Bad Habits

3

Have you ever felt a strange pull toward something you really didn’t understand? It’s almost like something that you have to accomplish. You don’t really know why, you just know it has to be done.

I watch as a longhaired curly lanky guy steps out of the black vehicle. He leans down speaking to the driver before closing the passenger door and walking into the shop.

“Two cheeseburgers with lots of pickles.”

I jump slightly at the intrusion. Thankfully the sweet old lady hadn’t noticed. My stomach growls at the sight of the deliciousness right in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye I can see my brother making his way back to our table.

“Anything else I can help you with dear?” She asks.

I quickly look out the window once more seeing the black vehicle exiting the lot to the shop. I nod slightly toward it speaking quietly but loud enough for her to hear.

“Do you know whose car that belongs to?”

She squints her eyes a bit as the car disappears out of sight. It takes her a second before recognition fills her beady eyes.

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that dear, you’d do best to stay away from that one.” Is all she says before taking her leave from the table.

Before I can ask her what she is talking about Lou sits down back into the booth. Why would she say that? Why wouldn’t she just tell me who ‘that one’ is? Now all I am going to want to do is find out who this person is.

“This looks grea..hey..what are you thinking so hard about?”

I look up remembering my brothers’ presence. I couldn’t as him..could i? No way. He wouldn’t leave me alone about it if I did.

“I was just remembering that I needed to text my receptionist about something for the office.” I cover up quickly.

“Seriously Mia, you gave yourself only one week of vacation and you’re already thinking of work.” He states clearly annoyed.

I watch as he grabs his cheeseburger with both hands bringing it to his hungry mouth. The sloppy way he is eating is doing little to distract me from the person inside of that car. Who are you?

I shake my thoughts away, slightly forcing myself to eat some of my meal. I dislike how easily my appetite disappears when I can’t stop thinking of something else. After a while I can’t take another bite, leaving nearly half of my meal. Lou quickly takes it out of my hands taking it for himself.

Twenty minutes later we are walking back toward the shop. Louis has made it his mission to keep me off of my phone emails and anything else work related.

The bell dings when Louis bursts open the glass door to the office. No one is behind the front desk but it doesn’t seem to bother him. He walks right through the small opening to the other side making his way to the side door that leads through the garage. He disappears before I can call out to him. I squeeze my eyes shut frustrated before making my feet move after him.

As soon as I step through the side door into the garage loud music can be heard echoing throughout the big space. I block out the loud obnoxious rap music for the moment taking in my surroundings. Beer signs and band posters cover the walls from the ceiling to the floor. Two torn apart trucks stand to my left and to my right there are ton sofas boxing in a few guitars and a drum set.

Loud laughter can be heard the deeper I walk into the garage. I turn a slight corner the bright red of my car coming into view. I notice the shine and cleanness of it. Lou’s back is faced at me as he talks to Zayn, Liam, and a new guy. It’s the same guy that got out of the passengers’ seat of the black car from earlier.