Ch. 109: Things Start to Look Up

CHAPTER 109

Rachel~

Ally suggested we meet after school to make up. She seems honest. And I really don’t want to part on such crummy terms. We’ve been friends for too long for that. She suggested meeting at the coffee shop on the pier, and so I walked there after school let out. I was going to wait for her at first but with how cold it was, I went up to the register and ordered a hot cocoa.

While waiting for it I looked around a bit. The place was filled with all kinds of random stuff. Memorabilia but from different things. Baseball cards, hula girl statues, movie theater tickets, license plates, cat and dog figurines. All kinds of stuff. The place was empty other than the one barista making my cocoa, and some guy sitting near the back.

His frame caught my attention. Something about him seemed familiar. But I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I got my hot cocoa and went to sit down. When I did I caught the guy’s eyes. Dark, dark brown. Almost black. And so serious, deep. I nearly lost my footing before breaking contact and leveling out. I grabbed the bartop along the windows and steadied myself. 

I look up at him to see if he’s seen me do that. Embarrassing.

He’s just smiling a little. Like he knows me.

“Did you just see me do that?” I ask him, something making me want to talk.

The way I said it must have been really funny because his smile broadened.

“Yeah, but it’s okay. I won’t tell anyone,” the handsome, broad-shouldered guy said.

“Thanks,” I replied and I set my cocoa down on the bartop, thankful it had come with a lid.

“Are you waiting for someone?” he asks me as I take a sip.

I nod. “My friend, yeah.” I take another sip and look away from him out the window, to the ocean. Where the waves crash against the pier. I look back at him but he’s looking down at his drink. 

“You?” I ask him for no reason. Or maybe a reason.

His voice is soothing and I want to hear more.

“Oh, not really. Just needed someplace different, a change of scenery,” he thinks for a moment. “I’ve been going through some stuff. You know how it is.”

I wanted to know more. But before I said anything else, the bells on the door rang. Ally was coming in.

“I hope things start looking up,” I say to him as I get off the stool, ready to walk towards Ally.

He meets my gaze. “They already are.”

Ally and I make up. Well for the most part. I hope so anyway. The next day starts off pretty much the same. Another day closer to my birthday. I still don’t know exactly what I want to do. I know my mom wants to take my sister and I out to dinner, I’ll get to pick the place. But for me - I’m not sure what I want.

What could actually make me happy?

The thought makes me pause. Wasn’t I happy already? A few moments of thinking and it becomes painfully clear. No, no I’m not.

After school today I hid out in the bathroom. I don’t want to see Sean. I can’t explain why. He’s my mate. I should want him around all the time, right? He sends a few texts and calls me. But I don’t respond. I just put my phone on silent. I let the phone ring. I let the texts go unread. Ally sends me a message, but I can’t be sure they aren’t together, so I let that go unread too. I pull out a book from my backpack and read for about an hour. Then I sneak out, going a very different way than normal so I can hide if I see anyone.

But it’s clear. I make my way down to the street behind where I usually walk. Needing to still stay out of the way. There’s no way to tell if Sean could find me still.

I get all the way down to the pier and head into the coffee shop. The warm air and smell of coffee lift me up. And somehow I knew he would be here. And he is. 

He meets my gaze and we both smile. I order my cocoa and pay for it before walking over to where he’s sitting. He’s got a book on the table in front of him. I look at the title quickly and grin.

“Hey there,” he says. “We meet again.”

“The Hobbit, huh?” I ask, noting the book he’s reading.

“Oh,” he looks down at it and back at me. “Yeah.”

I could swear he’s blushing. The barista calls me over and I grab my drink before walking back.

“First read?” I ask him.

“Oh, yes for The Hobbit. I’ve read Lord of the Rings three times,” he stops and adds, “I hope that’s not too nerdy to say.”

“I love it,” I responded. “What part are you reading?”

“It’s pretty early on. They’ve just left Bilbo’s house,” he says slowly.

“Oh yeah, pretty early. Funny scene though, huh? When the dwarves just invite themselves in?” I take the stool across from him since he’s at a table this time.

“Yeah, although I’m sure if someone did that to me, I wouldn’t find it that funny either,” he notes.

I laugh. “You would side with Bilbo,” I say.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he asks with laughter in his eyes.

I laugh at him again. “Well, just that you seem like… the serious type. You probably dream of just reading in a quiet place and snuggling up in a blanket huh? That’s your definition of fun?” I arch my brow at him and take a sip of cocoa.

“Well, it depends on who I’m with,” he teased me.

I can’t help the blush I feel creep up.

We talk some more about all things Tolkien and other favorite book series. Our reading tastes are very similar. Something I wouldn’t have guessed by looking at him.

“You know - you don’t seem very bookish,” I say after a few moments of quiet conversation.

That makes him laugh. “And what do I seem like?” he asks, his voice dropping lower.

I look away, his eye contact too intense.

“Hey - I don’t even know your name,” I say a second after his question.

Not an answer.

“Do you want to?” he asks, moving the book to the side and taking a sip of whatever coffee he’d ordered.

I raise my brow at him.

“Maybe,” I say at last, stretching out the word.




Sean~

It’s so close I can nearly taste it. In a few days she’ll be at a new stage of power, so when I link myself to her it will set me to rocket off. I’ll suddenly grow in power too. I’m so happy with it all coming together that nothing can ruin the day.

Well that was before Rachel ignored my messages and calls. I can’t believe her! How dare she? And where on earth did she go? I stay and watch the bus pull away but she doesn’t get on. And without the bus, or me to give her a ride, how can she possibly get back to Melbourne?

I wait almost half an hour more before I speed off heading home. I need to burn off some steam before I accidentally show some human filth what I am. And I can’t afford that. Not yet anyway.

At home I let loose with a storm on our property. Lightning crackles and the winds boom through everything around. I let loose some force before tucking it all away again. Upon entering our house I noticed Lorraine’s car. My sister must be home for the upcoming holiday break from college.

“Hey dude, you alright?” she asks me as she pours some soda into her glass of ice.

The ice cracks. I don’t say anything.

“Alright, alright tough guy,” she says after a sip of her drink.

I don’t say anything in return. She’ll see how ‘tough’ I am on Saturday. She’s who I had to pick for the binding spell. I’ll lose a sister but gain the universe. What could be a better trade.

I send her a sneer and head upstairs to my room to rehearse the ancient language for Saturday. I have to get this perfectly or it won’t work.