Ray of Light

❊ Chapter one: The Mug & Muffin ❊

January 7th 2017

Ray

I pushed the door of my favourite coffee shop - The Mug & Muffin - open and stepped in. It was peak time, 12:30pm, meaning it was incredibly busy. I made my way over to the counter and waited patiently, playing with my battered purse in my fingers.

"Good afternoon Ray," my favourite barista greeted, coming over to me.

"Hey Angie," I replied with a small smile.

"You want your usual?" Angie assumed.

"Of course," I agreed with a nod.

She grabbed a brown paper bag and went over to the pastries. Opening the door and picking up the tonges, took out a chocolate filled croissant, she asked, "How's your day going?"

"Just the normal weekend," I replied. "How about you?"

Angie laughed.

"We had a customer earlier who was incredibly and I mean incredibly irritating," she started.

I smiled as she began to tell me the story. Visiting The Mug & Muffin was always the highlight of my day, as me and Angie always had a conversation.

With an amused sigh, Angie said, "Well, that's the perk of working in a coffee shop."

She passed the croissant and my latte across the counter. I proudly paid the full amount of my order.

"Someone's rich," Angie chuckled, taking the money. "Did your job pay well?"

"I'm only an extra with a few lines, but it paid enough," I replied.

"If I see an ad for any jobs you'd be interested in, I'll let you know," Angie said, eyes looking at the door as more customers entered.

I thanked her, then took my food and drink to my favourite booth in the corner.

I watched everyone in the shop from the booth in the corner, sipping my latte and nibbling my chocolate croissant. I noticed a few regulars, but let's be honest here, nobody was more regular than I was. Every day I came here, whether it was a weekend or school day. It was my refuge - away from home and away from the roof I usually slept on. The roof was good enough to sleep on, but it wasn't at all favourable.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and noticed how low on battery it was. Sighing, I stood up and went over to the counter. Angie was serving another customer at the time, so I waited. The customer turned to me and smiled. I gave her a small smile back, glancing at her for just a second before diverting my gaze.

In that second, I took in her blond hair streaked with darker strands that reached her collarbone, the piercings in her ear and her shining emerald eyes.

"Hey Ray, you alright?" Angie asked after serving the woman.

"Can I borrow your charger?" I asked. "My phone's almost dead."

Angie passed me the phone charger she kept.

"Thanks," I thanked, before walking back over to the my booth.

I plugged the charger into the outlet on the wall and plugged my phone in. Going onto the internet, I searched for jobs. The one I'd just been doing had finished, and very soon I would need more money. I couldn't find anything online and I was getting worried. I needed that money to pay my rent. By rent, I mean, to pay to live in a house I was barely even in. My stepfather thought that I needed to pay 'rent' to learn how to pay it when I move out. Which, fair enough, but I was literally only 15. I had an older brother - well, he was my stepfather's son - who was 19. He was pampered, usually high as a kite on some type of drugs, and never got in trouble for anything. Even when he got in trouble with the cops, he'd get away with it due to David bailing him out.

"You've been here for ages, are you going home at some point?"

Looking up, I saw Angie. I then looked at the time.

"Shit," I muttered, as I saw the time was 2pm. "I'd better go."

I stood up and cleared away my rubbish, before giving Angie the charger back.

"See you tomorrow," Angie called as I left the shop quickly.

I waved goodbye as the door closed behind me.

~~~✸~~~

I walked quickly down the road, then as I turned the corner to my street, broke into a run. I raced up the driveway and opened the door.

"Where is that little brat?" I heard the outraged demand of my stepfather.

"I don't know!" my mom's reply came.

"You'd better tell her to hurry up and get her ass here or-"

Before he could voice a threat, I ran into the living room and declared, "I'm here!"

My stepfather turned to me threateningly, his eyes dark with intent. I backed up, heart beating in my chest so hard I thought it would explode.

"Where were you?" he demanded, walking towards me.

"On a walk," I stuttered.

"Little liar!"

He raised his arm in the air and I flinched, waiting for the blow to come.