The Mate Curse

Electric Stranger

Aria’s POV

The bell above the Starbucks door jingled as I walked in, and it smelled so good—like coffee beans and warm pastries and cinnamon. The place was kinda busy, with people standing in line and some sitting at little round tables typing on laptops or whispering to each other like they had the world’s biggest secrets.

I still felt weird from the run, not in a bad way. Just... tingly. My arm buzzed a little where I’d brushed against that person in the crowd. It was so fast I didn’t even get to see their face, but the touch—it was like those little pops of electricity you get when you shuffle across a rug with socks on. Only... softer? Warmer? I don’t know. Maybe I imagined it. I mean, it was just a bump in a crowd, right?

I walked up to the counter, tucking a loose piece of hair behind my ear. The girl at the register smiled like she was on her fifth espresso. “Hi! What can I get you?”

“Um, a strawberry frappuccino, extra whipped cream... and a chocolate chip muffin, please.”

I looked down at myself while I waited. My light blue sports shirt was clinging to my skin a little—ew, sweat—and my black biker shorts felt tighter than usual. I guess I’d been running harder than I thought. My sneakers were a little scuffed up, and one lace was coming loose, but whatever. I tied my hair up in a messy bun earlier, and I could feel a few strands sticking to my neck from the sweat. Gross.

When they called my name, I grabbed my drink and muffin and found a tiny table near the window. The seat was warm, probably from someone who just left, and the sunlight made everything inside the shop glow a little. I pulled a napkin from the holder and stared at it for a second before digging in my fanny pack for a pen.

I didn’t even mean to draw anything. My hand just moved on its own. First, I drew a shape—like a moon, but it was sideways. Then I added swirly vines around it, and tiny stars. It felt familiar, like something I’d seen before but didn’t remember when. Maybe in one of my weird dreams. I tilted my head and stared at it. Why did it give me goosebumps?

I sipped my frappuccino. The coldness made my brain freeze a little, but I didn’t even care. The whipped cream was sweet and soft, and the strawberry part tasted like summer. The muffin was warm and melty inside. Chocolate always made me feel better, like everything would be okay eventually.

But then my arm tingled again.

I rubbed it, trying to ignore it. I mean, come on. It was just a bump in a crowd. I didn’t even see the guy. Or... was it a guy? I think it was. The way his arm felt—solid, strong. I don’t know how to explain it, but something about it made me feel... awake. Like real, real awake. And I hadn’t felt that in forever.

I stuffed the napkin into my pocket. I don’t know why. Maybe I didn’t want to forget the symbol. Maybe it meant something. Probably not. But still.

I finished my drink slowly and watched people walk past outside—some holding hands, some on phones, one guy walking a huge fluffy dog that looked like a bear. I smiled. Dogs always made me happy.

When I stood up to leave, I bumped into a lady with big sunglasses.

“Oops, sorry!” I said.

She didn’t even look at me, just kept walking.

No spark. No tingle. Nothing.

I stepped outside and put my headphones back on, the music soft in my ears. Something indie, probably. The beat felt off, though, like my heart was trying to match it but couldn’t. I walked slowly back to my apartment, the sun lower in the sky now and the wind tickling my skin.

That night, after a long shower, I pulled the napkin out of my pocket. The symbol was still there, still strange, still giving me that weird feeling. I pinned it to my corkboard above my desk, next to some old movie tickets and a photo of me when I was ten with paint all over my face.

I didn’t know why I did that either.

Maybe I just didn’t want to forget.

Snapping out of my thoughts, the forst thing i did was throw my shoes off with a big, dramatic sigh. My feet were killing me, and my shirt was kinda sticking to my back, so I peeled it off and tossed it in the laundry basket. I grabbed a fresh towel from the little wooden shelf by the bathroom door and stepped into the shower. The water was super warm—almost too hot—but it felt so good, like the heat was washing away the sweat and weird feelings from earlier. I just stood there for a minute, letting it hit my shoulders and slide down my back, eyes closed like I was in a music video or something.

After my shower, I put on this oversized pink T-shirt with a faded cartoon bunny on it and some soft gray shorts with frayed edges that I’ve had forever. My hair was still damp, curling around my shoulders, and my face felt cool and clean. I flopped onto my bed with a big “ugh,” hugging my pillow like it was a stuffed animal.

I picked up my phone and called Lena. She answered with, “Finally! I thought you died or something.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes, “Calm down, drama queen. I was just out.”

We talked about random stuff—school gossip, that guy she likes who still doesn’t know she exists, and how her cat knocked over a whole shelf trying to chase a fly. She made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my spit at one point. But I didn’t tell her about the weird dream napkin drawing thing. Or the stranger. I don’t know why. It just felt like... mine. Like saying it out loud would make it disappear or something.

“Okay, I gotta go,” Lena finally said with a yawn. “My mom’s yelling at me to get off the phone.”

“Night, Len,” I said, smiling a little even after the call ended.

I put my phone on the nightstand, crawled under my soft blanket that smelled like lavender laundry detergent, and curled up like a sleepy cat. My eyelids felt heavy, and the world was finally quiet. Just my heartbeat, the tiny hum of the fridge in the kitchen, and the occasional car passing outside.

But then—

Knock knock.

I sat straight up, my heart jumping like it got electrocuted. Someone was knocking on my door.

And I wasn't expecting anyone.