Coffee Shop

Chapter 4

Amelia rolls her eyes as the tardy bell rings. If she didn't have to take her brother to school this morning then she would have been on time. She slams her locker shut internally cursing herself. She wasn't mad at Greyson she was mad at her mother. Why couldn't that wo-"Oomph!"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to run into you." a male voice says sounding truly apologetic.

"No. You're fine. I wasn't watching where I was walking. I was too lost in my own head to be paying attention." Amelia looks up as she's picking her papers up off the floor. She rolls her eyes as she sees who she ran into.

"Amelia. Hey, did you finish your half of the history homework?" Ben asks. He looks at her expectantly.

Shaking her head she refocuses, " Um.. yeah I did. Did you have any problems with your half?" Amelia really has to figure out a way to avoid bumping into him. She doesn't need someone else in her life. She has enough problems. She also knows the most she is going to do is try and avoid him. She's not the confrontational type ever since that night with her father. 

"No, I didn't. You're really shy aren't you?" Ben has a half smile waiting for her answer.

"Um..." Amelia is dumbfounded. She barely knows him and already he's trying to talk to her as if they're friends. Well, I guess not really. She is shy. She doesn't like being questioned a lot. She looks up and he is silently chuckling.

"You're having a silent conversation with yourself aren't you?" Ben puts his hands up in surrender, " Look I'm sorry for putting you on the spot. You seem to be the only person here who actually has a lot to say but is way too shy to speak what's on her mind." Herr rubs the back of his neck. "It's kind of nerve-wracking to tell you the truth. I don't know what you think and you only hang out with two other people and one it seems you would rather not be there." He nervously laughs.

Amelia stares at him shocked. "Actually, I wasn't having inner turmoil. I was thinking you better have done your half because we need a good grade on this. My inner thoughts are not for everyone so I suggest you not question me again. Now if you will please stop talking to me. I already have a detention because I'm late, which is not my fault. My mother doesn't know how to actually be a mother. Why am I telling you this?" Amelia throws her hands in the air and walks into her first period. Half the class has already gone by now she has to play make-up. She doesn't know anyone in this class and doesn't want to ask to borrow anyone's notes at lunch. It's just so frustrating. 

The bell rings and she asks the teacher if she can come in at lunch to jot down the notes she missed this morning. Oh, great she has to run to her brothers' school so she can tell him that she'll be thirty minutes late and call her job to tell them it'll be about an hour before she can clock in to work. She rolls her eyes. Of course, if she could be a teenager who had a job this wouldn't be a problem. Her brother could hang out at work with her after school, do his homework, eat and then when their Mom gets off from work she can take him home help with any homework he didn't understand and put him to bed. "But that's a fantasy Amelia not reality. Reality is you're the adult." After her inner monologue it felt good to say the problem out loud. The truth is her Mom acts like a hormone raging teenager who has no responsibilities and sleeps her way to the top. "Good going." 

Amelia sends a quick text to her boss letting him know she won't be but an hour late. She has detention and has to meet with her brothers' teacher after school but she'll clock in as soon as possible. The bell rings as Amelia is storing her phone in her bag. 

"Hey where were you this morning? We missed you." Caterina asks concern etching her eyebrows. Caterina is gorgeous. She doesn't know it though. If it weren't for John, Caterina would be an emotional wreck. That guy gets brownie points for what he deals with on the daily basis.

"Oh, you know, the usual. I had to run my brother to school because my mother was off screwing her boss to get a pay raise like some hormonal teenager. She was still too drunk to take Greyson to school this morning. I got a detention for being late. Which this is my third strike. It's surprising actually how many times I've been late this past month because of her. Then I was so stuck in my own thoughts that I ran into Ben. Then he held me up further. I have to be the parent and meet with Greysons teacher after I get out of detention and to top it all off it's gonna make me an hour late to work. How can she do this?" Amelia blurts out. The teacher is late to class. Which she normally is but this time it's going on five minutes instead of two.

Caterina doesn't look shocked. She feels for her friend. That's too much stress. " Well, how about this? You come over to my place tonight after Greyson goes to bed. I'll give you a spa treatment. Amelia you're too stressed. It's not fair that you have to act like a mother. I promise you this, Greyson will know who truly cares about him."

"You know I can't. I have to stay home in case our mother doesn't show up tonight. You can bring the stuff to my place. I'm not going to take the risk of leaving Greyson alone." Amelia feels bad for saying no. She knows she could use it but it doesn't matter, Greyson is more important than a spa night.

"Okay fine. I'll bring the stuff over to your place but you're going to have to relax ok." Caterina relents knowing it's going to take a miracle to make her relax and open up. Caterina misses her best friend. She used to be so outgoing but an abusive father and irresponsible mother take that away and you have a child that grew up way too fast.