𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 (on hold)

| 𝟎𝟑 |

I was sat on my bed, my phone pressed to my ear, Niamh on the other end.

"You alright?"

I sighed,
"Just tired, to be honest. And a bit bored."

"Come have lunch with me. What about we go to Leona's?"

I thought it over in my head— warm pastries, a friend to chat to, and a break from the thoughts that just wouldn't leave my head. Niamh interrupted my thoughts,

"And, maybe you can talk me through what's been getting you upset lately?"

"Alright, I can be there in half an hour."

I could almost hear Niamh's triumphant grin through the phone,
"Sounds good! See you there, June."

I put my phone down on the chest-of-drawers next to my bed, and then forced myself to stand in front of my full length mirror. I didn't look as bad as I thought I did.

My hair was tangled— sure— but it only took a quick brush and some hairspray to get it back to its normal, smooth, and jet-black state. And once I'd splashed my face with some water and changed clothes, I felt almost normal again.

I laced up my black boots whilst sat at the door, and then slipped out into the corridor. I took the lift down to the lobby of my apartment block.

I was about to step out of the front doors when a man rushed up to me,
"Juniper Ellis?"

I turned,
"Hmm?"

He handed me a pale cream-coloured envelope,
"This was left for you."

I nodded in thanks and slipped the envelope into a deep pocket in the side of my trench coat. England was cold in the autumn, and I was layered up enough that I hopefully wouldn't shiver on my way to Leona's.

The walk was quite quick, and I was in a quiet side of London, so I didn't have to worry too much about being disrupted.

I slipped the coat off my shoulders as I got through the front door of 'Leona's Lovely Pastries' and into the lovely warmth of the café. The bell rang in my ear, reminding me of the comfort I was so lucky to have with friends like mine.

I had always loved the way Leona designed her café. The front of the shop was all windows, with her logo painted onto it. There were tables around the front of the room, each draped with a pink, checkered cloth.

The counter spanned the room, the glass front showing the array of baked goods, along with a selection of sandwiches. The whole shop was painted in a variety of shades of pink.

Niamh was sat at a table at the far end of the room, her white blouse and pale pink headscarf making her look like a part of the café. She was already holding a latte, and she waved with her free hand when she spotted me.

I sat across from her, draping my coat over the back of the cushioned chair. Niamh took a sip of her drink before placing it back in the saucer and looking at me with a look that seemed very similar to disappointment.

I raised my eyebrows,
"What?"

She blinked slowly back at me, like I was stupid,
"You've been acting so weird all week."

I opened my mouth to respond, but then paused. Had I really been acting that strange? I'd been pretty wrapped up in my thoughts, but I had assumed that my daily life hadn't been affected. Niamh must have seen my hesitation,
"I'm not stupid, June. What's happening?"

I smiled grimly,
"Ghosts from my past. That's all. It's just messing me up a little, you know?"

One unimpressed look from Niamh told me she expected more detail than that. I sighed, but let myself smile a bit. At least she cared.