LABYRINTH | Scarlett Johansson x Daughter

4 | let me help you.

I'd woken up from a dream at four-thirty this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to get up and make the most of it. I would have only woken up an hour later anyway since I'm very much an early bird and my body does not understand how to sleep in.

I had the house to myself because both my parents have a work conference all weekend in Philadelphia.
They both work for the same company and have for at least twenty years. It's how they met.

So, wanting to make the most of it, I decided to go into the kitchen and bake.

Stress bake if I'm going to be specific.

I'm meeting Scarlett for the second time today and for some odd reason, I think I'm more nervous than I was last Saturday.
I'm extremely tired too due to the very long week I had, and it makes it harder to get a grip on my anxiety.

Like every other week, I had work every morning and school during the day, but unlike the weeks prior, I had a whole Art assignment I had to get done in two days because my sketchbook was ripped apart.

What's done is done though and as much as I wish I could change the fact, I can't.

I arrived at the café a little early this morning in the hopes of getting some reading time in. It's raining today, and reading in a café whilst it's pouring down is one of the most therapeutic activities in my opinion.

The noise of the café slightly overwhelms me today. Sometimes I love the hustle of it all, but when I'm tired like I am today it gets a little bit much.
So, with my headphones on that my best friend very generously gifted me for my birthday, I sat down at my favourite table and rugged up in multiple layers of clothing with a book in hand.

The headphones block out any and all noise, so when a coffee is slid onto my table I'm slightly startled.
"Oh, I didn't order this," I admit, putting my book down and slipping the headphones off my head and around my neck.

"I know, it's on the house."

She's the same person that waited on our table last week, only this time her hair is a different colour. Instead of her natural black hair, she's dyed it a dark red and gotten bangs.

"I really like your hair," I tell her.
Her lips curl into a wide smile as she tucks the loose strands behind her ears. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," I return a small smile. "And thank you for the coffee."

"Don't worry about it."

Thinking it's the end of the conversation, I go to pull my headphones back over my head, except I obviously have thought wrong because she doesn't walk away.

Looking up at her with an awkward smile, I rest my headphones back on my neck and wait for her to speak.

"I um...w-what are you listening to?"

"Nothing, actually," I chuckle, "I just use them to block out the noise while I read."

"Oh," she half-heartedly laughs. "I guess I'll let you get back to it then."

With a single nod, she stiffly waves before resuming her work. It's only a few minutes that I have my headphones back on and my face in a book before I spot Scarlett walking into the café.

She has a red puffer jacket on that's seem to have caught droplets of rain and her hair is put up in a claw clip, exactly like mine.

As I put my belongings back in my bag, she glances around the room before spotting me and making her way over to the table with a gentle smile on her face.

"Hi Kenz," she says, sliding into the chair across from mine and resting her purse in her lap.
I can't help but smile slightly at the nickname. I always love when people call me 'Kenz'.