Hidden in the Paint

~Chapter One~ Leslie

The smooth scent of my usual and favorite hot beverage greets my nose as Yingtai places a mug filled to the brim with steaming Prince of Wales tea in front of me, pulling me back to reality. I give her a nod of thanks and she sashays off to another table, her braided black hair shining in the afternoon daylight that streams through the large Sweet Brews coffee shop windows. My eyes eagerly go back to my book.

Reading in Sweet Brews on a chilly day with a good book is my favorite pastime. Especially after a long and excruciating day of classes. I'm a zoology major in my last year of college, so I have plenty of work shoving me along. That's not including internships and volunteering.

Yeah, I guess people are stressful too, but I don't know that many other human beings- which makes it a hell of a lot easier for me. Sure, I have to deal with them sometimes, like those talkative cashiers that make me feel stupid because I'm incredibly awkward when it comes to speaking to complete strangers. You know, out in the real world.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Janice is a great person to talk to if you actually know her, but I'm not her nephew or anything so I don't exactly fit into that category.

Then, of course, there's my best friend Jace. He's just about the pure definition of what most people at our school deem as 'quirky'. Jace has dark brown dreadlocks that just reach his shoulders- normally a section at the top is pulled back into a sort of ponytail. His clothes tend to consist of ripped baggy jeans, bright red sneakers, large black-rimmed glasses, and any colourful top.

During the colder months, he buries himself in multi-coloured sweaters. Not to mention, he has an alligator fang dangling from his left ear- a handmade earring that he's insanely proud of.

Jace is probably the only person I'd trust on this Earth with my plants and my cat. People are really the only thing I'm picky about. Well, besides iced teas. Jace understands me and Bartholomew (my cat) well enough to handle himself at my apartment. He's also pretty good with plants, so I let him take care of them if I'm too busy.

Oh, and Yingtai is a college friend too. It's an added bonus that she's a waitress who happens to be a master at sneaking customers free brownies.

I sigh and lean back in my seat. It's been a long and tiresome day. I could use a nap. There's the familiar chime as the door opens from someone either exiting or entering the cafe and a blast of cold air reaches me, penetrating my few layers. I wince and sink deeper into my hoodie. I hate cold weather.

Around 5 pm, I'm the last person in Sweet Brews and about to leave since 5 pm is precisely the time when it closes. As I'm shuffling to the door, Yingtai catches me.

"Hey, Leslie, do you think you can do me a favor?" She asks, a hopeful look in her brown eyes. I blink. "What is it?"

Yingtai holds out a long red scarf, just a little shorter than I am from what I can tell. "Leo left this here and I was hoping you could return it- he's always forgetting things," She explains as I take the scarf from her. It's surprisingly soft to the touch. I look up and meet her gaze. "Leo?"

"Leo Jun. He's a sporadic sort of regular who will probably be missing this- I don't know when he'll show up again, so it'd be best if you could take it to him ASAP. Please? He's bound to get cold out there, what with the temperature dropping so quickly," Yingtai says, putting her hands behind her back. "Please? As a favor?"

My eyes drop to the scarf and I raise an eyebrow. "I... sure. But where do I start?"

"Ask Bill- he knows just about everyone, including most college students," Yingtai replies, referring to the barman a few blocks down who has neatly cropped blonde hair and a crisp uniform that he seems to wear 24/7. I haven't spoken to him that much, but I am well aware that he knows just about everyone in the relative vicinity of Edgewater College.

"I owe ya one!" Yingtai calls as I leave.

Bill is easy to spot through the small crowd of people in the Simple Lime- although that may just be due to the fact that he's 6'5.

Approaching him, I see that he's cleaning glasses. Already feeling quite anxious with the people around me, I quicken my stride and make it to a stool along the bar counter. Bill glances up at me, but his eyes don't linger. "Can I get you something, Mister Bowen?"

I can tell he's curious because I never come to the bar for a drink.

"Leo Jun. Do you know where he is?" I ask, holding up the scarf. Bill glances up again. "Mister Jun? Afraid not. Check the library and ask Miss Kim. I know the two get along well."

Bill is done giving me information. He's told me all he knows at the moment. I bite my lip. Not much to go on, but it's the best I've got right now.

I leave the bar and walk in the direction of the library, which isn't that far off. The wind nips at my face and I narrow my eyes against the chill.

Turns out, Miss Kim doesn't know where he is either. She tells me that she hasn't seen him in the past few days, but she'll inform Leo that I was looking for him. I leave the library feeling bitter. I want to go home and sleep. I don't want to look for this Leo Jun guy. It's just a stupid scarf, Yingtai didn't need to be so insistent that I do this now. My stomach whines but I ignore it, instead pulling out my phone. He knows this place better than I do. Mostly because he actually goes out to have fun and all that while I stay at home and hang out with my family; aka Bartholomew and my plants.

After I phone him, Jace arrives within 5 minutes. He trots up to me, today wearing a checkered shirt. He's in his usual cheerful mood and a grin decorates his face.

I chose to call him because he's quite good at locating people. He's got connections all around this place, from what I've learned about him. Jace is my last resort- and I can't last much longer in this cold.

"Leo Jun... let me think. Hm. I believe he visits the library quite often-" "I already checked there," I say, blowing on my bare hands. "Miss Kim said that he hasn't been there recently."

Jace suggests a few more places, but by the time we figure out where to try next, it's already getting dark and I'm frigid to the bone. Jace and I head to my apartment, myself feeling rather defeated even though it's just a stupid scarf.

Jace decides to crash at my place and immediately passes out on the couch. I fall asleep a bit later in my room, splayed out over my bed with Bartholomew doing practically the same thing and taking up a good half of the space. This makes me very glad I don't have a dog; I'd probably be sleeping on the floor if I did.

Throughout the week I continue searching for this Leo Jun, but I don't come across him anywhere. I start to wonder if he even exists. I ask Yingtai if he's been to the cafe since then and she shrugs. "Not during my shifts."

By the beginning of the next week, I'm utterly exhausted. I have a ton of work to do without trying to find the owner of that dumb scarf. I'll just tell Yingtai that I managed to get it back to him. I don't know who this guy personally, but I just really hope that he doesn't go back to the cafe demanding for the thing. Bloody hell. I need a nap.