Chasing California

1

California

"Hey, Cali! Can you take a double chocolate Mocha to Mr. Stark? Mrs. Potts said to bring it at eight!" The raven haired girl sighed, walking to who had yelled at her, grabbing a cup. "Why can't you do it, Lainey?" Lainey rolled her eyes and went back to the counter, taking the last order while I made the mocha. The cafe inside the Stark Tower was always busy at night, with everyone heading home, but at 8:30, the place was empty.

Lainey and I, under our manger, worked nights, while everyone else worked days. "Hey Aron? I'm gonna take Stark his coffee and clean, so I'll close for you." The older man walked out of the storage room, nodding.  
    "Alright, keys are in the normal place. Get home safe." I nodded before getting in the elevator, using my free hand to hold onto the rail. Elevators weren't my favorite, especially when they were glass. I closed my eyes to keep from getting dizzy, only opening them when the bell dinged.

I walked off, looking around the penthouse for Tony. "Uh, Mr. Stark? Mrs. Potts told us to bring you coffee before we left." I didn't see him, so I started walking around. I heard something from the balcony and set the coffee down, heading towards the open door. Tony walked in while I was distracted, looking at me.
    "Uh, barista girl number two? What are you doing here...?" I jumped, turning to him. "U-h, Um, Mrs. Potts had us bring you coffee, and I thought I heard something..." I trailed off, seeing he wasn't paying attention. "Sorry. I'm gonna go close up, will security lock the doors behind me?" Tony nodded, walking past my to the coffee. "Yep. See you tomorrow, kid." I nodded and went back to the elevator, looking at my feet until the door closed. Once it had, I pulled my phone from my pocket, looking at my missed messages. There was only one, and it was from mom. I sighed, putting it back in my pocket, stopping the elevator on the fifth floor to get 409 from the janitors closet. Aron didn't believe in chemical products (but the oil crap he thinks I'm using makes the counters sticky, so Lainey and I hide bottles we bought on the fifth floor.) The elevator opens and I walk out, heading to the closet. There were some people still on the floor, but I didn't look at them, I kept walking. Probably just some overtime workers. I use my key to open the door, grabbing the 409 and heading to the stairs, hearing quiet voices behind me.
    It doesn't take long to get downstairs, and I begin cleaning the tables and counters. I threw the uneaten food away, and made sure the supply closet was locked after making myself some lemon tea. Finally, I take off my apron and name tag, zipping my jacket up and hanging the apron on the hook next to Lainey's. I slip the key back under the espresso machine, heading out through the staff door, walking to the bus stop. I pull my phone out of my pocket, texting my mom I'm on my way home before getting on the bus and letting the driver stamp my card. I sat down in the front, looking around the bus. It wasn't crowded for a Sunday night, thank god. I didn't like people, just Lainey. Aron is my boss, so I'm forced to like him, and my mom, well, we don't have the best relationship. We only talk in texts. I snap out of my thoughts, feeling the bus stop next to Mr. Delmar's shop. I get off, pulling my hood over my head before heading across the street to the store.
    "Hey, Mr. Delmar!" I chirp, walking inside and looking around for the older man. He walked in from the back, smiling at me. "Hey, Cali. Do I need to make one or does Kaylee want something?" Mr. Delmar was the closest thing I had to a father, if i'm being honest. Him and my real dad had been really close before he left, and he helped us keep our apartment and get my mom a job. "Uh, no, she's working late." He nodded and began making my sandwich while I looked around, sipping my tea.
    While looking through a book on display, I heard a loud 'bang' come from outside. I look over, seeing some men pull the ATM out of the wall in the bank across 21st Street. From what I could see, it was four men with those avenger masks from Party City. Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone enter from the front door. That spider-man guy everyone's talking about walked inside the bank.

    I guess he said something, because the next thing I see is one of them pointing a gun at him.  He shot something out of his hands, smacking two of them in the face with the gun. He jumps up onto the ceiling, doing the web thing and pulling the one with the Hulk mask back, slamming him into the wall. I stumble away from the window, seeing Spider-Man hovering in the air with some weird blue aura around him. The aura slams him into the ceiling and ground before he pulls the shelf behind the man into his back, and he drops. "Mr. Del.." I trailed off, seeing he was on the phone reporting the incident. I looked back to the fight, seeing one man grab a weird looking gun.
    "Cali, come back here." I quickly walked over to him, seeing weird lights come from the bank. "What the hell..." I mumbled before a beam sweeps over our heads, and everything comes down.
    The next thing I felt was someone pulling me up, and I was too numb to stop them. It wasn't Mr. Delmar, these hands weren't as strong as his. I tried to see who it was, but all I could see was orange and black from the fire and smoke. "Mr... Delmar..." I tried to say, cringing at hearing how hoarse my voice sounded. How long were we in there? "I got him and the cat out- I didn't know you were in there." A muffled voice said, but I just nodded. "Yeah... good..." I heard other voices around me, then felt cold air hit my skin. I gasped at the sudden contact, opening my eyes and breathing, which caused a coughing fit. "Mr. Delmar, an ambulance is on its way, I'm so sorry-''''Get out of here, Kid. She'll be fine." I heard sirens and then Mr. Delmar's voice again. "You're going to be okay, Cali." Everything slowly started to fade out. "Wait..." I mumbled before everything went dark.