Roslyn

5

C H A P T E R F I V E - D A N I E L

Michael. Alicia has been working at the diner for five hours straight and all she could think about was Michael. She thinks of him so much so that she  began to give the customers the wrong orders.

Complaints have been sent Richard's way left and right. Richard worried for his daughter. He had never seen her this distracted. He felt as though all the incidents that had taken place these past few had began to take a toll on her mental health.

He hadn't slept at all the previous night. Alicia's cries had kept him up. He had asked her about it, but she refused to speak to him about what had happened. He so desperately wanted know what had upset her last night and what caused her to have those bruises on her neck and wrists and a bandage wrapped around her head.

The next morning when Alicia awoke, Richard confronted her. He demanded to know what had happened. They had their first fight in years. Alicia had snapped at her father and hadn't spoken to him since then. That was another reason as to why most of the orders within the tiny diner had been wrong.

Alicia felt conflicted. She had promised herself that she'd go out and confront Michael. She'd find out where he lived, march into his place of residence and demand answers. She knew that something had happened to her that night. The hand print was proof of that and the bruise that she had seen from the previous day.

Yet there was a tiny voice in her head that spoke of the possibility of her being wrong. She had shown no one else the handprint. It could just as well have been a figment of her imagination. She could have her mother's illness and could have had an episode.

She feared that if she went to Michael, confronted him about the handprint, he'd laugh and tell her that she was completely insane. She so desperately wanted answers but wasn't ready to find out if she had more things in common with her late mother than just her looks.

The fear that consumed her still wasn't enough to let her many questions go unanswered. She was determined to find out the truth. Quick.

Alicia walks back into the kitchen and unties her apron. She tosses the apron on the counter and grabs her coat. She was in no mood to change her clothes and wore the brown coat over her work dress.

"You're leaving?" Richard asks as he enters the kitchen.

Alicia sighs. She had been ignoring her father for most of the day and was beginning to feel guilty. Yes, their argument was a bit intense, but it was only caused by her father's worries. She knew this. He cared about her dearly and she couldn't imagine the pain and confusion she was putting him through.

"I just need a quick break."

She bypasses her father and heads for the exit of the restaurant. She wants to clear the air but how can she? She knows nothing of what was going on in her life. She herself was extremely confused.

Her mind drifts to Abel as she gets into her car. She could have told her father about his attack, but she was still conflicted. She didn't want her father knowing that she had ran into Abel, let alone that he had nearly killed her. The history between Abel and herself plus the incident would've been the cherry on top for Richard. She knew that if he had found out, Abel would be as good as dead.

As she drives down the road, she found herself making a stop at Chelsea's bar. She has no idea where Michael lives. She has been so set on confronting him that she forgot to find out the most important information that would make it possible. Michaels address.