the one before me - mr harrigan's phone

2 - coffee shop

❝ It's just that I fell in love with a war, but nobody told me it ended. ❞

- a pearl by mitski
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MATILDA'S POV

I walked out of the Church building, reaching into my pockets for my player along with the tangled earphones plugged into it. I put the buds into my ears and shuffled my playlist, 'Old Yellow Bricks' by the Arctic Monkeys, my favourite rock band, starts to play. I put my hands into my jumper pockets, swaying my head side to side, jamming to the music silently. It was usually quiet when everyone left the Church, and barely anyone would come to the trailers unless they lived there.

However, I was interrupted by footsteps nearing beside me. The sound of shoes scrapping the rocks off the road getting louder. I removed my right earbud and faced to the right of the street, seeing a boy running up to me. He was wearing a green and blue chequered blouse, unbuttoned with a black t-shirt inside, pairing the fit with a pair of dark blue jeans and plain black shoes. I stopped in my tracks and stared at him in confusion when he finally stood in front of me, panting from running in such a hurry.

"Are you Matilda King?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"Uh... Yeah? Do you need anything?" I asked, his face vaguely familiar.

"I just have a few questions about Mr. Harrigan," He said, fixing his posture and standing up straight, which made me look up at him while talking. He was really tall for a highschooler.

"Mr who?" I questioned, not catching the name. I quickly turned off my player and stuffed my gadget into the jumper pocket, reverting all my attention to the boy.

"Mr. John Harrigan, the multi-billionaire that lives here?" He said. My heart dropped hearing his name once more, my shoulders relaxing and dropping down.

"Wha- what do you want from me?" I asked in a much more stern voice, getting more sceptical.

"I'm Craig, Craig Poole? The boy who always read the prayers in Church?" He said, pointing towards the Church I had just walked out of a few moments ago. I raised my brows, finally recognising the boy who'd rarely visit the Church nowadays.

"Oh, well hello, Craig. Now, you still have not answered my question. What do you want from me?" I asked, slightly impatient.

"I just want to know more about Mr. Harrigan. I know you used to read books for him, did you not?" I looked at him blankly, debating whether or not to answer.

"Yes," I said, giving in to my thoughts, "Yes, I did. What do you want to know, exactly?"

"Anything," He answered. I diverted my gaze to the trailer me and my grandfather lived in, then to the ground.

"Why not go somewhere not so... open," I suggested.

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"So, is he doing well?" I asked, sipping my coffee I had ordered. Craig had just ordered plain water, party pooper.

"Hm? Oh yeah, better than ever," He said after gazing out the window. He was quiet, probably regretting coming to find me.

"Why did you want to know more about Mr. Harrigan, anyway?"

"I'm actually his reader, after you, of course. I've never really known who he really is," Craig was downy with his words, barely a whisper.

"Oh, for how long?"

"5 years,"

"God damn, you beat my record," I scoffed, taking another sip of the addictive drink.

"When did you become his reader?" He asked, genuinely curious as he leaned forward on the table.

"When I was 7, maybe? I almost turned 12 when I- well, you know," I said, trying not to get him to ask how I'd been banished from the manor. He nodded silently. He knew it was sensitive, and decided not to ask. So far, he held a good first impression, which wasn't common, "Does he still give out red devil scratch tickets?" I said out of the blue.

"Yeah, basically every occasion! His excuse is that he has too many and just likes to give them out to people," He rambled, making us both giggle.

"I've never even won one of them. Actually, I may have once or twice now that I think of it,"

"I won one not too long ago. My first time actually winning one," He chuckled. A beep came from his side pocket, him giving me a look of reassurance before checking his phone. He mumbled something under his breath, something I couldn't hear, "I have to go, I'm so sorry. Do you have a phone? We could maybe exchange numbers? Keep in touch?" He said urgently.

"Oh, yeah, of course," I took his phone and dialled my number, putting my name as 'coffee girl'.

"Cute name," He said after I'd handed him back his cellphone.

"Yours is going to be 'plain water dude' I guarantee you," I joked before we parted ways, my mouth tugging a small smile.

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words: 838

A/N:
omg hi! ok bye - Raven

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