A Timeless Place

Chapter 31

"Risk the danger of starting a fire; you may get burned, but a burn will heal, while a lifetime of living in the cold darkness will not." 

- Paul John Moscatello

Pixie Dust and Hallway Encounters

"My little Kitty!" was the squealing I walked into when we entered Chance café. "All grown up with her first real boyfriend!" Eli was dabbing at her eyes with her inspirational quote apron.

"Congrats, man," Jordan told Wes, coming around the counter to hug us both. I rarely saw Jordan exit his post from behind the counter. Looking around, I realised there weren't any other customers besides us. "You finally found a girl who can put up with you!"

I raised an eyebrow at Wes in question. But it was Jordan who answered my unasked question, "Wes texted us. You finally signed up for charity work to put up with Wes!"

Wes shoved Jordan, but I could see the gleam in his eyes as he grinned at me.

"Now you listen here, mister," Eli was shaking her index finger at Wes threateningly. "If you as so much as hurt my little Kitty, you will pay. Never forget the threats I made at camp that morning in the tent."

Despite her seriously threatening voice, she was carrying a tray that held two circular mini mudcakes. There was a large square white chocolate plaque that held the two cakes together. On the plaque written in milk chocolate was 'congratulations' inside a love heart. My cake had half a love heart with the words 'ulations' and Wes had 'congrat'.

Despite the fact that I was blushing and face palming myself and the fact that Eli was embarrassing me with the tackiness and cheesiness, it still hit me right in the heart. Eli was always the family I never had, or well, the family I did have that was taken away. She was both the loving mother and the stern protective father all at once in situations like these. And in all other situations she was just simply my sister and best friend.

"Never never, and I mean ever," I warned her, but hugged her tightly to me, "do that again."

"I love you too, Kitty," she laughed.

"You're an idiot," I simply replied. And it was in this manner she knew just how much I loved her.

Conveniently a customer walked in just then, saving this little party from going any further. Wes and I grabbed the usual cappuccino from Jordan and sat down at a booth with our cakes.

Swirling the contents of the cup, I looked up at Wes thoughtfully, "Do you remember that time you exploded the coffee on me?"

He laughed, "That was like a month ago, right? Technically I had the worst end. Those shoes were good." He sighed wistfully.

I rolled me eyes at him, "And whose fault was that?"

"It was a sacrifice for the greater good," he nodded at me dramatically.

"What greater good?!" I demanded. "My hair smelled like coffee for the whole day!"

"Not like you were complaining," he smirked. "Besides, it got your attention."

"Like this would get yours?" Innocently, I flicked some of my coffee at him.

He raised his eyebrows at me and grabbed a couple of sugar sachets, ripping them open and pouring them into his hand and throwing them at me like pixie dust. They hit my face and I blinked furiously to get the granules out of my eyes. Thankfully, most had gone on my face and NOT in my hair. I grabbed the pepper but my hand was held off.