ImPerfect

Chapter 3

"How does it feel to be pitied?" Gabby says with a sinister grin on her face. "It's obvious they are hanging out with you because they want to help out a charity case" I hear her friends cackle at what she is saying to me. I look at the people that are sitting next to me. The same people that I now call friends. I know what she is saying isn't true but it still hurts.

Words do hurt and sometimes they cut deeper than any knife ever could. I look back at her and stare into her blue eyes. "No matter how hard you try you can't break something that's already broken" I tell her and with that I walk out. I don't need this. Besides, my mom won't even notice that I'm not at school since she is too busy blowing all the money that I earned on drugs and alcohol.

I walk out of the lunch room and make my way to the cafe that I work at. I know it's still early so I'll just sit in a booth and wait for my shift to start. As I'm walking out of the school I hear someone yell my name. "Isabella!" I turn around and look up into Matteo's forest green eyes. "Where are you going?" He asks me, looking a bit worried.

"I'm just leaving early. Look if you're worried about where your next class is then just ask someone else. I'm sure they'll help you guys out" I look at him to see him shaking his head.

"No, that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about you. Are you ok?" he says, looking at me with a look of sympathy. I hate sympathy. I don't need people looking at me with pity in their eyes. They look at me like I'm some fragile piece of glass that even with the simplest  touch could break.

"Look I'm fine Matteo alright. I don't need you worrying about me. I've been alone most of my life and I've been doing just fine without anyone. You guys should just stay away from me. I don't need you guys getting close. Besides you'll only end up getting burned" I tell him as I walk away completely ignoring anything else that he had to say.

After arriving at the café that I work at I sat in the booth all the way in the back where I usually sit. This isn't just any café. It's a two-story building in which the café is at the bottom while the books are in the second story. I like to think of this place in many ways, one of them being my safe place. My safe haven. Many people come into the café just to sit and relax with a good book, or to work on things, and I like to think that it brings them the same amount of pleasure that I get from being in this place.

Once it was time to begin getting ready for my shift I headed into the back locker room in order to get dressed in my uniform. The café's uniform for employees consisted of black jeans, black top, and a beige apron. Once finished I clocked in and headed straight to work.

It was almost closing time which meant that I was currently in the second story of the building organizing the books. I was so focused on my work that I didn't notice someone was standing behind me. 

I turned and accidentally bumped into a hard chest. "Sorry, I didn't see you there" I say apologizing to the person feeling slightly embarrassed for not noticing someone there.

"It's fine don't worry about it Bella" hearing that voice I quickly looked up seeing that I had once again bumped into the one and only Matteo Ferrari. 

"What are you doing here?" I ask him. "This doesn't really seem like the kind of place you would go to" I say looking up into his mesmerizing green eyes.

"That's a little rude don't you think Bella. Besides, why wouldn't this be my kind of place" he says looking back at me.

For a second I am frozen in place not really hearing what he had said. I quickly shake my head, snapping myself out of my thoughts. "No, I didn't mean it in a bad way, you just don't seem like the kind of person who likes to read" I tell him.

"You're right. It's not my kind of place but once I heard that you worked here the guys and I just had to come and check whether you were really okay after our last encounter" he tells me.

"What! You mean the guys are here too" I say looking at him astonished that they would go through such troubles just for me. I mean who would go around asking about me just to check if I was okay. It honestly feels weird to have people care about you, especially since they've barely known me for a couple of hours.

"Yeah, they are just down at the café ordering something. They'll come up soon" just as he says that I hear them coming up the stairs. Turning towards them I see Mia start running at me. As she makes her way towards me she shoves Matteo out of the way and throws herself at me in a bone crushing hug.

"Don't ever walk out like that again" she tells me. "I was worried sick once Teo came back into the cafeteria without you, saying how you wanted to be alone." she says with a worried and sad look in her honey brown eyes.

"I'm sorry I just hate that you had to see that. I promise to not walk out on you guys again" I say knowing that it would be an extremely hard promise to keep. 

"I'm sorry to cut this short but it's getting late and I should really finish my work. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I tell them.

"Yeah, we should probably be heading home anyways. It was good seeing you Isa" Lorenzo tells me as they begin heading out.

"Bye Bella" Matteo tells me, glancing back at me one last time before heading out. As soon as he heads out I hear my name being called.

"Isa dear, don't worry about it, you should be heading home. You can finish organizing the books tomorrow" she tells me with a kind smile.

Right after I say goodbye to Mrs. Dupont I begin my walk towards the bus stop. The bus soon arrives looking to be abandoned with not as many people as it would usually have during the daylight. I take a seat and soon lose myself in the music that I am currently playing to.