Twas was the sixth week of school of my third year being in a damned computer science student. I thought after two and a half years of being a university student I would finally get used to it, but spoiler, no one ever understands what they are doing.

The past semester I had decided to take a good 15 credits in one semester and participate in the debate club together with running the schools’ newspaper editorial head, because it would look good on my resume. A part of me knew that I was just doing it to show my parents and show then how much of a well rounded student I was but by the time those dreaded six weeks had come to an end and I had done my mid terms, I experienced burn out and not the burn out the one you shake off and ignore and put it aside until the end of the semester before the summer break but it was proper burn out, I could barely sleep and when I did I barely woke up and I would miss a bunch of classes and labs and make excuses for them. 

I had to drop the extra- circular work even though I was hoping to drop one of my classes, I realized it was too late to get a refund for the classes that I had already paid for plus I don’t know how I would explain to my parents that I was dropping a class for my emotional well being., so it was the stuff I thought was fun had to go, but that’s where the spiral really began. 

The morning with my written proposal that I went to take to the school’s newspaper office, I decided to pass by the local coffee shop to give me extra strength to run through the entire day, and I stood in the line I heard someone call my name.

“Lucy.” I turned my head and looked at them.

“Hey!” I said excited.

I didn’t know who it was. 

“Remember me, we took English class together.”

“Yeah of course, How could I forget you.” I said my head aching for my small talk skills be efficient in the conversation. 

“Well, I saw you were one of the people who are on the editorial team and I needed help with the paper.”

“Oh I’m sorry I have to resign,actually.” I said raising the envelope up. 

“Oh wow why?”

“I just have a lot of classes clashing with the newspaper and you know we already paid for this semester.”

“Oh yeah for sure but could you possibly willingly want to try something out for me, please.”

“Ummm well….”

I looked at her giving me the warmest and kind eyes and how could i possibly say not to that. 

“I’m sorry I can’t.”

“Okay what if I gave you an elevator pitch.”

She was persistent, but after I  almost fell in the lecture hall…thrice I knew i did not need anymore work on me. 

“Next!” The barista said looking at me with her teeth open wide in a smile but I could hear the laborious pain of minimum wage shouting from her eyes.

“Can I get an iced latte please with almond milk, no cream and 1 pump of vanilla with two extra shots of espresso please.”

“size?”

“Sorry, just give me the largest one and please go easy on the ice.”I finished.

“name?”

“L….U…C…Y”

“You could have just told me your name.”

“yeah, I could have.”I said moving to the side.

The girl followed me as persistent as ever. She was like a pimple that would not pop. 

“Can I start my elevator pitch.”

“Go ahead.”I said as I waited for my coffee

“So I’m doing an experiment….”

I don’t think that’s how an elector pitch begins. 

“have you heard of the 23 questions to fall in love. "

“I thought that that trend died a long time ago.”

“yes it did, but we want to revive it since valentine’s day mood is in the air.”

Valentine’s day was literally two weeks ago but I guess journalist had to make excuses for anything to go through. 

“I suggested that as my blog but they said I have to show proof it works if we are going to convince other students that it actually works.”

“So how I’m included in all of this, if I may ask. ”

“We’ve been searching for someone to do it for almost two weeks now and the deadline is in three days.”

“What if my boyfriend doesn’t agree?” 

A silence envelopes. 

Why was it silent? Why was she silent? Why was she not responding to my question?

“Lucy.”The barista yelled out my name. 

“I walked to the counter and she spelled my name with an I. She was probably in one of my history classes because one of my most annoying profs would only call me Lucy  because he said my L’s looked like I’s and now its a funny not funny gag to him. What was even university. 

" Thank you.”I said taking the drink with flashes of embarrassment. 

The girl was still standing there. Man I wish I could remember her name but at that point it was too awkward, especially that I already lied that I knew her.But what was all the silence about. She went to take her drink and a box of donuts holes. 

“Ummm….” I said trying to remember her name.” Yeah why were you quiet when I said my boyfriend wouldn’t agree?”

“Well….”

“Well…….”

“We were in the same class and like some people know you and you know you were in the list of recommended people but we couldn’t find you so….”

“List?”

“Okay your friend Charlie, recommended you to us, he even put into brackets painfully and desperately needs romantic love in her life.”

Charlie, Charlie, charlie, it was that devil of a boy. 

“So do you have a boyfriend we can work around with that if you don’t mind.”

“Well….you know from experience I Well…..no no I’m too busy to be in a relationship, that’s the truth.”

Plus if my parents found out that I was dating random people in university they would flip out of their minds saying how marriage only comes after finding a google level job and moving out to a house in whichever big city was their dream city. 

“Oh but charlie  said…..” she pulled out a paper from her pocket and handed it to me. 

You owe me one….*wink* *wink*

I literally did not understand what that meant. 

I took out my phone and texted him.

Why the hell are you trying to play cupid?

You own me one.

For?

T

S

R.

My face changed into a mortifying expression. 

“You know what I would love to.” I said smiling to her, “how much do you know about Charlie if you don’t mind me asking ?”

“I don’t know anything.”

“okay here’s my number just send me a text whenever.”

She gave me her phone and I typed in my number and handed it back to her. I started to walk away and message was sent to me. 

“My name is Cindy btw.we never took English together, Charlie said you would lie and it would be hilarious.”