about a handful of girls circled around the table, talking and laughing or looking through phones. A girl with short blond hair was sitting next to the girl that still held Kate's attention, and they were talking animatedly, the girl's eyes bright and happy. Nodding her head, she laughed and reached up with a small hand to push curls out of her sight. Kate couldn't help the way her heart seemed to flutter because the girl was...beautiful.

Kate never wanted to stop staring.

"Medium drip?"

The girl stood up, gently pressing a hand against the blonde's shoulder with a smile before walking up to the counter. Kate brought the book back up to cover her pink face, glancing from the corner of her eyes as the girl accepted her drink.

And she did not miss the way that the curly haired girl looked at her table, letting her eyes linger for a moment before ducking her head and hurrying back to her friends.

The longer Kate stayed at the café, the longer she could feel the burn of the girl's gaze on her, and the more she wanted to know about her. She had tried reading, but her gaze always ended back up at the table, watching the girls interact.

A shudder ran down her back as her eyes met liquid hazel one of the times she glanced over. She blinked, her eyes locked with the large orbs that were watching her before she was looking down and flipped over a page of her book.

Maybe it was time for her just to leave before she made a fool of herself in front of the entire café.

A shadow fell over the dog-eared pages of Kate's book, her breath catching in her throat. A gentle, tentative voice came from across the table, Kate's breathing seeming to stop all together. "What book are you reading?"

Kate swallowed and reached up to swipe her bangs from in front of her face, finally looking up at the girl. With gently shaking hands she held up a worn, battered copy ofHarry Potter. "The Sorcerer's Stone," Kate was finally able to get out, her lips parted in awe as the girl burst into a blinding smile.

"I love Harry Potter!" She said, her voice going a pitch higher in excitement. "I'm Blaire," she squeaked after a moment, holding out her hand. Kate could see a fine blush dusted high over her cheekbones, a shy smile pulling at her own lips.

Hesitantly, she reached up for the girl's hand. "Kate," she said breathlessly as she shook the incredibly soft hand. Blaire.Blaire. Such a pretty name for a beautiful girl.

Letting out a nervous laugh, Blaire shook her head and smoothed a hand over her stomach. "I'm sorry. Just—my friends—" she motioned back to the table of girls who instantly tried to occupy themselves. "They wanted me to come over and just...yeah..." The blush had gradually grown brighter over Blaire's cheeks.

Kate laughed nervously, clutching her book tightly to her chest. The girl was even more adorable than Kate had thought. "O-oh, it's fine."

"I just...I've seen you around campus before and I've never really been able to work up any nerve and Jenn...Jenn has been teasing me for a while." Blaire was looking down at the floor, her fingers working nervously at the hem of her cardigan. Kate's heart beat hard against her chest, her palms becoming slick with sweat. "I was just wondering if maybe I could get your number? And take you out sometime?"

Blaire was finally looking back up, her smile shaking at the corners. Kate's eyes were wide with surprise, shocked by what exactly had happened. "I haven't seen you around campus?" is all Kate was able to blurt out awkwardly.

Blaire's face began to fall in such a heartbreaking way, her pink full lips beginning to pull down at the corners. "What...?"

Quickly collecting herself, Kate shook her head and sat up in her chair. "I-I mean, I'd love to. Go out with you. And give you my number. I'm sorry."

Blaire's laughter was just as pretty as her voice. She looked happily at Kate, excitement plain in her eyes, making her look like an overgrown puppy. "Don't apologize, I should be the one apologizing for being such a creep."

Kate again quickly shook her head, "No, no, you weren't." Standing up, Kate held out a hand towards Blaire. "I'll be right back."

A couple moments later, Kate was back, a piece of paper written from a notepad held carefully between her fingers, her number scribbled as neatly as possible. She handed it to Blaire, who accepted it with a grin and a gentle "Thank you".

"Call me and let me know when you want to go out," Kate suggested, grabbing her book and her half empty mocha."

"Of course!" Blaire preened, looking down at the paper clutched tightly in her hands.

Kate gave her a small smile before giving a small wiggle of her fingers. "I have to go now...see you later?"

"Yes, yes, see you later," Blaire said, eyes staying on Kate as she left the café. When the door clanged shut, Blaine turned to her table of friends and help up the paper, squealing.