Coffee

Chapter 1

~ Aroma ~

I was walking down the road from the school and found the park I go to often. My ADHD just couldn't contain itself, so I ran to the slide entrance, walked up the hard rubber stairs, and slid down the bright yellow plastic slide giving a slight laugh on the way. Soon  I went over to the monkey bars and swung from one bar to another or just hung upside down for a while, feeling the blood rush to my head.

When I hopped off the bars, I went straight to the spin wheel laying down on the obstacle while it slowly spun. I watched as the clouds and the trees slowly rotated around me, the crickets chirping and the birds rustling in the trees. I fell asleep with the calming sounds and wore myself out. After what might have been a few hours, I woke up to the sun setting.

I sat up and smelt a strong scent of coffee in the air around me. I tried following the smell, but the air got too nippy making my cheeks feel like they were being pinched — It soon got dark. But I still couldn't pinpoint where the coffee scent came from, so I just started to head home. I didn't have school for the next two weeks because of Thanksgiving break, so I prepared to sleep all day and play around. When I got to the park, the smell of coffee was still there. I ignored it and went straight home instead.

After taking a shower and brushing my teeth, I got bundled up in my blanket while cuddling with Berry, my kitten with calico fur. I cuddled with him all the time because he always calmed me down. I was sitting down on the couch watching the movie Inspector Gadget before I even noticed that I had fallen asleep. I woke up feeling the stiffness in my limbs from my sleeping posture during the night. I was looking for my bag when I realized it was at the park. I rushed to the front door, put my shoes on, and locked the door. After running for what felt like hours, was only actually about two minutes, I arrived at the park and found my bag lying on the bench. Luckily, it didn't look like it was tampered with.

I looked through it just to make sure that nothing had been taken. Just before I left there was a coffee aroma again. This time it was light out and I could see, so I followed the smell into an alleyway and found nothing. A little while after I came upon the decision to turn back and try a different direction. Then I heard a small jingle from further down the alley. I walked in the direction the sound came from, to find a small coffee shop in the corner.

I hesitated to go in, but I worked up the courage to do so. When I entered the shop the smell got stronger. There was soft music playing and very few people, four at most. I went to the counter and sat down with my bag on the floor. I was too busy looking around. I hadn't realized someone was standing in front of me.
"Excuse me." I heard, coming from the other side of the counter.

I looked straight ahead to see who was talking to me, and I lost my breath for an indefinint amount of time. I could feel my face heat up and  my heart pound a million miles an hour. He cleared his throat to get my attention. When I looked up at him he was looking me up and down. I thought I might have had something on my clothes, so I looked at my attire and fathomed the fact that I didn't change my clothes and came out in my pride month PJs and my earrings attached to my ears. I felt all the blood drain from my face, and my heart stopped.

I stumbled out of the chair falling on the ground, yet still shuffling to get up, grab my bag, then run out of there. I kept running until I reached my house. When I got inside I threw my bag on the couch and went to my room. I wouldn't have known I was crying if the feeling of something sticky on my face wasn't there. I continued to sob to myself wanting to erase that horrible feeling of being lesser than someone and embarrassing myself for being stupid enough not to change clothes, or take my earrings out. After all this time trying to hide that I'm gay, it came out without any effort.

I walked to the bathroom and washed my face of the tears knowing that I wouldn't ever see the man in the coffee shop again. Before I left the house I grabbed my car keys and headed to the park where I go when I'm sad or when my ADHD acts up bad. Right now I'm sorry and anxious. Will everyone know about this side of me or will I still be able to live the life I'm living now? I got to the park and sat down in the sandbox with my hood draped over my head. I felt a single tear roll down my cheek as I thought of the looks the people in the shop gave me and the face the baristo gave me too. It all came rushing back to me like a tsunami. I started to full-on weep now, not wanting the memory of that time to play in my head anymore.

I was too concentrated on the events happened that day, so I wasn't paying any attention to my surroundings. There was a hand that firmly but not roughly grasped my shoulder. I turned my head in their direction and saw the man from the coffee shop.

"Hey, you alright?" the barista asked,  I looked up at him with tearful eyes. I rushed my hands to my face to wipe away the tears while I replied,
"Yes, I'm ok.". while looking at me with disbelief and crouched down to the ground to be head to head-with me.
"You don't seem ok, k'mon let's go to the bench and out of the sand," he said.
I nodded slowly not wanting to slip up with my speech. We got to the bench and he started to rub my back and say soothing words. Once he got me to calm he asked with a slight chuckle, "So, I never got your name.".

"I-It's Bailey... you?" I stuttered. I mentally slapped myself for the stutter.
"My friends call me Kenneth." is what he said.
We started to walk down the alley to the coffee shop. When we got to the door leading inside the cafe, Kenneth unlocked the door and led us to the third floor; where he stayed.
"You can take a shower if you want," Kenneth said.
I told him "Ok, thank you.''
It was nice of him to offer me a shower since now I have a wet bum and sandy hands from the damp sand I was sitting in earlier. When I got out of the shower I had to wear one of his shirts that was most definitely way too big for me. It draped down over my knees like a nightgown. I didn't see Kenneth anywhere on the third floor, so I went downstairs and found him baking goods for the shop when it opens. The floor creaked under my step, Kenneth turned to face my direction dropping the spoon he was holding then stared at me with a flustered face.

I looked down thinking that I might look weird with only a shirt and undies on, but Kenneth just picked the spoon up off the ground rinsed it off puting it in the sink before telling me to wait upstairs for him. I nodded my head ok, yet as I walked upstairs I could smell the scent of coffee. After waiting for a few minutes I got bored and then started to roam and look at things. I opened the doors and found a few closets, one bathroom, and a bedroom.

I then walked into his bedroom to his bed then sat on it. The smell of his cologne and coffee mixing put me at ease making me feel drowsy. The last thing I saw before passing out was Kenneth walking into the room with a cup of coffee.