Free Enigma by Leslie Drennan Page A

started rambling through sentences that sounded so fake and corny even I was getting bored with what I was writing.
    I had claimed my usual spot in the fluffy, leather chair in the corner without ordering anything. I feared coffee would mess up my plumbing beyond imagination after the crazy stunt in digestive pyrotechnics I’d put on most of the weekend. Seeing how I spent money here nearly every day, I didn’t see how using their Wi-Fi and chair for a day without making a purchase would hurt them too badly. Besides that, it was just now 6:00 a.m. People really didn’t start bustling in and out until around seven. By then I would be done with my pointless assignment and be on my way to turn it in and spend an hour of quality time under the wonderful teaching of the ancient Ms. Greer.
    Concentrating on how to make my paper sound as if I’d actually taken my actions into consideration, I stared blankly at the computer screen. I wished the words would populate the screen by themselves if I stared at the computer long enough. After trying it for a few minutes, I decided I was not born with the gift of telepathy or anything else that could control the software on my computer with my mind.
    Figuring she would only read a few paragraphs anyway, I just typed up a paper on generalized classroom distractions and called it quits. I opened my browser to see what kind of headlines were on my homepage today. Clicking on a few of the hyperlinks and reading the stories that were informative but less than entertaining, I decided I would check my e-mail instead.
    I was typing my password in concentration when I got that feeling that someone was watching me. At first I ignored the feeling, convincing myself I was just paranoid. It was too early for anyone from school to be here on a Monday morning. Repositioning myself in the chair and sitting crisscross applesauce so that my laptop sat in my lap, I noticed why I was feeling someone’s eyes on me. Right across from me, in a chair just like mine with nothing but a coffee table between us, sat Avan.
    His order pad was in his right hand as he played with the pen he was holding in his left, staring directly at me. I was caught a little off guard and gave a little jump, causing a smile to spread across Avan’s face.
    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” His voice came out so smooth, as he was still beaming a smile.
    “No, you’re fine.” Did I really just say that? I could feel my cheeks turning red. “Sorry, I just meant…never mind…it’s okay. I was just off in my own world.” Nice going, Mattie, real smooth!
    “Don’t you normally have a medium drip every morning?”
    “Yeah, I just didn’t feel so hot this morning, so I didn’t want to make it worse.” I tried to grin and make eye contact but started playing with the sleeve of my sweatshirt instead.
    “So you’re Mattie Holland, right?” he asked, causing my heart to skip a beat as I looked up, meeting his gaze.
    I couldn’t believe he actually knew my name! Avan Rork actually knew I, Mattie Holland, existed. He must have memorized it from the teachers taking attendance in the classes we shared together every day. I hoped I would not pass out from lack of oxygen since I was suddenly having a hard time remembering to breathe.
    “Guilty as charged!” I answered, trying to add a little comic relief.
    “Well, Mattie, do you know what I find odd?”
    I just raised my eyebrows, curious at where he was going with this conversation.
    “I find it odd that I have seen you multiple times every day for at least six months and you have never said anything to me other than what you wanted to order.”
    As he finished the sentence, I opened my mouth to spout off a lame reason as to why but couldn’t come up with one, so I shut it instead, still gazing into his creamy, light-brown eyes that made my heart beat irregularly. He had known I existed since he transferred? My heart wanted to beat out of my chest I was so excited but