IGNIS : the umbrella academy [COMPLETE]

II

     TO SAY CARLA FELT ALONE WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. She walked towards Griddy's in silence, Walkman left at the Academy, combat boots feeling far too heavy on her feet.

     She was worried about Klaus, to say the least. She had faith in him, of course she did, but she was also worried about how far he would push himself. And what had Klaus been anticipating that he didn't want her to see?

     Carla had helped him through thick and thin; had comforted him through breakdowns, supported him through the low points in his life. She had seen it all.

     Hadn't she?

     Carla pursed her lips, turning a corner and seeing Griddy's Donuts come into view, a sight that Carla found vaguely comforting.

     From experience, she knew they did good coffee there, and that had to be a plus. She opened the door to the diner, sitting down in a booth by the window, giving her a view of the parking lot.

     Her arms were clasped on the table, and in no time a waitress came over, the same one from before, with her baby pink uniform and greying hair tied back. The woman smiled warmly upon seeing Carla, seemingly recognising her, "Hello again, young lady."

     "Hi," Carla said.

     "What can I get for you?" the woman asked, drawing out a notepad and pen.

     However, her eyes seemed to be shifting towards the window often, scanning the various cars. It didn't take a genius to work out that she was waiting for someone.

     "A black coffee, and..." she hesitated, eyes drifting to the board by the counter, "a sprinkled doughnut, please."

     "Of course. I'll bring it over in a second," the woman smiled again, scribbling down an order and walking away, not before looking at the window once more, a blend of hopeful and wistful.

     The teenager stared out of the window, watching the occasional car pull into the parking lot, people walking in and sometimes out.

     She had always been fascinated by people. Just watching them go about their day-to-day lives. There was a mother with her son, icing sugar around his mouth as he happily ate a doughnut, an old man sat outside the diner on a bench, reading a paper. None of these people knew they had days left to live.

     The thought made her shudder, and she briefly shut her eyes.

     Things were happening so fast, and Carla felt as though she were drowning in it all. Days were passing her by, and the apocalypse was drawing closer and closer.

     She was supposed to survive it, and that meant that she would be the only one. There would be no Five this time around, or anyone else, for that matter, and she would be stuck.

     Her heart was pounding, her gloved fingers trembling slightly. Everything was snowballing, and she could do nothing to help-

     "One black coffee and sprinkled doughnut," a voice snapped Carla out of her thoughts, and she glanced up at the waitress, doing her best to muster a smile.

     "Thank you," her voice was quiet, too quiet, and it wavered slightly. She went to take out the money, but the waitress stopped her.

     "Don't worry about it," she said, clearly sensing Carla was going through something, "It's on the house."

     Carla wanted to cry, "Thank you. Again."

     The waitress just shot her a sympathetic smile, before something caught her eye through the window, and her face lit up. Seemingly forgetting Carla, the woman hurried towards the back door, quickly leaving, and Carla looked outside.