Coffee In The Morning

Chapter 1- Waking Up On The Wrong Side of LIfe

There was a knock at the door, and Bex’s eyes fluttered open. She looked at her clock and swore heavily under her breath. She rolled out of bed, slumped through the hallway until she got into her small, dark living room. There was another impatient knock as she yelled “Damn, give me a minute” groping the wall her temper rose and the thought of punching someone sounded very appealing. She threw the door open, and in a groggy morning voice said, “This better be good.” Her contacts were dry so she was momentarily unable to see, but when she rubbed her eyes, she was wide awake.

Standing at her door was her ex-boyfriend, Leon. After a brutal breakup, Bex had decided to go all out. She dyed her long hair black, got a motorcycle, got a tattoo sleeve on her left arm of her favorite quotes, roses, and music notes, and quite law school. She had more fun after that. Though she did think about him at times, she had enough one night stands to distract her. She opened her own bar and did various favors for her friends; such as beating those who deserved it, busting drug lords, and other things. She lived alone, and after a few months, convinced herself she liked it.

But of all the things she thought she’d wake up to, she never even considered this.

“Rebecca-”

She slammed the door in his face and walked back to her couch and lay back down.

“Rebecca,” he stammered through the closed door, “I know you hate me, but I really need your help. Please, I swear I will bug out of your life forever.” There was silence, and as he began to walk away, the door opened. “Let’s get a few things straight, I don’t hate you. No, I loathe you. I want you to die the most gruesome death and go to Hell and be raped by Satan himself all eternity. And second, whatever you need, I’m sure you can get it from someone else.” She almost shut the door again, but Leon stuck his foot in.

With his face so close and his blue eyes staring into her brown ones, she felt her insides stir in a way they hadn’t in years. “Listen, I know I hurt you and I cannot apologize enough, but this is seriously a matter of life and death.” For a moment, Leon forgot why he was at her place, there was a zap when he leaned in to her. He tried to remember why he had left her…

She sighed and opened the door, and said with a voice cold as ice, “Come on in.”

            She turned around and threw herself on the couch, her brain whirling and her heart breaking again. She threw her colorful arm over her eyes as Leon closed the door and stood close to the exit, like he was frightened. Leon looked around and noticed paintings that were dark but beautiful. Ballet dancers and acrobats leading a dark life hung around the room, eternally frozen on a canvas. “Did you paint these?” Leon asked, awestruck. He heard Bex snort, “Hell no. You know I suck at artsy stuff. Those were a gift from a friend.”

            “Rebecca-”

            “That’s not my name asshole.” She sat up and glared at him with the heat of a thousand suns. “It’s Bex.”

            He turned his head to the side, confused. “Why?”