Touch of Love

    The girl walked down the sidewalk with her hood pulled down low over her forehead. She was beautiful, but you could easily see that she didn’t know it by just the way she walked. She had a large black spot on her forehead that she was desperately trying to hide, accompanied by glasses that were just large enough to cover some of it. However, none of it took from her beauty, although she was clearly unaware of this. She bit her bottom lip as she sped past strangers, hunkered down and clutching a book in her arms as though it was her life line. Just as she reached the corner, a figure came from the other side and they collided in a spiral of papers. Her hood flew off and she quickly reached for her book, but was surprised to find two. She threw her head up to discover who the other owner was, just as the stranger went to reach for his own. Her head collided with his chin and with a swirl of color her head turned white and then disappeared along with the mark on his chin. They gazed into each others awestruck eyes and realized that they had just found their true love. Beautiful, isn’t it? True love. Someone for everyone, you just have to find the right one. Except me. Cause my life sucks. I don’t get a mark. I don’t get a happily ever after with rainbows. Whatever it’s fine. I’m used to being alone. I scowled as I tried to ignore this display and walked toward my job Bob’s Chicken Hut. In case you’re still confused, I live in a world where you grow up with a black mark that shows the place where your true love will first touch you. More often than not people will have black hands or little black circles on their fingertips. Then there are more unique ones that have black lips or a giant hand print splayed across their face. Those are one of the few I envy less, I may not have a true love to look forward to, but at least I don’t have to be waiting on that slap in the face. Of course at this moment I don’t think anyone would possibly envy me, walking to a chicken hut with a hat that’s bill is shaped like a beak. My uniform is a yellow button down shirt and a red skirt with an apron over it. Which isn’t terrible until it’s paired with the hat. I hate that hat with its stupid little glued on googly eyes. My dark brown hair is pulled behind my head into a ponytail that gets darker as it cascades down my back and stops just above my rear. I’ve worked for Bob’s Chicken Hut since I was 16, the people there are honestly the closest thing I have to a family. As I walk in, Zerina squeals and waves me over to the counter, most likely with some hair brained scheme to find her soulmate.  “Calida! So big idea! What if whoever I’m supposed to be with is just super shy? Maybe I need to travel to one of those places that greet people with a kiss? Or maybe even just start greeting people with a kiss..” Zerina rambled on as I shook my head at her craziness. Her lips were black so whoever she ends up with can’t be too shy if you ask me.  “Zerina. If that were the case, you would be kissing everyone which is kind of gross. If you see some guy with a lip mark on his cheek then you could go for it, but otherwise that is a terrible idea,” I said as I grabbed her shoulders to get her attention. She purses her lips as she thought about this then giggled.  “I suppose that’s true, better keep an eye out. Tell me if you see anyone with a lip print on them,” she said as she stuck her tongue out playfully. Then she giggled some more and practically skipped to the register, with her curly black hair bouncing with her. Zerina had beautiful dark chocolate skin with black extra curly hair. Her hair usually reached below her shoulders, but was pulled up in a ponytail and pulled through her hat. Her hair was as bouncy as she was, constantly moving and happy.  “Calida. I need you on the fryer, we’re almost on lunch rush,” Calvin, my boss, said curtly. Then walked off to take some orders. Calvin wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but he was kind and fair. He may not be super talkative, but he was the closest thing to a father figure I had and I did my best to do right by him. When it hit 8, a huge group of boys came in and I had to help waitress. They were constantly howling and I kept having to interrupt so I could take their order. It was a pain, but nothing I couldn’t handle until one of these idiots started talking about me as I put their order in.  “Our waitress looks a little young to have found her soulmate, maybe I should take her out back an show her what a real man and can do,” he whispered loudly as his stupid friends howled with laughter. My cheeks burned with humiliation and anger as I walked to the back. I brought out their food and made sure everyone got what they wanted then walked back to the counter. I glanced at the boy who had made the crude comment, he had long dirty blonde hair with a pretty face. His hair made him look like a hippy, but he had a jock face that almost made it work, but not really. I hadn’t realized I was glaring at him until he locked eyes with me and as I passed him he reached over and grabbed my butt. My hand flew to my side where I kept my Taurus PT111 pistol and pulled it out in record time. I was so fast to put it in his face that he still had a look of pride on his face as he looked at his buddies. For once the table fell quiet and the dipstick finally comprehended my g*n which wiped the grin right off his face.  “Want to try that again?” I asked as I released the safety. No one moved and the room's silence turned deadly. Calvin stuck his head out to see the issue and nearly fell over when he saw my g*n.  “Calida! What on Earth are you doing?! Put that g*n down this instant and get in the back!” He yelled as he walked towards the eating area. I sheathed my g*n, but didn’t break eye contact with the boy. A small smirk came to my face as I headed back towards the back. All I heard was Calvin offering to the boys a free meal which I rolled my eyes at. Zerina who had quietly watched this from behind the register eased back towards me and gave me a look.  “You really need to stop pulling out a g*n on customers. Calvin will eventually fire you if you aren’t careful and Lord knows he won’t be happy about those free meals,” Zerina shook her head, but then quietly added, “although that was rude and you are a bit of my hero for what you just did.” “I’ve lived my life treated like trash. If someone is gonna try and throw me away then they better come ready for a fight,” I stated as Zerina’s eyes filled with awe. She was easily impressed, but I couldn’t help but smile at the childlike wonder that filled her big brown eyes.  “Calida! What on Earth was that?!” Calvin roared.  “I-” “You? You threatened a customer! With a g*n! I told you to stop bringing that thing and we’ve done this before!” He cut me off, “what do you have to say for yourself?!” “I am totally justified, I only bring the g*n out when it’s necessary and-” “Oh I’ve heard it all before! He threatened you, she threw food at you, and my favorite, he didn’t give you a tip!” Calvin yelled as he inaccurately explained past issues. I was beginning to believe he didn’t even want me to answer.  “That isn’t what happened and you know it! He told me every order I brought him was wrong then he blamed me for a broken plate, then he demanded I pay for his meal and refused to leave when I made him pay and left no tip so I didn’t give him a choice!” I yelled back. Calvin messages his forehead and sighed.  “I know Calida. I know. There’s always a good reason, but a g*n is not the answer.” “Well if they didn’t make me want to use it!” “Enough. That’s enough. You’re off for two weeks, don’t come in until this dies down. I’ll call you,” He said exasperatedly.  “What! But I-” “No!” Calvin roared as he pointed at the door. “Ugh!” I growled in annoyance as I stalked off towards my house. After three blocks of walking I ran into my house and slammed the door. I was freaking defending myself! Why is everyone so stupid?! I stormed out to the back and ripped an apple of a low hanging branch of the neighbors tree. As I came back in I pulled out a steak knife and started sawing into it. Of course I wasn’t being careful and I nicked my finger which of course, started to bleed. In a roar of anger I threw the knife at the floor, so hard that it embedded in the wood floor and stayed sticking up. I ran my hand in cold water and abandoned slicing the apple and angrily bit into it instead. I walked upstairs to my room and grabbed a long sleeve sweater and some sweats. I needed comfort tonight. I even grabbed the bunny slippers that Zerina gave me that I’d rather be caught dead then be seen in. However I had to admit they were super comfortable and yes, the stupid things were kind of adorable. After I put them on, I walked to the living room and sat on the small couch as I watched TV and braided my hair loosely.  “Tonight is an ice cream night,” I whispered as I pulled out some Ben and Jerry’s and a spoon then pulled up a blanket to cuddle up in until bed.                                   ...… Jax stared at the window as the lights finally turned off in the living room. Finally. What on Earth was the girl doing to be up this late? He just wanted to get this over with. He glanced down at the photo one more time, he was certain that the girl who had angrily ran into the house was her. Now he just needed to do the job and he was done. Simple.  “Oh my gosh, I kind of want to throw up,” he whispered as he slid out from the alley across from the house. He  quickly walked across the street and twisted the door knob. It rejected him with a click as he slid down and pulled out his master ring of tools. This is where he felt comfortable, getting in, stealing. That was simple and easily done, get in, get out. But this, this was beyond his set of skills and he didn’t want any part of it. The knob gave in with a shudder as the door slid open, he did his best to prevent squeaking as he closed it once more. He was in. This was it. He walked around the down stairs to get his bearings, should she make it down. After circling the living room and finding a pistol which he quickly pocketed, he snuck to the kitchen. The floors were wooden unlike the living room carpet, better to keep it on the wood if things get out of hand. He went to turn around the counter when his foot slammed it onto something sharp. He could feel blood falling onto the floor and unable to stop himself, he screamed.                               ....… I hopped out of bed as a scream rocked my house. It sounded so close that it may as well have been beneath me. I reached for my g*n, but it wasn’t there.  “Dang it! I left it downstairs!”