Chapter Nine: Iced Coffee for Sleepyhead

Could he be the one occupying her thoughts? Is that even possible? Why on earth would she dream about him, of all people?

As those thoughts tumbled through her mind, the man himself was lost in his own thoughts. He remembered the first time he’d seen her — in the park, where a strange little girl had convinced him to buy a flower for her. He couldn’t shake the image of her, and neither could he understand why she had stayed in his mind for so long.

The thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of his roommate, George, pulling him back to reality. “Hey, buddy, aren’t you asleep, or are you having wet dreams?”  George’s voice was loud and teasing, cutting through the fog of his mind.

He grabbed his pillow and tossed it directly at George’s half-moon face to shut him up.

“No, I’m just calculating my allowance for this month. You know, budgeting my so-called great expenses,” he lied, but in reality, he was just a careful spender. His excuse was a cover for the chaos in his mind.

Once George had shut up, he sank back into his daydreams. Well, maybe they were girl dreams, considering he couldn’t stop thinking about her — the girl from the park. The same girl he’d seen earlier in class.

It had been a boring day in chemistry class when he fell asleep. When he woke up, the class was already in full swing, and he couldn’t bring himself to care. The lecture was just as tedious. But then, he noticed her yawning on his left, so he offered her his cap — just a small gesture to help her hide her drowsy face. He hadn’t expected to see her again so soon.

Later, he watched her at her locker, staring at the flower he had given her. It wasn’t much, but it seemed to have gotten her attention. He figured he might as well leave her a letter — just to fill her in, to let her know that, despite the strange connection between them, they weren’t in the same class. It was strange how she’d looked around for him after reading the note, like she was searching for someone she couldn’t quite understand.

Maybe it was his charm — after all, every girl on campus probably wished he were their boyfriend.

But in truth, he wasn’t that guy. He was a mysterious, unpredictable figure wandering the halls. Not the kind of guy who’d get tied down in a relationship. He was just… different.

“Aren’t you going to the library?” George interrupted again, pulling him back to the present.

“Oh yeah, I forgot. I’ve got work,” he muttered, scrambling to get out of bed and get moving so he wouldn’t be late.

He worked part-time at the school library — a way to be independent from his parents. They still covered his tuition and living expenses, but he wanted to prove he could handle his own spending. It wasn’t because he needed the money; it was because he wanted control over his own budget. He wasn’t about to depend on his adopted parents for everything.

Inside the library, the girl from his thoughts was there, dozing off with a book resting on her head. Another sleepyhead, he thought with a smirk.

He was about to approach her when he noticed Professor Jeanius standing nearby, her stern presence making him rethink his plan to flirt.

"You’re in my world again. I missed you." The voice startled Cara awake, and for a brief moment, everything felt hazy and strange. Was he real? Was he still just a part of her dream?

“You’re real. I knew it. You’re real,” she whispered to herself, as if confirming it for the thousandth time.

“Yes, I’m real, but only in your dream,” he replied cryptically, fading away as if he were nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

Before she could process his words, she snapped back to reality — half-sleeping in the library, surrounded by the hum of students and the smell of old books. This wasn’t normal. She couldn’t keep thinking about him like this. Reading love stories and fantasizing about him wasn’t helping.

"Maybe I should pick a different kind of book," she thought, shaking her head in frustration.

Just then, Jean appeared, her voice loud and clear. “Hey, Miss Dreamer, what’s up?”

“Don’t you dare call me that!” she grumbled, clearly still on edge from the bizarre experience.

Jean raised an eyebrow. “My case is getting far from normal, you know? I swear I saw the guy from my dream earlier. I talked to him for real, but my mind keeps telling me it was just another dream. Isn’t that insane?”

“Yes, you are crazy, maybe,” Jean said teasingly, “But seriously, come back to reality, okay? I think you need a break from all this dreamy stuff.”

As they bantered, a random guy walked over to their table, handing Cara a drink. “Miss Perez, someone ordered me to give this to you,” he said quietly before quickly walking away.

Cara eyed the iced coffee suspiciously, her curiosity piqued. "Who’s it from?" she muttered, but the guy had already vanished.

“You’re becoming quite the popular one, huh?” Jean teased. “First, a flower. Now, a drink. I swear, you’re going to have a boyfriend before you graduate.”

Cara stayed silent, but she couldn’t help but wonder: Could this be from Mr. Smith? The thought made her heart race. Maybe he was sending her hints, teasing her before he finally revealed himself.

As she gathered her things to leave, she handed Jean the drink. “I’m not in the mood for coffee today, especially if it’s from someone I don’t know.”

As she stepped out of the library, the voice of the guy who had handed her the drink caught her attention. "Miss, when someone shows you a sweet gesture, will you just ignore it?"

Cara turned around, but before she could respond, he was already walking away.

“What?” She scoffed. “How can I ignore it if he’s not even showing me his face? I already said thank you. Please take it back to whoever sent it.” She turned and walked out of the library, her thoughts scattered and confused.

As she approached the parking lot, she suddenly felt a strange sensation. Someone was following her. She spun around, but there was no one in sight. Her heart raced.

She quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Jean’s number. “Jean, come to me. I need your help,” she said, her voice shaky as she waited for her friend to pick up.