Dancing With The Devil

somebody i used to know.

I woke up late today. A text message ding from my phone startled me. It was almost noon and the sun the blinding me with its refracted rays. Luke left a note on his pillow that he had left to investigate his trailer fire case with Ethan again.

Unknown Number: Morgan Street Cafe 1 hour

What the hell? Who was this? Was this my sister? I don't even know her name. Should I meet this mysterious number?

I hopped in the shower to quickly wake myself up, putting on a pair of light washed jeans with a tank top and cardigan. I put on a little bit of makeup before leaving the apartment. The cafe wasn't far from Luke's apartment and it was a nice day out so I decided to walk.

It was one of those baby-blue skies, not the psychedelic candy-blue or the washed-out grey. The clouds were puffs of radiant joy, ready to disperse into the wind and travel our Earth. The light painted my skin warmly, trees were like dancing ladies, each with a unique dress, sewn to imperfection. Every day in Chicago, everyone is in a determined rush to get to their destinations and no one really stops to look once in a while.

The way the tree branches bumped into each other when the wind blew a certain way. The way birds sang when the weather was just right. The way that a little bit of peace can be found in the small flower growing between the cracks of the sidewalks. Life was beautiful in so many ways, but we just need to stop to realize it. Maybe my mom's return is a good thing. Maybe our family can get the closure we never got. Or maybe I'll put a bullet between her eyes because she's been dead to us for years already. The latter option seems to work better for me.

I took the long way to the cafe since I needed time to gather my thoughts. I walked through a brick floored center of the park, casually ignoring the onslaught of catcalls I received passing a group of already drunk men. Behind them, a crowd of teenagers chortled at some joke quoted by their leader who was a well-proportioned boy with untidy hair. There were groups of small children playing around a fountain while their mothers stood behind chattering loudly as if no one was listening.

After making it out of the park, I arrived at the small urban cafe and spotted my lunch date sitting at a table outside. She was nose deep in a book, her hair blowing with the slight breeze that unintentionally flipped the pages. I took a seat across from her, startling her.

"Oh! Thanks for coming," she said, nicely.

"What do you want?" I said, slightly too harsh.

"I think we're both confused about what's going on so I figured it'd be a good idea for us to sit and talk without her here"

"How old are you?"

"Turning 23 in a month. You?"

"20"

"Are you from Korea?"

"Yeah, up until a few months ago I moved here. What about you?"

"Yeah but I moved here for school after I finished high school"

"Where do you go to school?"

"University of Indiana. That's why it took me a while to get here"

"Are you here alone?"

"I live with my boyfriend. I didn't even know Mom was coming"

"She's not my mom. Please stop saying it as if we share her"

"O-oh okay"

"Do you know why she's here?"

"No, I just figured she was coming to visit me. I don't talk to her very much. My brother talks to her more"