My Lost Diary

I approached the coffee shop, my heart palpating incessantly in my chest. My mind was consumed with apprehension at the thought of someone, particularly someone familiar, uncovering the musings I had chronicled for an entire year in my diary, which I had left on the table on my last visit.

As I drew nearer to the entrance, my worst fears started to materialize. I peered through the transparent door and to my dismay, my diary was nowhere in sight. A jolt of adrenaline surged through my veins, my heart racing even faster than before. My hands quivered uncontrollably, impeding my ability to push open the door. I was compelled to launch an investigation.

Fortunately, an elderly gentleman caught sight of my distress and offered me his assistance. He took it upon himself to open the door for me and whispered in my ear, "Please, do come in, ma'am." I glanced at him, his countenance radiant with a brilliant smile to which I responded with a strange one.

Hurriedly, I made my way inside the coffee shop, almost colliding with the waitress who stopped abruptly and apologized. "I apologize, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright," I replied, my voice trembling. "Did you happen to see a diary on my table?"

Her delayed response elicited a shroud of goosebumps on my skin. "I'm afraid not. I wasn't the one who took your diary," she replied, her response after a moment of contemplation.

"What do you mean?" I interjected. "Who took my diary?"

"That girl you were arguing with picked up your diary. I assumed she returned it to you," she said.

"Mardy?!" I exclaimed in disbelief, the realization that Mardy, my arch-nemesis, had found my diary and was now privy to my deepest, most private thoughts, caused my heart to race even faster. I couldn't control my breathing, and although the waitress offered me a glass of chilled water, I declined and dashed outside the shop.

It felt like the darkest moment of my life, my most intimate secrets now at the mercy of the most vexing person on the planet. Mardy and I were sworn enemies, and I knew she would exploit any opportunity to get to me. I was doomed.

"Kimberly!" Someone called out to me repeatedly. "Wait a minute, Kimberly!" At that point, I felt numb, my movements involuntary, as if I was being buffeted by the winds.

I turned around and saw Ryan, the object of my affection, standing before me with my diary clutched tightly in his hand. I was motionless, as my heart plummeted into my stomach. I felt weak in the knees, uncertain of how I managed to support my weight. "What is Ryan doing with my diary?" I asked myself. "The waitress told me Mardy picked it up. Did she give Ryan a chance to read it too? That girl is a real demon."

"Hey," Ryan interrupted my inner monologue. I could feel my face flushing crimson.

"Are you alright?" He inquired.

I nodded affirmatively, my eyes trained on the diary in his hand.

He noticed my fixation and extended his hand toward me. "Regarding your diary-"

"Yeah, I know. You must have read it and found out I have a crush on you, and now you're returning it to witness my reaction. But the truth is Mardy already inflamed my emotions when she handed it over to you, so-"

"I was going to say," Ryan interjected. "I saw Mardy with your diary, and I knew you were not friends, so I took it from her before she could peruse your secrets. I can assure you that I have not read a single page in your diary. My house is not a safe place, my brothers are always reading books with pretty covers so I thought I should bring it back to you. Since you like coming here I thought this would be the first place to look for you."