chatroulette's stranger

Chapter Twenty Three : Try a little revelation

Laken's POV :

My working day at the restaurant was finally over, it was already a bit late and the weather was cold and windy but i couldn't go home just yet, i had some groceries to buy from the supermarket near the neighbourhood.
As usual, once i get in, i see a large crowd of people going in different directions pushing their cart, nourrishing their insatiable need to buy.
I go all over the place trying to buy everything i needed as quickly as i could, crossing what i bought from my list. I try to get to the checkout but there's a short brunette girl blocking me with her cart.
"I'm sorry Miss, can you move your cart, it's blocking the way" i ask nicely
"Yeah sure, i'm sorry i didn't realise it" the girl answers while turning to pull her cart, and once she looks at me, i realise it's Cassie.
"Oh you are Amelia's friend right ? I'm Laken " i start
"Yes i remember you, but i guess you are Amelia's friend now right " she declares rather than asks.
"It was nice to meet you but i got to get moving"
Then she moves away pushing her cart. I go to the checkout and join the long file of people waiting. Few minutes later, i feel someone waiting behind me , when i turn to see. I see Cassie, but i turn around before she sees, although she probably has already figured out who i was. It's finally my turn to pay, i quickly put everything in a bag and go home walking, Cassie had just few items so she passed fastly and kept walking too. We were on different sidewalks but heading the same way, i arrive home, then glance at her and realise she is just few blocks away. She turns left, and right when i was going to enter. I decided to follow her, i needed to help her and Amelia, blowing up years of friendship that easily was such a waste and i had to do something about it.
I jog quickly and follow her.
"Cassie ! " i call out but she doesn't hear me. I call out again, this time she turns around.
" what are you doing here, were you following me ? " she asks trying to hide her fear.
" yes i was, i wanted to tell you the truth about the incident with Amelia and -" i start but she cuts me out and doesn't let me finish.
"Listen although i apreciate the intention, i don't want to here about it " and she starts walking again.
I pull her hand " look, you need to know the truth, if you really care about your friend you need to at least know the details of what happened " she keeps looking at me and doesn't say a thing, i feel like she really wants to know and feels sad about losing her. I take a small piece of paper and a pen, i always carry around for work purposes, and write my number on it.
I hand to her . Once she takes it, i say : " Call me if you want to know the truth " then i turn around and run back home. I didn't know if she was going to ask or not but i felt that i was doing the right thing and the rest was not up to me anymore.

Three days later :

" i'm going mom " i say loudly
I had a big delivery to do for the restaurant which was my mom's, the place i was supposed to deliver to was a bit far from the restaurant, it was near Mel's high school, i already missed the girl, our friendship was really awsome, it felt like a female version of me !
It did make Esteban jealous sometimes, but what can i do ? Everybody loves me.
I finally arrive to the house and get paid for the delivery, i feel my phone buzzing in the pocket of my blue jeans. I look at the screen, it's a unknow number.
' hello ?'
' Yeah, is this Laken ? '
'Yes, who are you ? '
' i'm Cassie, Amelia's friend '
'Oh yes i remember '
' can we meet , i need you to tell me please what happened'
I stay silent for a moment surprised that she had really called, it was interesting, she was surprising. I guess i had the wrong idea about her. 'Yes sure, we can meet in the café near you high school'
'What time ?'
'Right now'
'Oh well okay sure'
When i push the café's entrance, i spot her in a corner, she looked lost in thought. She was actually really pretty, very pretty.
She sees me standing and waves at me. I sit next to her and the waiter arrives.
"Good afternoon, what can i get you sir ?"
"Um, a coffe please " and i turn to ask her : " do you want something ?"
" no thank you i already drank coffee before you arrived."
" i'm sorry i made you wait too long "
" no it's okay i just got here ten minutes ago ." She said smiling.
" well, you called, i was really surprised you did "
" in a good way i hope " she asks grinning
" yes totally " i answer. Well this changed fast, flirting already...
" so tell me please what you know " she said eagerly
" well i dont know much, i wanted to talk to her that day and was waiting in the parking lot where i saw her boyfriend, so i tought it would be better to talk to her inside school since he was very sensitive of me talking to her " i stop when the waiter comes with my coffee.
"Because you liked her " she states
" yes but as you said i did, now she is a very close friend and Esteban's aware of that" i took a sip of the hot beverage then continued " i heard someone talking loudly and knew it was her, i had no idea she were in trouble or anything. When i found her, that guy was strangling her, against the locker. She was trying to remove his hands but failed and i didn't think about helping her, i just punched him and he fell, i don't recall if he was unconscious or just ashamed but she was really shaken up, i remember her look, she was very afraid. I don't understand how can somebody do something like that it's horrible."
Then i stop to look at her, i take another sip of coffee.
" anyway we didn't really talk because she had Esteban waiting for her, so i let her go. Then you know what happened, you - " i started
" i accused her and let her down " she said with a sad face. I felt bad for her i wanted to do my best to make things better.Gosh,i was turning into a softie...