Safe

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

N? I thought to myself. Who the hell is N, and why the hell is he - or she, for all I know - writing on my coffee cup? I think back to my time at the coffee shop, and my encounter with the blue eyed boy. Is that N? But it didn't matter. This person's ballsy move had the opposite affect on me than I'm sure they wanted - it actually infuriated me that this person thought they were being cute, or clever, or whatever, by writing on my cup. 

I start my car and throw my coffee cup out the window.

The next morning I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. That had been happening a lot lately. As  I"m about to snuggle back into my blankets, my phone beings to buzz. "God damnit," I mutter. "Can't anyone just leave me be?" I rustle around my blankets for a bit and finally grab hold of my phone.

"Hello? Hello? Kat? Are you there? Oh goodness. Is this thing on?"

"Hi mom," I mumble.

"Oh Kitty Kat! It's so good to hear your voice! How are you? How have you been? How are things with Corey?"

Oh shit. I knew this question was coming. Corey was my ex. We dated for three years. He was my first love, and I swear to God my last one, too. I hadn't told my mom that we had broken up because I knew it would break her heart. She adored Corey, probably more than she adored me.

"Mom, listen, I --"

"Oh honey, I hate to catch up with you over the phone. How about we meet for coffee? Say, 9:30?"

That was the thing about my mom. You couldn't say no to her, no matter how badly you wanted to.

"Sure, mom. Sounds good. See you then."

"Oh, lovely! I love you, dear. See you soon!"

And with that, the line went dead. I peek at the clock. 8:15. There was enough time to sleep some more, shower, and make it on time to coffee. I pull the blankets over my head and nod off again.

***

"Kitty Kat! Oh, dear, how are you?"

It's 9:32 and I haven't stepped five feet into the coffee shop without having my mother's arms wrapped around me. I'm not sure why she acts like this everytime she sees me; it's not like I live far away from her. However, my father left us when I was three, and since then she's been in and out of relationships. I have been the only stable thing in her life for twenty-two years.

"Hi mom, I'm good. How are you?"

"Oh just lovely! I met a new man, his name is Frank."

"Frank, huh?"

"Yes, dear. I think you'll really like him."

"That's what you said about the last one."

"Yes, but this one is different."

"You said that last time, too."

"Oh, nevermind. Tell me, how are things between you and Corey? Has he popped the question yet?" I'm really dreading answering this question. Hesitantly, I answer. 

"No, mom. He hasn't. Actually, I kind of need to talk to you about that... Corey and I.. we broke up."

"What do you mean you broke up?" Her eyes are wide and she has almost slammed her coffee cup down on the table. I continue. 

"Broke up, as in, I never want to see his smart-ass-good-for-nothing face ever again."

"That's really too bad. I thought for sure he was the one!" I debate whether or no I should tell her the whole story, but I decide against it. She doesn't need to know.