The Red Doves

Chapter II

Since the Serious Coffee wasn't open yet, Suziky was walking beside the road, on the sidewalk, all the way there. Because she forgot her keys when she left the apartment, she couldn't take her car and because she forgot her cellphone on the bed of her room, she couldn't call or text Alan to tell him she would come. And of course, she forgot her umbrella so she was now all wet. She had at least the hood of her vest to cover her hair and face from the rain and the looks of others.
She didn't know what time it was but even though, after a long walk, she got to enter in the Serious Coffee. Once she entered, she took a look at the clock and saw that it was 12:53. Her friend wouldn't take long to arrive. She walked to the front counter and asked for a cappuccino. With some luck she got the money needed in her pocket to pay it and just enough to buy another one if wanted.
With her drink in her hands, Suziky walked to a sit near the window, far from other clients, and looked through it. She would take some sips sometimes then look back to the window, waiting for Alan. She knew he would come. Even if she didn't write him, he would know she would be there. He knew that Suziky wasn't always writing back.
While she was waiting, she started thinking of old memories with Alan. They were best friends since they met in school. During these years, Alan had his messy brown hair all over his face and Suziky had to ask herself if he could even see through it. But when she approached him closer, she could see his dark blue eyes looking at her. He had a look of a shy little boy but more Suziky learned about him, more she saw it wasn't the case.
She remembered having her blond hair in the past. It was always tied in a ponytail to be able to see. Her brown eyes were so tiny that she had to wear glasses for almost a year. Alan would always mess with them and almost broke them once. That's somehow when they became friends.
After that, they were always playing with danger. We got to call them the troublemakers of the school. If Alan was calm on a day, Suziky was the one dangerous, same with the opposite. When they were both dangerous, it could go to catastrophe. They already made and explosion in Science class because they did like they wanted. Alan almost broke the leg of a classmate to save the favorite plushie of Suziky, an old grey teddy bear that she was caring everywhere.
When they graduated, it went even worst. The two students were picking up fights with other kids just for fun. They were skipping class and even robbing chewing gum or candies in the closest stores. One thing to note was that they were always together. If you couldn't find one, you would go for the other and they would obviously be planning something together once again.
Lost in her mind, Suziky didn't notice the ringing of the tiny bell from the front door. Alan just entered the Serious Coffee. His hair, which grew a lot with years, where tied in a long braid. His blue eyes were covered of sunglasses – who knew why he was wearing them on a rainy day – as he was walking to the counter.
Suziky finally saw him with the reflection of the window and she turned around to look at him. He was wearing a black jacket and she could see a brown shirt under it. His jeans were greyish-blue and he was wearing black boots. He didn't have his umbrella with him and his hair was wet from the raindrops.
Finally, Alan took the coffee we handed him and he walked to Suziky's table with a smile. She took her hood off so he can see her face and smiled back at him. He sat on the bench in front of her and placed his coffee on the table before taking his sunglasses off to also put them on the table.

- I'm happy you came, girl. When you didn't write me, I was questioning myself, he started, looking at her injured face closely. I think I wasn't worried for nothing.

- You know that I can't always answer, Al, Suziky told him, taking a quick sip before continuing. Also, my mom got mad again so I had a little problem writing back to your text, sorry.

- Did she do anything bad to you, worse than these bruises? You're good?

- Yes, I'm good. It's nothing really catastrophic.

- That's nice. Though, you should tell the police about this, you know, Alan told her. I'm starting to think she can do worse.

- Alan, chill. If she ever goes too far, I can defend myself. I'm not a little girl anymore.

Suziky drank a bit of her cappuccino under the worried look of her friend. Her mother already hit her before but this time, it was almost nothing. There was this time where she got the knife out and almost cut Suziky with it. She skipped the part of the knife when she told Alan the first time but he found out by himself some days later. He tried to convince her to call the police but Suziky was always saying it was fine and that she was handling it.

- I mean, what would they do anyways? continued Suziky. I don't want my mom to leave. I would be alone in the apartment and I don't want that. I already feel lonely enough.

- Hey, you got me, don't forget! said Alan to then take a sip of his coffee. Plus, you could come to my place.

- I'm not sure your mom likes me a lot, said Suziky with an amused look.

- Come on, don't say that.

- It's true though. Or was it?

- She found another man. She's happy now. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind you coming over.

- Well lucky for her, but my mom still doesn't want me to leave the house, Suziky said with disappointment in her voice.

- You're still 19 and you just got it, it explains some things. You were 18 again two months ago.

- But I should have the right to leave at 18 even though!

- Ok, calm down! cut Alan. I was just saying that maybe she still has some fears about your future.

- Yea well she doesn't show it well then.

Suziky looked at the window while Alan sighed. She wasn't agreeing on what he was saying. She didn't need her mom's pity. She knew she was able to live alone now, like Alan. He was maybe two years older than her but she was still able to defend herself. He taught her when she was still a teen while he was learning from his dad.
At that moment, Alan took her hand, which made her look at him again. He was smiling and looking at her.

- Would you like to come live at my place? he started.

- I told you, my mom doesn't want me to.

- I don't care, continued Alan. She's hurting you, I won't.

- But she might call the police and all...

- And we'll tell them the truth. I'm tired of knowing she's harming you. She shouldn't do this. So please, go take your things and let's go to my place.

Suziky knew he absolutely wanted that she comes. He was always honest with her and as she was looking at his eyes, she made her decision. She would go to her mother and tell her that it was done, that she was leaving. That she likes it or not, she's going to go live in a safe place with caring people.