Chasing Pavements

thirteen

"Hey," says a tall man behind the kitchen counter as I walk in.

I made a small surprise sound. My hand was pressed against my chest. That definitely jolted me out of my unconsciousness.

The structure was a maze, and it's times like these that I'm grateful for my excellent sense of direction. The tour with Strom was definitely beneficial. I had gone to the dining room ahead of time, only to find it empty. Mornings at the manor, I suppose, were different from mornings at the yacht and the Dimitrious household. I went into the kitchen to get some water.

As much as it may appear that I was Cinderella to my mother, I was not. No, I didn't know how to cook. I was the Dimitrious clan's so-called "pristine princess." I was never allowed in the kitchen, and I was never allowed to clean anything of mine. The maids were always ready to comply for me. It's not like I could defy my mother's orders; it wouldn't have helped my situation, no matter how badly I wanted to.

Life here was no different, although I was free: I'm free from my mother's grasp, free from the constant decisions made for me, and freedom from the suffocating mansion. It was light here. Although very much intimidating, take for example the humongous man before me.

His eyes widened at the surprise sound that escaped my lips, his face morphed into a soft, nervous expression. "O-oi, are you okay? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" He bowed to his waist profusedly as take on step back. The intimidation I felt faded away by the display.

I guess he wasn't so scary. In fact, he was more of like a giant bear.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Oh my gosh, I didn't mean to scare you! Please forgive me!" his tone took up a higher pitch as he yells out his apologies.

"Ah!" I waved my hands up, "No, no. It's completely fine! I'm so sorry!" I said, bowing along with him.

And somehow, our meeting had turned into an apology fest: I was constantly trying to coax him into thinking it's alright (which is true); him constantly bowing and apologizing, not paying any heed to my words; and the two of us flushed red of embarrassment.

"Oi, Lasse. Was für einen Krawall machst du so früh am Morgen?" August walks in as he rubbed one eye. A yawn escapes him. His eyes slowly widen as the scene before him unfolds. What kinda ruckus are you causing so early in the mornin'?

L-Lasse?

This was the man that Stavros