Maybe.

Chapter four ~ Coffee Shop

Chapter four
Coffee Shop

I let out the deep breath I, for some reason, had held onto. "Did you have to? Really?"

He replied with a snicker and even through his despicable laugh was formed with its own forceful loud volume, I still could hear and make out his own anger which seemed to be suppressed. When he finished his annoying bawl, he remembered I was waiting for an answer. "Do I have to? Well, not really. I somehow just...find it amusing, but..." Then he turned to meet the eyes of Peach and continued, "but you see, Dallus, this is the first time I've felt...so excited like...I can't exactly pinpoint it but you know what I mean."

I glared at him with a desperate desire to- "When are you going to stop? You won't ever fix yourself up, will you? I'm tired of seeing this constantly, over and over again."

His eyebrows furrowed and he grew more angry, as my words sank into him. He didn't like them and he didn't like hearing them again after such a long time. "Well this one isn't going to be the last one, I can assure you that, Dallus." He replied, trying to cover up his frustration and misdirecting the argument. "And anyway, isn't it very strange of you to be taking notice of what I do now. You seem to be interested in this one."

I put my hands in my pockets hiding my fists, just in case I flipped out. "It's not that I have a particular interest. It's just that I can't take your shit anymore and it's beginning to annoy me."

"Deal with it Dallus, cuz nothing's going to stop me. And...I won't be listening to you, for sure." He sneered.

I heard the girl sniffing quietly behind me and I decided to leave it there, so she can be alone somewhere. "Leave her alone; she's already in tears. I'm sure you've had enough fun for the day anyway."

"She comes at me and then slaps me and you actually expect me to leave her.For someone like you to say that. Everyone around you ends up in tears! Heck, even you yourself are the cause of every living he'll you can think of. Who the hell are you to talk?"

One of my pockets were empty; my hand had unknowingly gotten out of its standby mode. It was desperate to connect with that meatball's face and maybe slightly hoping for some fractured jaw bones in the process.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" He continued, as if he really wanted me to be provoked. My hands twitched but I resisted, although the urge to beat the nerve out of him was quite immense.

I snickered, "everyone around me ends up crying? Hmmm...it's not a nice thought. Just remembering to back then though, weren't you one of them?"

I knew I got him because I knew something about him and he knew something about me that no other person knew, here. We glared at each other. But then breaking our intense laser-like stare, one of his friends came struggling his way through the crowd.

"James! Your mom's here!" Charles exclaimed.

My body stiffened.

"What! Why? Where?" His bewilderment was completely visible on his face.

"She's in the head teacher's office. I think she knows about the..."

"How the hell did she find out!" He shouted and then ran in the direction to the head teacher's office, forgetting the short-moment temper he built up.

I still felt the presence of the girl behind me but I didn't turn around. I didn't think it was right for me to turn around. Because...because...I knew...that I wouldn't be any help in comforting her; I didn't know anything. I didn't know why she was crying, why this guy was annoying her and why I was making myself a part of this. And if I did turn around, it would just make her feel...worse. I knew that feeling but I did know the feeling of being comforted by someone that cared, being comforted by someone who knew you and the things you've been through. I knew that feeling too. But I wasn't a person that could make her feel better because I didn't know her and didn't know the things she's been through and I'm not even sure I actually cared. Do I care? I care enough to speak up. So I must care right? But if I do, then why?

Besides that, I couldn't help her anyway; I don't think I knew how. So instead I waited. I waited until the crowd slowly disappeared and until her sniffing quietened even more. I looked back at where my friends were. They weren't there as expected; they did say they were going to go to the shop near Bishops Street to get some more food. To confirm, my assumption, my phone beeped and a message showed up in my notifications.

'Dude! Wer r u? Hurry up! We're already over at Crispies.'-Mike.

I texted back.

'I might be a little late or I might not come. Something came up.'

Putting the phone back into my pocket, I spun around and staggered towards the girl while limping. I noticed that her cheeks were flecked with roses and her eyes were a little puffed up but her tears were mostly unnoticeable due to the redness of her face.

I stood their all awkward not knowing when to start talking. Then I realised something was on the floor. It was glistening. It was the necklace from before, which I saw in her hand. It must have broken. Was that the cause of what had happened? What exactly...was so special...about it?

"Emmm...do you want to drink something that'll make you feel better..." I asked still feeling the awkwardness. A cold breeze suddenly flew past, as I checked the time on my watch-there was half an hour left. "...and go some place warm?"

She didn't reply and she didn't even look up. Instead she nodded ever so slightly and so I grabbed her bag from the ground that I had noticed a little earlier and vegan to walk.

***

My eyes stared at her unconsciously as she sat in front of me holding a mug of hot chocolate. She held as if she was warming her hands. She had her sleeves pulled forward covering half her hand. Her face was still a little red; her eyes a little swollen. Her hair had little strands coming out in unusual places but the messiness kind of suited her.

My fingers circled around the top the mug of hot chocolate in my hands. Now how we got to this place was by taking quite a long walk. I walked in front and she followed behind but a little slowly. I had to take tiny glimpses to see if she was still following. We were in a coffee shop and it was indeed quite a warm place. It had gotten slightly colder over the past two days and so the place was a nice warm. After a while and a whole lot of silence, that was strangely not as awkward as earlier, I asked her, "a...are...are you feeling better?" My voice cracked.

"Uh...em...I'm okay." She seemed flustered by my sudden approach. Or was it my voice? Then she murmured something, "Thank You."

She looked up and her eyes widened in recognition. "Ah." She exclaimed pointing at me. "Aren't you the thief?"

"Thief? For one thing, you dropped your necklace and if I didn't find it, you wouldn't have found it. And the other, I'm not a thief. I have no reason to steal a simple necklace while putting my future on the line. And anyway, you simply got it broken in the end." I explained myself for no reason.

"SIMPLE necklace?" Bewilderment was present on her face right then along with this unpredicted reaction. "It might be SIMPLE for you but for me it's something I would give anything for." And with that, she just got up and left.

What? Was the necklace that important? Why on earth was she so mad about? I took out the necklace from my pocket, which I h