The Color of Love

Chapter 2

The drive from Cleveland to New York was approximately seven hours. It was already one o' clock and the heat of the sun was at its peak. Hunger was already starting to set in. Alice had been driving for three hours now. She can feel her legs start to cramp. Liam fell asleep on the passenger seat with headphones on his ears. They passed by a sign that said "Gas Station 1 km Ahead". Perfect, she thought. Her legs needed a little bit of stretching. Alice woke Liam up by giving him a gentle nudge on the shoulder. 

"Hey, honey." Liam opened his eyes and squinted a little, giving time for his eyes to get accustomed to the brightness. He took off his headphones and hung them around his nape. 

"Are we here?" 

"There's a gas station up ahead. My legs are killing me."

"Yeah, and I'm starved." 

As they reached the gas station, they were so delighted to see a shack just beside it. "Looks like a place to eat." Liam said. Alice parked their car at a corner and quickly hopped out. Aaaah... what relief... Liam walked to Alice and grabbed his mom's hand.

"I can already hear my tummy talking to me. C'mon, Mom. Let's eat." They both gave out a hearty laugh.

The shack was indeed a diner. As they entered, they could smell the aroma of cooked food and it was mouthwatering. On the left side was a long counter lined up with bar stools, on the right were a couple of booths. They took a booth. They were warmly welcomed by an old lady in an apron, her hair tied up in a bun secured with a hair net. 

"Hello, good afternoon," she said with a smile and handed Alice and Liam the menus. 

"Hi, good afternoon." Alice replied politely. She gave the menu a quick scan. "One Hoppin' John, please. Thank you. How about you, Lee?"

"I'll get one American Fried Rice with sidings of chicken, ham, and egg, please. Thanks." He handed the menu back to the lady. After lunch, they paid the bill and headed back to the car. Liam took the keys from his mom. It was his turn to drive. They jumped into the car, passed by the gas station for a refill, and started the second half of their journey to New York.

The lunches that they had gave them the boost they needed. Now that Liam was on the wheel, Alice can take a rest. She inclined her seat a little bit backward, her body in an obtuse angled position. As she leaned on to relax her tired body, memories of her past interrupted her thoughts.

She remembered the time she found out that she was pregnant. It frightened her. How will she tell her parents? She had always been a good and obedient daughter. This will definitely devastate them. She was only seventeen, for godsake. She was not even halfway through college. They didn't even know she had a boyfriend. Alice met William at the convenience store where she was working at. Every Saturday night, William would drop by around three in the morning to buy some coffee after a night out with his friends at nearby club. She was always the one on duty during that time.

"I notice you've been working here for quite a while." William said.

"Mm-hmm." Alice answered as she punched in the price of the coffee on the cash register.

"Nerdy woman got fired?" He was referring to cashier replaced by Alice. 

"No. She just couldn't handle the night shift. Health problems."

"Oh... By the way, I'm Will." He held out his hand.

She hesitated for a minute but eventually shook his hand politely in return. "Uh... hi...I'm Ally."

"I know." Alice was surprised. How'd he know her name? "It's on your name plate." Then he gave her a wink and a knowing smile. "See you around... Ally." Then he was out the door. 

He's cute, Alice thought to herself. He had beautiful green eyes. He was five feet and eleven inches tall and had dark chocolate hair. A tiny smile crept into her face.

"What time is it?" Liam suddenly interrupted her thoughts. 

Alice checked her wristwatch. "Four o'clock."

"Why don't you take a nap first? It'll take three more hours to get there."

"Are you sure you don't need me to keep you awake?"

"I can manage."  

They arrived in New York at seven fifteen in the evening. They were greeted by a busy city with all its skyscrapers and glittering lights. It was a far cry from their calm and quiet life in the suburbs of Cleveland but Alice had never been happier in her life. She felt closer to her dream now that she had set foot on The Big Apple. Plus, with Liam by her side, she knew that everything will be alright.

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Thank you for taking time to read my story. Did you like this chapter? If so, please vote, comment, and follow the rest of the story. It would be very much appreciated. :)