Wake Up, Reality's Calling

Chapter 18: Anne

After a while of sitting on the bus, we arrived in the city. During the trip, we discussed what to eat. Well, it wasn't much of a discussion, it was more like a one-sided conversation with a few nods and head shakes as a response. We ended up going to a café which had a little bit of everything. 

Trying to find a café that is calm around lunchtime in the city is near impossible. We looked for about 20 minutes and ended up finding one in the outskirts of the city center. It was located at a corner and didn't seem that well known, as there was barely any people there. The café had a  tiny garden at the back and it created a rather old-England type of atmosphere. The menu offered sandwiches, salads, some pastries, and soup. 

We sat down at a table with 2 chairs with armrests and began to decide what to eat.

"What do you want to eat? Don't worry about the cost, I'll take care of it," I said, hoping that with some food she might start to open up. 

She looked over the menu and seemed to have a hard time. Perfect time to break the ice and get to start talking, I thought. 

"Having a hard time to decide?" I asked. She looked up quickly as if I had given her a slight fright but then nodded her head. "What's the problem?"

She mumbled something and pointed at the menu. I looked down and saw her finger going back and forth between a chicken salad and a BLT. 

"Well, you would probably be more filled up with a sandwich, since it has bread, but their salad is on the recommended list," I started. "I'm not making this any easier, am I?" I questioned and let out a short laugh.

She shook her head and smiled.

After a while we had ordered our food. She got the chicken salad, and I got the BLT.

When I started to try to get her to talk again, the door swung open.

A guy in a big dark hoodie stepped in. His head was faced to the floor, and he went to sit down behind us. Something about him felt familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I don't want to move away," Anne said suddenly and moved around her salad with her fork.

I looked at her and felt sad. She has already lost everything, she shouldn't have to move and change her life on top of it all, I thought.

"And you won't," I replied.

The guy behind me scoffed.

"I'm guessing you don't want a guardian then?" I asked.

She looked like she was thinking it over.

"You could get a job or something to help you be able to stay in the apartment, and I'll help you get there, or," I took a small pause. "You could get a legal guardian who can pay and take care of you. The choice is yours, and I'll be here every step of the way."

She said that she would think about it and then excused herself to the bathroom.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind.

"Wha-" I said in surprise.

I managed to turn around, and I recognized the face. Nick.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I told him angrily. "Why are you even here? I thought I told you to stop following me!"

"Your parents called," He said, not caring about what I just asked.

Oh no, I thought. My parents haven't gotten over our break up, and still urge me to get back together with him. I didn't have the heart - or the energy - to explain everything that happened between us, which only lead to them continuously nagging me to take him back.

"Let go," was the only thing that my mouth would let out. His arms loosened up slightly, but were still around me.

"What did they want?"