Requisites Of Life

Chapter 27

Cooper

It was a rather busy day in town for a normal weekday, but with Christmas soon to arrive, the streets were less than quiet that day. 

Just like my mind. 

The cold, dry air was nipping at every inch of skin I had exposed the very moment I stepped outside. As expected, their was Amelia, her little jaw clanking up and down against her teeth, hands rubbing her arms in attempt to warm up just a little while she waited at the spot I asked her to meet me at. A wave of guilt washed over me as my eyes fell onto the small girl's rosy face. 

"Sorry it took me so long," I said, giving an apologetic shrug and a small smile. 

She didn't complain, only returned the smile. "That's okay." 

This was the first time either of us had skipped class. I knew that one of the boys would have questions about where I went and why I was there up until the end of lunch. It was inevitable. But with how scared out of my skin I already was to begin with, I decided to worry about telling them later. 

Just get through this meeting, then ask questions later I told myself. 

"You ready?" my girlfriend asked, pulling me out of my spinning thoughts. 

"Yeah," I smiled, taking her frozen hand in my own and leading her to the car. 

Yeah, I was ready, but I was scared senseless. 

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We pulled up in front of the stony brick building about ten minutes earlier than necessary. The blue trim on the rooftop gave the entire building a cheesy look when you compared it to the mix of dread and excitement I felt bubbling in my stomach. Or maybe that was just my lunch. 

Either way, it seemed that in the moment, it was less like International House of Pancakes in that moment, and more like International House of Panic. 

As soon as I walked through the doors, my eyes darted around the room for a familiar face, wondering if he, too, got here early. I tightened my grip on Amelia's hand. From what I gathered from my quick scan of the room, he wasn't there yet. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. That was good, though; I didn't need anymore emotions mixed with what I was already feeling. 

We got a table, notified them that someone would be meeting us here for when they came, and settled into our seats. The few minutes between getting seated and when he arrived were filled with moments of mental preparation and building anticipation. 

Each time the door opened and closed, I didn't tear my eyes away from that direction until I knew it wasn't my dad. Time and time again, it wasn't him--just normal people and normal families going out to eat like normal families do. 

And then I saw him. 

A shiver ran through my whole body, not stopping at my head. I stared, petrified, unmoving until he looked in my direction. Every voice seemed to hush around me, and every noise amplified as he began taking steps toward our table. No voice but that of Amelia's registered in my mind. But the sounds, oh the sounds, they filled every space of the air. Every plate clinking in the kitchen, every cup being set down, every menu being unfolded, they were all so vivid. They were everywhere.