Don't Make Me Love You

Chapter 27

***IMPORTANT*** 

Hey, everyone! I have a poll on my Patreon for what to put on my anniversary t-shirts. Please, go check it out and cast your vote. It's totally open to the public and free to do so. Once the poll ends, if you want a t-shirt, pick a tier on my Patreon page to donate to and you get a t-shirt and a personalized letter as a special thank you! But, mostly, just go vote. I need more votes! Thanks! ^-^

- Melanie

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I didn't know where I was going, and honestly, I didn't care a whole heck of a lot. I could've gone home, but my parents were bound to be there and I didn't want to have to explain myself to them. I could've got to the arcade to blow off some steam, but I knew Bobby was bound to find me there. Really, I didn't have anywhere to go that someone wasn't bound to find me. So, I didn't go anywhere; I just found the best way to disappear. I walked, and I kept walking. No one could find me if I didn't stay in one place for too long. 

Eventually, what had been suburbs turned into town homes before finally becoming city buildings with reflective windows. I didn't like the city much, but it was better than familiar places. As great as getting drunk off my ass sounded, I couldn't go to a bar, so that was out. The clubs also wouldn't let me in at my age; another cross off the list. I was ambling down the street when my eyes spotted a shiny, friendly, colorful sweet shop with a glowing rainbow "OPEN" sign in the door. Perfect. No one would ever look for me somewhere so bright. Besides, drowning my sorrows over a bowl of ice cream sounded pretty nice just then.

As I pushed the door open, a little bell rang cheerfully to let the staff know I was there. A lady with a bright smile turned from a shelf where she was placing a clean pitcher. She waved at me enthusiastically. "Hello! Welcome to Special Sweets! Have a seat and I'll be with you in a moment," she said.

Uncomfortably, I grabbed a menu and took a window seat. Upon a glance at the food choices, I sighed and sunk my head onto my arms. Maybe I should have picked a pizza place to hide out instead.

"Hey!"

Before I even knew she was standing there, the lady from the counter plopped down across from me with a notepad and pen. "What can I get you?" she asked. "We have a wide selection of diabetes-inducing sweets, drinks, and a few regular options that are boring but still delightful all the same."

Her chipper mood was in striking contrast to mine and I stumbled over my words. "I... What's good? I've never been here before," I mumbled.

The lady, who's tag read Cherrie, dropped her eyes to the menu for a half a second. Then she looked at me again and pointed to strawberry-chocolate shake with caramel and whipped cream. "That one," she said.

It looked too sweet, but I didn't feel like arguing. I had argued enough for one day. "Sure," I said. "Sounds good."

I turned and gazed out the window, thinking she was going to leave, but surprisingly, she stayed right where she was. Cherrie frowned for the first time. Carefully, she turned the menu around and looked over the options again. "Actually," she said. "This one."

She set the menu down for me to see and my eyebrows drew together. It was a simple hot chocolate with a cookie for the side. I looked at her again, unsure of her motives, and she smiled more sympathetically. "It's good for broken hearts," she said.

It was a reminder I did not need, and I pushed the menu away from me with a dark look. "Look, lady, I don't even know you," I said. "If this is gonna be a problem, I'll just go somewhere else."

Cherrie snatched up the menu before I could stand, leaving a little pile of chocolate mints in her wake. "I'll bring it right out," she chirped. "Trust me, it's the best you'll ever have."