A/N Kind of a filler chapter.... Who do you think the mystery guy is? 8 Votes and I'll reveal who the next chapter is on....
It was my turn to pick up, so there I was at Starbucks, before the morning rush was even tempted to start. Why does it have to be Monday? The tables were empty, and the only sounds were from soft jazz coming from the speakers and the familiar whirr of the coffee machines. The windows framed the picture perfect quietness and serenity created by the snowstorm that hit last night and the soothing grey of the walls complimented the browns of the chairs and tables. I was slumped in an oversized leather chair, waiting for the barista the finish the 5 cups I'd just ordered, but by her dead eyes, it didn't seem like she'd be done in this lifetime. Her movements were as if she was moving through molasses, impossibly slow, yet at a constant rate. She pushed the cups across the counter off to the side, her eyes glancing up to meet mine, then drooping back down to the floor as she shuffled back to her position behind the machines. My grandma moves faster than you and she's dead. I reached into my pocket, retrieving my phone and scowling at the time displayed on the screen. I'm late. The quiet atmosphere of the coffeehouse was putting me to sleep, with my eyes getting heavier with every passing second. I shook my head, ignoring the strange stare I got from the worker. She slid the final drink out and disappeared into the back. Balancing the cardboard containers in my hand, I slipped out of the heated business into the snow. I followed the indentations in the frost, leading to my car; the oval, patterned imprints unique to my sheepskin slippers. The parking lot was empty, the white blanket protecting the asphalt was not yet tainted by the exhaust and dirt from the wheels of the car that would swarm the place in the next hour. I could see my breath as it disappeared into the thin air. I tightened my red knit scarf around my neck, hoping to drive away the cool air breaching its thick surface. The familiar hum of the street lights could be heard from their position on the street, basking the sidewalk in a comforting yellow glow. I could feel melted snow seeping into my leggings as I trudged through the deeper snow in place of the planters dividing the street and parking lot. I fumbled with my keys who had taken up residence in the corner of my seemingly endless left pocket, when I spotted the familiar black Volvo. My hand closed around the misshapen metal scraps, retrieving them from their hiding place. I sifted through them, looking for the key with a thick plastic on top. I shoved it into the lock, giving it a twist and a jiggle, hoping the door didn't stick from sitting in the cold. "Come on Luna, let's cooperate", I opened the door with a jerk, stumbling backwards, nearly dropping the steaming beverages into the snow. I ducked down, climbing into the driver's seat, setting the tray into the passenger seat and the leftover container in the cup holder between the seats.
I pulled out of my space, merging onto the deserted roads heading towards Rowan's house to pick her up. It was the first day of the new semester, which meant unwelcome change and a whole new round of nervous teachers attempting to befriend us so that they could force feed us information in hopes that we would succeed. I crank up the radio, flipping between stations in an last ditch effort to find music worth listening to. I turned down a side street, slowing to a stop in front of a quant house. It was the biggest on the street, with 2 floors and a 2-car garage facing the street. I slapped the wheel causing a loud honk to echo through the sleeping neighborhood and a frantic wide eyed girl to come racing out of the house. She almost tripped on the welcome mat and nearly tumbled down the driveway. She is way to energetic for this early in the morning. She dove into the backseat, a grin on her face as she pulled me into a tight hug, "Grace, Aren't you excited about today?" She leaned back, resting her head on the back of my seat. This girl is like a puppy. I nodded my head, leaning down to grab the Chai tea latte, "I got you something". She reached forward, her hand clasping the coffee cozie before she sat back silently enjoying her pick me up. I gunned it back onto the main road, tires screeching at the sudden movement. Pop hits danced from the speakers, and when I looked in the rear view mirror, I caught Rowan with her eyes closed, nodding her head to the beat. I shook my head, a smile stretching across my face, her happiness contagious. The roads were starting to warm up, the snow melting off to the edge of the streets, running into the storm drains. It was snowing that day too. At the next red, I close my eyes, forcing the images cascading through my mind to stop. Don't go there, not today. I'm shaken out of my head with a hand on my shoulder, worry clouding her once gleeful eyes. I forced a sheepish grin on my face, "I got up too early is all". She seemed convinced, returning to swipe through social media in the back. I had barely turned down Sophia's street when CC came storming down the driveway, a frown firmly planted on her angular face. She lived across town, so she shortened to drive for our rotation by stopping at Sophia's. Her loving blue eyes had turned icy with hatred. Sophia told her. Leave it to her to crack under the pressure.
A familiar maroon sweatshirt, rounded the corner, her mouth opening as if to say something before she cast her eyes to the ground, her shoulders slumping as she moseyed to the car. Chloe took up residence in the passenger seat, throwing her grey backpack onto the floor in front of her feet, and placing the drink tray on her lap. I displaced the green tea frappacino, before she threw it out the window, handing it to Rowan. As soon as the back right door opened, Chloe turned up the volume, a cue to Sophia that talking would be out of the question. I flipped a U, ignoring all street signs, going at least 20 above the speed limit at all times, racing to end the angry tension and reach Tessa's as soon as humanly possible. A cop pulled up beside me at some point, leaning over to turn on her siren, but after glancing at the broiling emotions encompassing the faces in the car, decided against the idea, turning off onto a deserted residential area. Even the cop doesn't want to get between this. My grip on the steering wheel had tightened to the point where I couldn't feel my hands, their coloring was more akin to a raiju than a normal skin tone. I rolled down the window, hoping the air would do us all some good. Upon arrival, I nearly leaped from my seat, escaping the car with the last 2 drinks in tow, Rowan not far behind me. She sauntered down the icy walkway toward the red painted oak door, keying in the code and shoving the door inward, "I'll wake her up, you get breakfast?" She had always been better at that task, and I was not up for dealing with the violently incoherent monster that had been produced by a comfortable bed and love for sleep, "Done". I shove the Tea into her hand, moving to the kitchen. The spotless kitchen was pristinely decorated, with high end modern appliances and intricately carved cabinets. A half loaf of sliced wheat bread sat on the counter next to a white toaster, its plug neatly wrapped around a plastic circle sitting off to the side. A blue post it note marred its surface with the quick explanation, "She went to bed late last night. Have fun! :)" At least I don't have that job this morning. I opened the plastic sleeve, ignoring the end piece and heading straight for dead center of the loaf, retrieving the largest piece I could find. I twisted the dial of the toaster, causing it to split the difference between a large 1 and 2. I plugged in the contraption hoping that the first piece would satisfy a close inspection. Last week we went through 3 full loaves because the piece continuously turned out "too burnt" or "not crispy enough". I snatched a paper towel from the rack, removing the crisp, heading down the hall to help with the impossible process, but as I reached for the door handle, the hatch opened to reveal a very put together Tessa, sipping slowly on the concoction, and an smiling Rowan, "Let's go, or we're going to be late for our first day back". How does she manage to get her together so fast, I tried once and we were so late we didn't even make it to school. The toast was taken out of my hand, and after a few seconds of sizing it up, Tessa shrugged and took a bite off the corner. I followed the pink book bag on Tessa's shoulders, as it swayed side to side out the door, a dumbstruck expression splitting my face.
