Immortal Awakening

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

I decided to walk all the way home. I had too much on my mind to run, and time to think was needed. Hands stuffed into my pockets, I made my way down the many streets to my house. It was getting cold, but I liked it. The wind whipping through the trees and the colorful leaves circling me were calming. There were small sections of Florida that actually reflected the season change. This time of year was my favorite. Not too hot. Not too cold.

I hadn't been myself today or last night. What was wrong with me? She just made me feel giddy and not myself. She asked if I hated her. I didn't at the time, but I wouldn't have told her that. Now I did. She made me feel more than I wanted to and I hated it. And, there was this familiar air about her that made me think I've known her forever, yet I knew nothing about her. That feeling made me overstep my boundaries and even let her past mine.

Seeing a small café close by, Moxie's, I stopped inside. It smelled strongly of coffee and had a homey feel. Anything to delay going back home now would be nice. Damian would just be waiting behind the door, ready to bombard me with questions I did not want to answer. He had that special ability to get under my skin, making me want to smack the shit out of him. Whether or not he annoyed me, he was still my brother and I was, without a smidge of doubt, stuck with him.

I came to this café a lot. When I wasn't in school, at home or with Nina, I was here. I got to be alone, and there weren't many people that came here. It was like a little hole in the wall that you'd have to stumble upon yourself. Finding my usual booth at the back corner of the café, I waited for the owner's daughter, Moxie, to come out. Her mother had named the café after her, expecting her to be the sole owner a few years from now or something of the sort. After the first few times I came here, I had compelled her to serve me whenever I came back.

People-watching became a hobby of mine. It was fascinating to watch people come and go, their actions, what they said, and the way in which they'd say them. I almost missed it; being human. Almost. I missed having a purpose instead of outliving everything and everyone, and as sappy as this sounded, feeling. I had long outlived my purpose in life, if I'd had one to begin with. I felt little to nothing now, and there was a part of me that didn't want to feel anything, but there were people like my brother, Moxie, and now Nina, that made me not want to give up just yet.

Moxie was a schoolmate. I saw her around Silver Stone Academy once or twice, but she didn't know me until I came to the café. Otherwise, I would have to compel her to remember me. Moxie had short, black, messy hair and she wore a lot of eyeliner. She was about 5 feet 8 inches tall and really thin, with pale pink lips. She was also beautiful in an aspiring-model kind of way.

I watched as she made her way over to me from behind the cashier counter, wearing a short, black high-waisted skirt, a white shirt, a small striped server apron, and black flats with a short necktie. She had her usual smile on her face and she looked better than the first time I came here. She used to be weak, and pale, and had trouble walking around to serve the customers. After having her sit and talk to me, I found out she had an eating disorder, and the miniature part of me that still cared about human life brought me to compel her to try to get herself back on the healthy side.

A disorder was a mental problem. I couldn't force Moxie into wellness, but I could make sure she got herself some help.

She slid into the seat across from me and leaned forward with her elbows on the table, resting her chin on the back of her hands. "You haven't been here in a few days. I was starting to think you weren't going to come back."