Richard slammed his laptop shut and shoved it into his briefcase. He then checked the time on his watch and headed out the door. He began to walk down the street heading toward the café. He walked inside and approached the counter.

"Your usual today, Richard?" Adabel asked as she stood in front of the cash register.

"Yes, thank you," He replied as he set his briefcase down on a chair. Adabel called out the order. A Peppermint Latte. She grabbed the latte and gave it to him as he handed her the money. "Keep the change," he told her. She neatly put the money into the cash register.

"So... how's college?" Adabel asked as she leaned on the counter.

"Well... its college, alright," Richard muttered as he sat down at the table where his briefcase was at. Adabel started laughing.

"You know, some people actually enjoy college... actually all people enjoy something," Adabel said as she looked at Richard. He glanced at her mockingly and then looked back at his latte.

"I enjoy my latte. Happy?" He asked as he took a sip from his coffee cup. Perfect.

Adabel sighed. "Well, if you actually knew what I meant, maybe you'd smile."

Richard scoffed and grabbed a pen from his pocket and drew a smiley face on his hand and waved it around. Adabel scoffed and shook her head as she talked to the next person in line. The person sat at another table. Adabel shouted the next order and then grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something down. She then walked over to Richard and grabbed his briefcase.

"What are you—"

"You need help, Richard," Adabel said as she opened the briefcase and put the piece of paper inside. She then set it back down on the chair and slammed it shut.

"With what?" He asked as he took a gulp of his latte. Adabel rolled her eyes.

"I'll take the next costumer," She called. Richard shook his head and grabbed his briefcase in one hand and carried the latte in the other. He then walked out of the café and headed down the street. He—

A crowd was in front of him. The crowd was silently watching something. Then a ukulele was heard. Richard pushed through the crowd and saw a girl in a yellow summer dress and summer hat. She was playing the ukulele and singing softly. She sat on top of a towel that laid over the grass. She finished playing. The crowd applauded. She looked up from her instrument and looked around at the crowd. Her eyes then rested on Richard. She then smiled and stood up and gave a small curtsy. People then pulled out dollar bills and put it in a little jar that the girl had next to her. She then looked at him again and hummed a quiet melody and then grabbed the jar and her ukulele and walked away.

-✽-❈-✽-❈-✽-✽-❈-✽-❈-✽-✽-❈-✽-❈-✽-✽-❈-✽-❈-✽-✽-❈-✽-

Richard sat alone in the apartment. He tapped his finger on his desk, realizing that it was the same song the girl was playing on her ukulele earlier. He sighed and walked out onto the balcony of the apartment. He then rested his head on the balcony and closed his eyes.

Then a ukulele was heard.

He opened his eyes and looked across the street to see the mysterious girl across the street playing the ukulele. He grabbed his coat and then ran out of the apartment and walked outside. He started walking toward her. She didn't notice. She just had her eyes closed enjoying the music. Once, she finished her song she looked up at him. "Oh... hello," She said as she moved her golden braid to rest on her shoulder.

"What are you doing out here this late at night?" Richard asked.

"The night has different rhythms than day," She said as she picked a small dandelion out of the grass and closed her eyes. She then blew it and watched as the dandelion scattered into pieces. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was just... taking a stroll."

"Oh, okay," She said as she picked up her ukulele and stood up. They stood in silence for a moment. Richard then turned around to leave but then stopped.

"What was your name?" He asked as he turned around to look at her...

She wasn't there.

He rubbed his eyes in confusion. She still wasn't there. He then walked back into the apartment and started pacing back and forth. Where did she go? Was she even real? Of course she was, I saw her... or did I?  Richard pondered.

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The next morning, Richard walked out of the apartment and headed down to the café. He grabbed a latte from Anabel and walked back out. He then sat down on the curb and opened his briefcase. He then grabbed the piece of paper that Anabel put in the suitcase. It read, You can be happy too! Call 1-800-HAP-PY!!

"Seriously?" Richard scoffed and crumpled up the piece of paper and ascended down the street.

STRUM!

The sound of a ukulele was heard. He then ran toward the sound to find the same girl with a golden braid. This time she wore a bright pink dress and had a flower crown that gently rested on top of her head. He walked towards her. She looked up at Richard and stopped strumming. The few people that watched applauded and set coins in her jar. She smiled and stood up and did a small curtsy. Richard looked at her and asked, "Where did you go last night?"

"Wherever the music took me," She replied.

"I'm being serious," Richard said as he stood in front of her.

"So am I," She said as she walked gracefully around him. She walked over to a tree and picked a perfect blossom from it.

Richard rolled his eyes and said, "You never told me your name."

She froze and turned slowly around. She looked at Richard and then picked the petals off of the flower. She didn't speak, but only hummed softly. She then blew the petals into his face. He grabbed the petals and looked at their pretty color and then looked back at...

She wasn't there.

"How does she do that?" He asked breathless as he looked around the street. He held the petals in his hand and put them in his jacket pocket. He then turned around and walked toward the apartment. He opened the door and looked behind him. The street was empty. She was gone. He shook his head and walked inside the apartment building.

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Later than night, Richard began to hum the song the mysterious girl played on the ukulele. He hummed the song over and over to where it sounded like the ukulele... wait. Richard ran out to the balcony to see the girl across the street playing the ukulele and singing the song. She had a different dress. It was a dark blue. She also had dark blue blossoms in her hair. She glanced up at him and smiled. Richard rubbed his eyes to make sure she wasn't an illusion... she was still seen. Richard ran as fast as he could down the apartment steps. He then swung the door open and looked at her. She stopped playing the song as he came over.

"Why... how?" Richard asked, looking at her. She sat there and smiled.

"Why what?" She asked as she smoothed the skirt of her dress. She looked at him, her eyes sparkling. I have to admit, she looks beautiful, Richard thought to himself.

"Why do you keep disappearing?"

"Why do you keep trying to find me?" She asked as she ran her hand over the wood of the ukulele.

"Because... because... I don't know," Richard said as he sat down in front of her. "So... to continue our conversation—"

She immediately put a finger over his mouth and said, "Please don't ask me what my name is. You can't ask me that question." Richard replied with a blink. She took her finger off his lips and set her hands neatly on her lap.

"Why not?"

"It's complicated," She said. "I'll be at the café tomorrow... do you wanna grab a latte?"

"I... sure," He said as he rested his hand behind his neck.

"Well, see you then," She said as she started walking down the street. "Oh... by the way, I can't tell you my name... but call me Melody," She said as she walked behind a building, leaving Richard alone on the sidewalk.

"Melody..." He whispered as he walked into the apartment and fell asleep.

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BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

His alarm went off.

Richard flew out of bed and ran to the café. He looked around but couldn't find Melody. He then heard soft humming and saw her sitting in a red chair. She looked at him and waved. He smiled—

"Are you smiling?" Adabel asked teasingly from behind Richard. He jumped, startled.

"Am I?"

"That smile suits you," Adabel said as she started talking to the next customer. Richard rolled his eyes and sat at a blue chair across from Melody.

"Good friends with the cashier, I see," Melody said as she handed him a... Peppermint Latte?

"How did you—"

"I have my ways, Richard... more ways than you realize..." Melody said as she sipped her drink.

"What did you get?"

"A Peppermint Latte, the best drink ever," Melody said as she raised her paper cup in the air and then drank a gulp. Richard then smiled a big smile. She's awesome, He thought to himself. "So... what do you want to do today? I know you have some college work you have to catch up on but... It might be fun to get to know each other, don't you think?" Melody asked sweetly.

"Um... yeah, uh... what— do you have any preferences?" Richard asked as he took a sip of his Latte.

"Nope," She said as she licked the whip-cream mustache off her face. She giggled as she shot her paper cup into the trashcan. Perfect shot. She turned to Richard and tilted her head. "So... where to?"

"Do you like picnics?"

"Um... who doesn't?" She asked as she grabbed his wrist. "Well, come on, I know the perfect place."

She led him to a hill that was surrounded by trees. The trees had blossoms on them. Richard gazed softly at Melody who danced around the trees, her dark purple dress flowing beautifully around her. She looked at him and smiled. She then guided him to a perfectly shaded spot and sat down on the recently cut grass. She reached behind a tree and pulled out her ukulele... how long has that been there?  Richard thought.

Melody then began to play a beautiful song on the ukulele. Richard stared at Melody's steady hands as she carefully strummed the ukulele's strings. The more Richard listened to the song... the more he felt mesmerized by her. Was it love?

They spent the rest of the day together. At the end of the night Richard was smiling. He wasn't even aware he was smiling. He then grew very fond of Melody. He then realized he liked her... no loved her.

After they grabbed dinner they both sat outside on a bench.

"You're smiling," Melody told him as she played a soft tune. Richard closed his eyes and listened to the melody she played. "You never smiled before I met you."

"How would you know?"

"Again... I have my ways," Melody said as she stopped playing her instrument. She gave him her full attention. He did the same for her. Then they just stared at each other—

"I love you," Richard randomly blurted. Melody started laughing.

"That was rather cheesy... I wasn't expecting you to say it like that," Melody said as she giggled. Richard blushed he opened his mouth to say something— "I like you too, though," Melody said. Richard looked at her in surprise.

"You do?" Richard asked. Melody then leaned forward and kissed him. Richard was surprised at first, but then melted into the kiss. Melody opened her eyes and looked at Richard. He still had his eyes closed. She then whispered in his ear.

"I think you found your happiness," She said. Richard then opened his eyes and looked at...

Nothing.

She was gone.

"No... no... no, no, no, what?" Richard asked shakily as he looked around. The streets were quiet. There were no footsteps heard. Not a thing was out of place. Nothing amiss. But he knew without a doubt— she was gone.

Richard then started to walk home.

His smile faded as he took the blossom petals out of his jacket pocket and cried.

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A week passed by since Melody left. Richard sat at the café in a red chair tapping his finger on his paper cup that held his latte. He was tapping his finger to the same song Melody played. Richard sighed as he saw new customers walking into the café.

She's gone, Richard told himself.

"Next customer!" Adabel shouted. Richard turned and looked at the customer who was standing in front of Adabel. The customer spoke.

"One Peppermint Latte, please," The customer—a girl— said. She had a golden braid that rested pleasantly on her shoulder. Richard stared at the girl. Adabel nodded and started making her drink. The girl then started humming a tune.

Melody's tune.

"Here you go," Adabel said as she handed the girl her drink.

"Thank you," She said as she took her seat. She then pulled a laptop out of her blossom patterned bag. She started humming the tune again—

"Excuse me," Richard asked as he got out of his seat and looked at the girl. The girl looked at him.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Where do you know that song from?" Richard asked.

"Oh... I don't know," The girl said as she looked at her laptop again.

"What's your name?" Richard asked. He squinted his eyes shut, bracing himself for another illusion. The girl quirked a brow at him and smiled.

She then said, "Melody. My name is Melody."