“… so I think I’ll have to stick with Aquafina for now on.”, Marley struggled out through her laughter. I nearly spat my caramel macchiato out onto table as I seized up myself in tears. I caught others side eyeing our noise in disapproval, but neither of us cared.

I had never laughed this hard in my life, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever held a conversation with someone for over a half-hour before. I had no idea how long we had been sitting in that Starbucks, but I didn’t even care to check the time.

Wiping the tears from eyes, I looked back at her to tell her a dramatized version of the time Molly kicked me in second grade, but something was off.

I rubbed at my eyes again and checked my contact.

“Ahah, I didn’t make you cry too much did I?”, Marley joked.

“Ya know what you may have just cost me a contact. Let me run to the bathroom and see how much money you owe me.”

We both giggled as I stood and pulled myself from her to rush to the bathroom. I splashed some water in my eyes and looked in mirror.

“….what the hell…”

A pink fog had developed around my head, just as I had seen with Marley. It wasn’t thick- only a few strands of pink fuzz orbited my head. I moved my hand through it but felt nothing. I was sober wasn’t I? I wasn’t dreaming? I pinched myself. Nothing. I slapped myself in the face. Nothing. I splashed more water in my face. I scoffed as I looked back and noticed the color had changed from pink to yellow.

What was going on? Did I mess up my eyes? I figured I must have rubbed them too hard. This was just an optical illusion, they was no other explanation. Regardless, I wanted to keep talking with Marley.

I walked out of the bathroom and saw Marley swaying a bit as she looked out the window. The pink mist around her head had turned a light shade of green.

“Yup, I’m blind now in my right eye, thanks for that.”, I said and took a seat.

Marley giggled and welcomed me back, and again her mist turned back to back to a pink. Marley must have caught me staring at the top of her head.

“Uh, is there something on my head? If it’s a spider just lie please.”

“Pshh, sorry my eyes are still readjusting I guess. You don’t notice anything, uh, different.. do you?”

“Different?”

“Yeah like, is there anything wrong with my head?”

Marley looked at me quizzically, and formed a fist as she knocked upon my head a few times.

“Ohmygosh, now I get it!”

“Wait really what is it?”

“You’re head.. it’s hollow.”

A rolled my eyes as she giggled, and I couldn’t help but just adore her even more.

I looked around the coffee shop and couldn’t help but gasp as I realize that everyone in the shop had swirly mist around their head. There were two men looking at a computer screen and appeared to be bickering with each other, and both of there little swirls were a darkening brownish color. A girl in the back reading a book by herself was crowned in green. Some middle aged aged guy watching himself twiddling his thumbs had blue.

“Hey Jake, seriously, are you good?”

I didn’t know. What was this I was seeing, and what in the hell did these colors mean?

“Yeah yeah, I’m totally good. Would you actually wanna get out of here and go take a walk? I think the light bulbs or something in here are messing with my eyes.”

“A man with high sensitivity to light bulbs, that’s so hot.”

“Ya know I thought you would think so? I’m also allergic to notebook paper if that’s your thing.”

We both laughed and walked towards the door. My eyes felt fine at least so I didn’t think I was going blind. As we walked out she grabbed my hand, and her pink mist intensified.

Either way I didn’t really care. I was in love.