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I stroll into 'Rose's Pastries' and feel the familiar warmth and the distinct smell of coffee lift my previously sour mood. I was having a normal day up until a few seconds ago thanks to some stupid jerk. "What happened Xy?" I heard someone ask in a foreign accent from behind the coffee counter. It was Brad, the son-in-law to the owner of the coffee shop. He is American which is a bit weird for our town in Kavala, Greece but no one minds because most people can understand English. I quickly rushed over to my normal spot and plopped down on my seat and placed my notebook down with a pout. "Some jerk decided to drive past the puddle outside and splashed water all over me," I complained like I'm five, even though I'm 24 years old.

"Maybe, it was an accident Xy, it did snow a bit last night that puddles are bound to show up anywhere," He tried to reason. "Yeah, it was an accident, that explains why I hear laughter coming out of the car after the water hit me," I say sarcastically. He sighs, and goes back to cleaning up the counter but changes the subject, "So how's your book so far?" he asks. I groan and lay my head against the counter he just cleaned and he gave me a slightly irritated look.

"Another whole week of writer's block, I've written 15 books in all different genres varying from, Realistic, to Fantasy, to Horror, I don't get how I can't write a single line. I say frustratingly. I'm a well-known author in Greece and know quite a but in America too, my name is Xyla Belle and I am a writer, I've been writing ever since I was 10, but made a career out of it only 5 years ago. I was never able to afford a publisher so I worked at 'Rose's Pastries' with Nadia, the daughter of Rose, the owner until I was able to afford one. In the meantime, I wrote novels, short stories, realistic fiction, horror, and fictional tales. I knew Rose when I worked here, and I viewed her my mother as she did to me as her daughter. I never had a real family so they were the closest ones I had to one.

"Well, what genre haven't you done?" Asks a sweet, angelic voice that can only belong to my best friend, Nadia. "Religion, which I kinda don't want to do since I don't know much about them, Newspapers, Biographies, and Memoirs all involve real-world things and facts plus I can't add my twist onto the plot, and I think that's it," I say listing the types of genres I haven't done along with the reasoning behind them. "Romance?" she suggests and inwardly shivered. "I haven't done it, and I don't plan to," I say somewhat sourly. "Come on, it wouldn't hurt to try, you can create whatever you like and you won't need to know anything specific about it," Brad tried to persuade me, keep in mind on what I said, tried.

I shook my head and that's when Nadia called out for Rose and I gave her a death glare. "Mom, Xyla says she doesn't want to find love," she yelled into the kitchen and I banged my head against the counter once again. If there is one thing you don't tell Rose, it's that you don't believe in love or that you don't want it in your life. She is a hopeless romantic taken to an extreme level if you say you don't believe in love she will whack you upside your head or chase after you down the street cursing you out in Greek. "ΤΙ(WHAT)?!" she yells and I quickly bolt for the door, not needing to face the wrath of Rose, because I don't like being in love.

As I was about to go through the doors I walk right into a wall, or that's what it felt like when I collided with the guy who decided to block my only exit of the coffee shop. "Παρακολουθήστε πού πηγαίνετε, αδέξια σκύλα(Watch where your going, clumsy bitch)" I heard the man say, and I was about to open my mouth to curse him out and say that if he wasn't in my fucking way than I wouldn't be running into his arrogant ass but I froze when I saw who it was. Andy Rivers, he was the only billionaire in Kavala and is famous because he was originally from Australia. He can shut down anything so I decided to keep my mouth in case he decided to shut down Rose's place due to my big mouth. Instead, I walked away, before Rose caught me and to avoid any further embarrassment from Andy Rivers.

Before I walked out the door I heard the guy who was beside him, whisper "είναι καυτή(She's hot)". I roll my eyes and try to ignore him. I then start to hear Rose's angry footsteps, " Που είναι αυτή?! (Where is she?!)". she yells as she looks frantically around the small cafe. And that folks is your cue to run until you reach the Pacific Ocean if you don't well let's just say Rose will make sure you won't make it back.

About 10 minutes of me running towards my home, I realized that I forgot my writer's notebook at the coffee shop. I debated whether or not to get it because I felt self-conscious without it, but on the other hand, that meant that I'd have to deal with Andy and his annoyingly perverted friend. I decided to just go home and spend the rest of the day there, besides I'll just get it back tomorrow from Nadia, Brad or Rose.

I entered my nice little villa-like apartment and plopped on my couch and turned on a horror movie, Maybe watching a dumb and predictable movie will help me find a way to spice it up and create a new story, one not involving any love. Sure, there have been love subplots in my book, but it's either never acted upon or one of them dies and the other lives on with their life. Love isn't me, and I'm holding to that till the day I die.

I didn't know when I dozed off, but I woke up to the sound of my doorbell ringing. Huh, I guess that movie was boring and predictable, last time I decide to watch an American movie. Seriously America, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Exorcist, It: Chapter 2 and The Shining are the best ones you have? The doorbell rang once again, Oh yeah, I forgot about that for a second. I comb through my short silver and pink hair before opening the door.

As I open the door, I see Andy's friend who checked me out earlier and I panicked slightly. How did he find out where I live, am I being stalked? I snapped out of my internal panic attack when I realized he was saying something. "Wait, yo-you're Xyla Belle?" he asked baffled. "What's it to you?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest. He stood there in shock for a few minutes until I got impatient and snapped my fingers in front of his face. "Hello? Anybody in the giant head? I ask snapping my fingers in front of his face. He snapped out of his trance and smirked, "You've got balls, I like that." I crossed my arms once again and responded, "Yeah, whatever. Care to explain why the fuck you're stalking me?" I ask getting irritated.

He clears his throat before handing me a notebook, specifically my writer's notebook. "The owner said you left this but couldn't leave the shop to return it so I volunteered to give it to you, luckily your address is on the book so I was able to find it pretty easily," he explained scratching his neck nervously. "Yeah, well thanks bye," I said closing the door before giving him a chance to talk.

I sigh and tossed the notebook on the table in front of my 2-seater couch and something fell out as I did. A note? sure I have random pieces of paper in there in case I left my notebook, but I always stapled or glued it in. What could it be?

Xyla Belle

You're invited to attend the

First annual Artists of Greece

At River's Estate

On Saturday 28th, January

7:00 pm-11:00 pm