Anna the Beautiful

September 6, 2023. Two girls stood in front of the library door trying to get in. As I approached them, I tried the same, but the door remained closed. A glance at the glass pane next to it showed a note stating that the library was closed until ten o'clock today for unexplained reasons.

"I was wondering why so many people are sitting outside at this hour," I said to the two girls.

"Great, what should we do now? It's still an hour until then," said one of the girls.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to enjoy the sun a little longer," I commented and went to HanoMacke to get myself a coffee. Then I aimed for the table where a guy was sitting with his laptop. I sat down diagonally across from him and took out my Macbook to continue writing a bit of my life story.

The sun was too bright, as if it was tempting me to close my laptop and devote myself entirely to it. So I did. I sat in front of the lawn and enjoyed the warm rays. Occasionally, I glanced at the entrance of the library, where several students had already gathered. Eventually, it finally opened, and the crowd streamed in. I followed suit.

Today, as always, I sat on the fourth floor by the window, at my usual spot, and only worked for an hour because my stomach was already growling, and it was uncomfortable for me if others noticed. I had vegan tortellini with a salad. There were still many benches available outside, but I didn't sit on them; instead, I marched straight to the green meadow full of flowers and insects. I sat cross-legged, the only student enjoying my meal in the greenery. Despite my furniture-free life, I hadn't eaten my lunch on the ground yet. So I tried it directly outside today.

After the delicious tortellini, I went back upstairs to the library. Now there was a group of girls sitting behind me, always accompanied by a huge guy with shoulder-length hair. Since it was a fairly large group, one of them sat down at my table across from me. I found it strange that she mimicked me. If I put one leg on the chair, she did the same. If I leaned my head on my hand, she did too. When our eyes briefly met, she stood up, packed her laptop, and left with her group.

A few minutes later, I took a break. I got myself a coffee and sat in a shady spot on the lawn. I saw the group on a bench. They were having lunch. After the coffee, at the same time as the group, I went back into the library. That student was sitting there again. About half an hour later, she said goodbye to her group and disappeared with all her stuff.

Various thoughts whirled wildly in my head, and I just couldn't concentrate on my tasks. After half an hour of futile attempts to concentrate, I decided to take a break. I sat on a bench in a shady spot right in front of the library and snacked on a banana and a few plums that I had taken out of my backpack earlier. Then I suddenly felt an inexplicable craving for something sweet. A desire for a muffin arose. Without further hesitation, I made my way to the cafeteria next door, determined to succumb to this sweet temptation.

The cafeteria greeted me with a tempting scent of coffee and sweet treats. My eyes were directed towards a girl with long, blonde hair, wearing a charming blue floral dress. As the door slammed shut behind me, she turned around, and our eyes met. A smile played on her lips, and I returned it. Sweet freckles adorned her face.

Determined, I stood in line at the counter, but she seemed to be waiting off to the side, her friend also nearby. The friend with short, brown hair, nerdy glasses, and a conspicuous pink top, got a hot drink, and the two left the cafeteria. I ordered myself a muffin and a coffee and left the cafeteria hoping to see the mysterious girl again.

I looked around, but she had disappeared into thin air. Disappointed, I returned to my bench outside the library.

After finishing my little snack, I sat with my eyes closed for a moment, trying to remember the girl's face. Then I went back upstairs and continued working on the design of my website. Surprisingly, the girl appeared, accompanied by a friend, between the bookshelves. They walked towards my table. She smiled again, and I returned the smile.

"Are the two seats still free?" she whispered as she stood in front of my table.

"Yes, of course," I replied.

They sat down, took out books and laptops, and my heart began to beat strangely. As she typed on her laptop, I couldn't help but occasionally glance in her direction. Long fingernails, rings on her hands. When I leaned back, I saw her leg crossed over the other. She wore black Nike sneakers on her feet. Our eyes met occasionally, and we smiled at each other. There was a slight flutter in my stomach.

The excitement didn't leave me even outside. The friendly smile seemed to have enchanted me. I tried to be in the here and now, but my thoughts constantly wandered to this fascinating girl. I hoped she would come out. But she didn't.

As I went back upstairs, I counted the steps to calm my excitement. Fortunately, the two were still there. I approached them, amazed by her long, blonde hair, and as I passed her, I noticed she was chatting with someone on WhatsApp Web. Back at my place, I tried to hide my excitement.

Her friend occasionally got up to get a book. When she placed it on the table, I could read the title: "Women and the Gothic". About an hour passed, during which I managed to calm down a bit. But then I heard a soft whisper from the right: "I think I'll be leaving in about half an hour."

My heart started racing again. "I can't let her go," I thought, but I didn't dare to speak to her. Out of nervousness, I went to the toilet to take a deep breath and then approach her.

As I walked back towards her, I hesitated again, walked past her, and sat back down at my table. I thought about what I could do, and finally an idea came to me. I packed up my things and left the library.

Outside on the lawn, I picked five daisies and sat down in front of the cafeteria entrance. My gaze fixed on the library exit.

"She should be coming out soon," I thought, smelling the flowers. Smoking students next to me cast curious glances at my bouquet.

Finally, they came out, she and her friend. They walked towards me, but fear overcame me once again.

"No, you're going to seize this opportunity now," I thought. Determined, I stood up and approached her.

"Hey," I called out to the girl from the side. She noticed me.

"Hi," she replied, looking at me surprised.

"I was sitting next to you in the library but didn't dare to talk to you."

"Here," I handed her the flowers, "they're for you."

"Oh, thank you," she accepted the flowers.

"I want to go on a walk date with you. Would you like that?"

"Yeah, why not," she replied without any emotion.

"Very nice. Pleasure. I'll give you my number then, so you can text me."

She handed me her large phone.

"What's your name?" I asked her as I typed in my first name.

"Anna," she replied.

"Alexander. Nice to meet you," I said and extended my hand to her.

"Oops, your phone is locked again," as I tried to continue entering my number. She unlocked it and handed it back to me.

"I'll also enter my last name, in case you already have an Alexander in your contacts."

"Okay," she responded.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"No, tomorrow I'm going swimming at a lake with my friend," she looked at her friend standing nearby.

"Okay, just text me whenever you're free."

I returned her phone. "Oh, and one more thing," I said before they left, "You'll soon or a bit later start doubting whether you should meet me or not. Try to resist that doubt."

"Okay. See you then!" she replied with a smile on her face.

"Take care!" I bid farewell and walked in the opposite direction.

My mood soared. I felt so proud that I had summoned the courage. With a lingering grin, I walked to Lilienstraße, where I could catch the bus home.