Aftershock (Sequel to Yes I Am- A Demi Lovato Fanfiction)

Chapter 6

“Leave me alone!” I screamed, slamming my car door in Wilmer’s face. I started driving off, blinking back tears so I could actually see the road. He hadn’t bought the whole Naya and me thing. He’d thought cornering me on the way back from dropping Elli off at daycare would be the best way to get me to go running back to him. He’d thought wrong. Nothing could get me to go back to him, he was controlling, and way too old… I focused back on the road, the last thing Elli needed was to have both of her parents die. “Why is everything so fucking hard?” I sighed to myself, I was tired. I was stressed. I didn’t want to do anything other than snuggle in front of the TV with ice-cream. I spotted a Starbucks down a street I was driving past, and turned my car around to go get some. Good old comfort food. The Starbucks was  closed when I got to the door and I would’ve lost my shit, but there was a cute looking tea shop a few shops over and I went in. I opened the door to the shop to the sound of a clattering door bell and an older lady emerged from the kitchen, covered in a dusting of flour. I surveyed the shop and found myself smiling ever so slightly at the dizzying array of mismatching tea pots and tea cups. It all would have been overwhelming, all the drapery and china scattered around the place, but the aroma of herbal tea and freshly baked bread pulled it all together. I approached the lady ay the front counter and  ordered myself a pot of tea, which she quickly whipped up and handed to me. I looked around for a spare table, of which there were many. The shop was empty apart from a pair of old ladies gossiping quietly in one corner and a girl, maybe 15 or 16 sitting by herself, an empty tea cup in front of her, wiping her eyes with the corners of her sleeves. I went and sat across from her. I was feeling spontaneous.

“You alright hon?” I asked quietly, she looked up from staring at the table and I could see her red eyes.

“Um yeah, I’m fine.” She shrugged and shuffled uncomfortably.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable… I just, are you sure? I don’t want to leave you by yourself if you’re upset.”

“I’m fine.” She repeated and looked down, sniffling a bit. I pulled out a piece of paper from my bag and wrote my number on it.

“I know I’m a stranger, and this is definitely weird, but if you need someone to talk to or anything, just call me.” I handed her the piece of paper and she got up to leave.

“Thanks.” She smiled a bit and put the paper in her pocket.

~~~~

“Elli! Bath time, put your dolls away please!” I called to the 2 year old who was lying on the floor playing. She hopped up and put them into her toy bin and followed me to the bathroom where I undressed her and popped her in the bath. My phone started ringing and I picked it up, hoping it would be the girl from the tea shop.

“Demi speaking.” I answered, waiting for the other person to talk.

“Um hi, I-I think I met you earlier, in Muriel’s, the tea shop.” She said slowly, stuttering in the middle.

“Yes! We did.” I smiled, “You feeling better? You seemed pretty torn up earlier.”

“Yeah, I guess. Um, you know how you said to call you if I wanted to talk? I um, I need someone to talk to.” She stopped talking, and I think she started crying.

“Hon… Do you want to meet up at the tea shop or something tomorrow? We can talk properly then. I’m just giving my daughter a bath. Is that ok?” I felt a bit guilty for making her wait.

“Yeah, it’s ok, don’t worry. Whereabouts?”

“The tea shop?” I repeated, “Do you want me to come pick you up from your place?” I asked, ignoring Elli who was asking me something.

“Um, no it’s fine I’ll just meet you there. Does 11am sound alright?” She sounded a bit apprehensive on the whole, but I hoped that she would open up. I wanted to help this girl, in the way no-one had helped me when I needed it.

“That sounds great hon. See you then, stay safe.” I hung up and went back to Elli.