Want You Back

Chapter 3

The sun's rays came through the window and woke Zoe up. She took a deep breath and turned to the other side again. Her eyes fell on the alarm clock next to her. It was already 9:00 AM and Zoe's eyes opened abruptly. The alarm clock had not rung. The blanket was thrown to the side. Zoe ran all over the apartment to get ready for her work. Finally ready and the running didn't stop. The bus would take too long, so Zoe ran through the stairwell of her beautiful apartment building and through the neighborhood streets.

Zoe had side stitches and gasped for air. Luckily, she was not too late. "Sorry! Won't happen again. I promise." said Zoe, panting, to her boss. The owner of the Beignet Box café. "It's all good, just as long as it doesn't happen every day." replied, Daisy, her boss. The waiter's apron tied around Zoe and she was ready to serve her customers.

With her small writing pad and a pen in her hand, she walked to table number 11. The table had a view to the outside, from which one could watch all the different people walking through Los Angeles. "Hi. My name is Zoe. What can I get you?" "Zoe?" She averted her eyes from her writing pad and looked at the person who had repeated her name. "Grace, what are you doing here?" asked Zoe with a smile. "I was going to grab a quick breakfast. What do you say, after you're done, I'll buy us a coffee and we go for a walk?" asked Grace. It was definitely not a bad idea and it's always good to make new acquaintances. There was no negative point, so Zoe agreed.

The working day was very stressful. The coffee shop is very busy. Zoe brought a coffee there and a piece of apple pie here. Finally, her workday was over. She quickly made an Americano and a Cafe Latte to take with her. Now, Grace would pick her up from her work. "I'm going to say goodbye now. See you tomorrow!" Zoe put down her apron and walked out of the cozy little café with the two coffees.

Grace just came from the right side to meet Zoe. "Hi. You already got us two coffees? I wanted to invite you." Grace said. "Today it's on me. I made the coffee with lots of love." replied Zoe laughing and handed Grace her Cafe Latte.

The two walked off without a destination. "So, Zoe. Tell me a little about yourself." began Grace the conversation. "I was born in Los Angeles and then moved to New York, after I finished elementary school. I lived in a lot of different places. Each city had its own flair. Yet, my hometown drew me back. Nothing compares to Los Angeles. Which is why I moved back here a few months ago. Also, I'm finally trying to fulfill my dream of singing. Maybe I can do it. I believe strongly in it." replied Zoe. "Wow. I think you've been through more shit, than someone else. I mean, in every city you met new people and had new things to get used to." Grace and Zoe talked about many different things.

The two had an instant bond. It was like they had known each other for 15 years. Such bonds should be cherished.

The two strolled through the streets. The destination was a canyon, known as the Fryman Canyon Trail. It was a steep way up, but it was definitely worth it. The view is breathtaking. There were hardly any people here. The birds were chirping and it was a pleasant atmosphere. A place where you could think and relax. Zoe and Grace sat down on a bench and could look at the busy streets.

"So, how did you actually meet Ashton?" asked Grace unsuspectingly. Zoe scratched her head nervously. A thick lump formed in her throat. It was obviously an uncomfortable topic for Zoe. Could she trust Grace? Well, Zoe will have to find out. Zoe took a deep breath. Grace was slightly confused by her reaction, not knowing what was coming.

"It's a long story." replied Zoe, with an uncertain smile. "I'm happy to listen to you. If you want to tell me, of course." Grace replied. "Okay. It's a little hard for me to tell. So, I've known Ashton since we were 15 years old. We went to high school together. He had been an completely dick. His ego was too big. But something made him interesting. Maybe it was because my type are assholes. I didn't have many friends at the time, because it just wouldn't have made sense to me. I knew we were going to move again. That's why I was only concerned with myself. Ashton and his friends made a typical stereotypical bet. Some girl need to get fucked and get played. Since I had developed strong feelings for him at that time, I was the perfect victim. He lied to me. Ashton told me, that he had fallen in love with me. We got together and I had sex with him." Zoe exhaled deeply. "After we had sex, he had confessed everything to me. Of course, we weren't a couple anymore. He had made fun of me. The story was told all over the school. So everyone made fun of it and I was bullied." sighed Zoe.

Grace's look was confused. She doubted Ashton. Grace didn't know him like that. Everything Zoe must have gone through. It must have left deep wounds. Grace thought. "I'm so sorry." said Grace, gently stroking Zoe's back. "It's been a long time. I'll try to give Ashton a second chance, we'll see how that works out." "That you're even in contact with him again surprises me. I wouldn't have done that." Grace sighed.

She had finally confided in someone. In my opinion, this was a good idea. It makes the bond with a person even stronger. Because Zoe was looking for a real friend, because she hadn't had a good friendship for a long time. Grace was trustworthy.

It was a rough day. And finally it was coming to an end. Grace and Zoe had a deep conversation. The two made their way back. "I had a great day." Grace laughed. "Me too, and thanks for listening to me." replied Zoe. "You don't have to thank me for that. You can always come to me, I want you to know that." Zoe smiled at Grace's response. They parted ways at the end of the canyon. The sun was just setting. The town shimmered with in a orange light. It was a glorious mood. A perfect end to the day.