Waiting for her classmates to populate the gummy lecture hall, Kyla drew out a little table in her notebook with the following categories:

                 Panickers (sweat stains after tests)

                 Itchers (dandruff w/ unshaved beards)

                 Prelawyers (A- vs B+ “well, the rubric wasn’t clear!” type)

                 Lazies (sleep in back, “C’s get degrees”)

Soon, class had started, and Kyla initiated her exercise. Iterating through each row of desks, she sorted each of her classmates. After a few minutes, “Chloe” was the sole name left in her word bank. Kyla grimaced. 

A month ago, Kyla thought she’d deciphered Chloe. After all, Chloe usually sat in the back of the lecture hall, stubbornly quiet. Classic goth behavior. But the next day, Chloe dressed in neon tie-dye and used a pink highlighter to take notes, as if she was trying to confuse Kyla.

As a result, Kyla compulsively glanced at Chloe throughout the lecture, hoping to glean some information. Kyla was disappointed, as Chloe scribbled notes the entire time.

Kyla’s previous attempts to understand Chloe’s inner wiring had failed. Just last week, Kyla “accidentally” spilled water on Chloe. There were no smiles, no frowns, no sparks; perhaps Chloe was a waterproof model. Kyla was disappointed. She wanted a response, any response, even an angry one. 

There was still hope. The professor was hosting a post-midterm potluck after class, and Kyla brought some homemade cookies to share. Cookie basket in hand, she surveyed the auditorium, hoping to force a conversation with Chloe. At the very least, Chloe would need to thank Kyla for the cookies. But where was Chloe?

Maybe hiding behind that one large kid? No. Behind the table? No. Near that veggie dip? No. Standing up on a chair, Kyla surveyed the room. Chloe’s usual seat was empty. 

Kyla sighed. Chloe tended to magically disappear whenever Kyla tried looking for her. Yesterday evening at the library, Kyla caught Chloe watching her through the bookshelves. Upon further inspection, Chloe was nowhere to be found; she even checked the trash cans and filing cabinets.

She couldn’t lose Chloe. Not again. Leaving her cookies behind, Kyla pretended to take an important call. As she walked out of the lecture hall, she put down her phone, enjoying the aroma of the chocolate chip cookies from the student bakery. There was a bit of hazelnut, too. Kyla would know — she was an aspiring amateur baker, you know. 

Once outside, Kyla stopped. She gazed up at the trees and down into the pavilion. Chloe was immediately visible, her angelic hair flying in the wind. Was stalking Chloe the best use of time? 

Kyla had finished her homework, studied for all her tests, and completed her required service hours for her clubs. She also didn’t have friends to chat or “hang out” with, either. 

Ultimately, Kyla was a knower. She needed answers and explanations.

So, she followed Chloe, maintaining a safe distance. In her pursuit, Kyla hastily jumped over a row of neon traffic cones, twisting her left ankle in the process. She hobbled to a nearby bench to recuperate.

Gripping her left ankle, she saw Chloe walk to a little blue car, strap in, and drive away. Kyla immediately hailed a rideshare driver. 

Kyla limped into the passenger seat. To her driver’s annoyance, she switched her destination constantly, tailing Chloe at every turn. She eventually directed her driver to park by the shopping center that Chloe had entered. Upon payment, Kyla lost around a hundred dollars, but that was a worthwhile investment. She was now a step closer to unearthing Chloe’s secrets.

In addition to observing Chloe, Kyla planned on shopping at the supermarket for some bananas and cinnamon. Like a normal person would.

Just as Kyla was about to leave the car, Chloe appeared at the supermarket entrance. Beside her was an old, short, rotund woman. Kyla leaned into the tinted car window.

The two suspects greeted each other with laughter. With their dark jackets, they walked towards the corner alley. Then, one discreetly exchanged a small package with the other. They talked for a minute before leaving in silence.

Kyla stared for a moment. Then she nodded with a knowing smile. Her puzzle was solved. Chloe was a sneaky criminal. Kyla put on her seatbelt, threw more money at her driver, and told him to drive. 

                                                            * * *

Chloe walked up to Naomi, who was idling by the side of the supermarket.

“Hi, Naomi,” Chloe said. “I’ve got a gift for you.” 

Naomi smiled and accepted the package. Tearing off the wrapping paper, she saw a container of a dozen warm, chocolatey, cinnamon-dusted cookies. 

“Thanks,” Naomi said. “I mean, after everything you’ve already done to keep Kyla safe.” She frowned at the scrawled note taped to the lid. 

“Wait, are these the nutrition facts?” Naomi asked.

Chloe tilted her head in confusion. After a brief moment, Naomi shook her head and wiped her glasses on her shirt, turning red in the process.

“Sorry, my eye prescription is a bit off,” she said. 

They both laughed as Naomi flipped Chloe’s handwritten note right side up. 

“Ha, that’s way different than what I thought it was!” Naomi joked. “Anyways, thanks again. I hope Kyla doesn’t find out.”

“That’s my job! I hope so, too.” Chloe said.

As they parted ways, they both heard a large screech from the parking lot. Naomi and Chloe glanced at each other, bewildered.