letters from war.

04.

        I write down the ten digit number on a napkin that was used to wipe around my mouth, and place the pen and napkin back down and say goodbye to Jacob. I pick up my box of the apple pie that I didn't finish.

        "Goodbye Tori," he smiles, 'nice talking with you."  I smile back, " it was a pleasure to meet you Jacob, I can only hope that we will meet up again soon." His white teeth sparkle as a large grin appears on his flawless face. 

        I open the coffee shop door and head back to the store, I step on the freshly patted snow revealing all sorts of shoes, and sizes. I open the door to the brown brick building, once I open the door all the way a bell rings, making the customers look my way. I stare at my father who is behind the counter making his specialty, large chocolate chip pancakes, slowly he sticks the spatula under the floppy slab of mixture, with a flick of the wrist he flips the pancake on to the other side. I walk to the back room, where I take my coat and scarf off. 

        'Back so soon?" My father says sarcastically, flipping the large pancake on to a light blue plate.

        " I am sorry that I was a few minutes late," I say with a deep breath letting him know I am annoyed, "I don't understand your problem, I went out with a guy for a cup of coffee. I am still allowed to make friends." I retort as I bend down and tie my boot string. 

        "A few? You were a few minutes later two hours ago!" He says handing the plate to a mother and son who sat at the counter with hunger in their eyes. 

        "Okay, well I don't have that many friends to begin with, so what is the big problem if I make a few more?" I say as I place an apron over my head and tie it tightly. 

        "I'm not saying that!" My father nagged. 

        "Well it sure seems you are, plus it is not like it would lead anywhere, I am in love with Derek and I will wait for him to come home till kingdom comes. No man I ever meet could change that." I fumed, I picked up a box of canned soup and walked through the halls filled with food and different products to put them away. 

        I ripped up the brown tape holding the two sides of the box lid together, as I reached in the box for one I looked at the packaging as I usually do. This one was an all white wrapping around it with a large red tomato that looked very fake. It read, tomato soup, it was simply sweet and to the point. I put the can on the shelf, I continued doing this, it cleared my mind of most things, except Derek. Oh, how I missed him and his obnoxious self. As I studied the soup cans, and neatly placed the cans on the shelf my father hurried over. 

        "I think I'm going to shut down the shop early tonight." He rubbed the back of his head like that wasn't all he had to say.

        "Okay." I abruptly say rising from my seated position.

        "I just want to let you know, that I am sorry. You are an adult now you make your own decisions." He leaned forward to hug me, I hug him back. 

        "It is really okay you were just trying to rein me back into reality." He dropped his arms and pushed off a little, he looked into my eyes and did a weak little smile. He broke eye contact and bent down to to pick up the trash I left. I whistled for Tank, a few seconds later you heard pit pats on the tile floor from him running. I untied my apron and took it off, I walked to the back of the story with it and hung it up, I reached for my winter clothing and put them on to brace the cold winter snow. I finished getting myself ready, I reached into the lost and found and pulled out a red scarf and tied it around Tank's neck so he wouldn't be as cold. 

        My father walked in the back room and saw Tank and I ready to face the cold winds and deadly snow then he spoke, "Hon, I can drive you." He looked at Tank and began to laugh, seeing the dog's head and neck were wrapped up. 

        "Thanks dad." I smiled, I went to the light switch and turned all the lights off. "TANK!" I yelled as I walked to the front of the store.

        "Don't worry he is up here with me!" My father yelled back, I hustled up and locked the door, I put the thin metal key in the lock and turned it to the right. I pulled the key back out and made sure the door was really locked by pulling on it, when I knew that it was really locked I walked to the back of the building into my fathers car and sat in the front seat. My father was still out of the car smoking his cigarette, he took his last puff and opened the car door, him and the cold wind flew in the car. He pulled out the key ring and found the one for his junky little old car, he stuck it in and turned it. The engine turned over and my father tried starting it again. 

        "Is everything okay?" I asked worriedly, because my parents only have one car so we would have to walk to my house and wait till morning to get it towed to the shop. 

        "No!" He said impatiently. "I knew I should of gotten rid of this piece of junk when I had the chance." I kept my thoughts to myself as I watched my father try and try again. As I saw him struggling I began to chuckle knowing my fathers hatred for this car, as he still tried to get the engine to start I looked across the street at the banned warehouse, usually gangs and homeless live in there. As I watched I saw a car slowly pull out of that parking lot, usually I would think nothing of it, all of the teenagers go into that parking lot and; do things, but this time the car didn't turn it was coming straight towards us. Thoughts of murders, rapists, and any other horrible type of person you could think of came to my mind. I began to panic, I will never see Derek, my mother, my sister and her husband, or even my brand new little nephew, but the car stopped and the driver door opened revealing a man, tall and muscular. My father saw him also except unlike me he stepped out of the car and shook the mans hand, they both dropped hands and the unknown man went back into his car and turned it around head on to ours, my father stood there and the man got back out, this time with jumper cables. I watched as they hooked both of the cars up, my father went into the mans nice car and started the engine up, I watched as the both of them started my fathers car. After my father helped the man put back the cables both of them came to the car, my father opened the car door and sat down, the man came to my window, I rolled the window down, "Jacob?" 

        "Hi Tori." He said with a smirk growing on his face. 

        My face must of expressed a look of shock because he began to laugh, " I came over here to ask if you would like me to drive you home?"

        I blushed and looked over to my father, his face was blank and looking away from me, I bit my lip to try and stop myself from smiling,but I did anyways, "That would be nice."

        He smiled and opened the door I slid my legs out of the cramp space, he reached out his hand and I grabbed for it, Tank saw me getting out and also got out. 

        "Bye daddy, I love you." I said leaning back into the car and kissing his cheek, "Bye hon." He said smiling, Jacob waved as the two of us and Tank walked back to his car, he opened the passenger side and let me in. 

Hi guys sorry that I haven't updated in forever, I have been so busy, but I hope you like it, the next chapter should be up by next week Okay thank you all of you love you!!!!!