Straight through the Heart

Chapter 13

I wake up early in the morning out of habit. My first class of the day does not begin until the afternoon so I do not need to worry about school as much. However, I need to meet up with my parents and Robin soon for breakfast. They chose some crepe place in downtown Los Angeles. I am tempted to sleep in instead of meeting up with them. However, I know my parents might not see me in a while. Thus, I should see them before they leave.

Conscious of my injuries, I decide for black boyfriend ripped jeans, an olive green turtleneck ribbed top, and a bomber jacket. I place one of my watches with the wider band over my wrist. Then, I add on a few bracelets. The accessories almost cover the marks completely. I wear some more bracelets on the other wrist too. The slightest movement of each bracelet chafes against my raw skin, but it's necessary.

I take my car and drive over to the crepe place. I blast some random music on the radio in hopes of drowning out the thoughts in my mind. The crepe place is only ten miles away, but because it's in downtown, traffic doubles the amount of time it takes to get there.

I grow frustrated as I arrive at the location but notice no parking. I end up parking two blocks away in some decent looking alley. I avoid meters because there are never enough quarters that could feed the nasty machine.

The walk to the crepe place is not as bad. Some of the areas of Los Angeles are sketchy looking because of the rundown buildings and homeless roaming around the area. In some ways, Los Angeles reminds me of Rinza and Chicago. I am still not used to all the traffic and the congestion in this city though I do love this city.

Glancing at my watch, I figure I still have an hour of half to explore the city. One great thing about Los Angeles is that there are always many places to explore. A lot of hidden gems are waiting to be founding. Spotting a coffee shop less than a block away from the crepe restaurant, I decide to enter to grab some coffee. The shop is fairly small, but very cute. I scan the various cushioned furniture that look worn but have a homey feel. There are some people sitting and conversing with their coffee mugs. I like the vintage look they have in the shop; it reminds me of those old fashioned jazzy shops because of the light, smooth jazz playing in the background. At the back of the shop, there's a small platform meant for live music. Fliers are hung up on the windows to show the upcoming events here.

"Welcome to Scout Coffee. Have you been here before?" A young lady at the front greets me. Her black hair is cut to her shoulders and I admire the pale blue tips at the ends. The look works for her really well. I glance at her perfect winged eyeliner, accentuating her monolid eyes. For a second, I envy how well she pulls of her edgy, hipster look. Her pale skin brings out the blue in her hair.

"No, I have not. What do you recommend?" I glance at the menu above my head. It's written cutely in white chalk on a blackboard.

"What are you in the mood for? We are known for our coffee, milkshakes, and handmade pastries." I glance at the cute jewelry ring she has for her septum piercing. It's a decorated ring with jewels and looks very stylish.

"I'll go with a regular mocha latte." I hope this shop doesn't make their latte too sweet. "Also, I love your hair. It's very pretty."

"Thank you very much." She smiles at me shyly. She also has a sweet smile, one that reaches her eyes. "For here or to go?"

"I'll have it for here." I smile back at her before heading to a seat near the window. The dark red vintage chair is just as comfortable as it looks. I take a picture with my phone at the store to remember it. As I put it away, I pause as the phone starts vibrating at an incoming call.

The screen reads, "Unknown caller." I freeze at the possibility of the caller being from the men who took me. That's too soon.

Taking a deep breath, I answer the call. "Hello?"