Show Me How

Chapter 7- Crime Novels and School work

“Careful or do you want me to drop Alexandria in the oil!”

“It’s the damn dog running around!” 

Grinning I throw the ball against the wall, catching it in my hand and throwing it again. “It sounds like to me it only took a week before things started to fall apart.” 

Sighing against the phone I imagine Maria shaking her head as she tsk. “Tell me how they are treating you?” 

“Good,” I answer in short. “And what about your father?” Throwing the ball with a harder force I miss it as I try to catch it. Sighing I rolled on the floor to reach it where it landed. 

“Good.” 

“Good?” she said skeptically. Preparing myself to her next words I throw the ball up in the air and catch it.  “mon coco you can’t go on like this. These feelings inside you won’t rest unless you face them.” 

Rolling my eyes I groan out loud as I press the phone in my chest, muffling the sound of Maria lecturing me. She just can’t understand that me talking to Richard isn’t at the top of my to-do list for the year. Especially the first week after being away for so long. 

Thinking about it I haven’t done much. I packed out my stuff the second day which only took an hour. And since I haven’t been enrolled yet in school, I have spent my time watching ‘Living Single’ and sketching locked inside the room. 

Raising the phone to my ear I interrupt Maria’s french ranting. “Hey tante, can I call you later?” 

“D'accord, mais promis that you will think about okay?”

“Fine.  je t'aime, bye.” Hanging up on the phone I spring up from the couch up the stairs.

“Was that your aunt?” 

“s**t!” Cursing I almost crashed into Sean who was at the beginning of the staircase. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up.”

Glaring at him I walk up the stairs to my room. “Sure, because you weren’t eavesdropping like a creep.” Blushing he scratches his neck and flinches. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” He says and walks away. 

Frowning I shake my head. If things weren’t already awkward enough with Jessica trying to be friends and Richard acting like an invisible ghost, Sean’s behavior wasn’t helping. Just yesterday alone when I was running around the street in my gym wear did he call to ask me where I was and why I left without telling. 

Almost forgetting that I am 4 months older than him and not his responsibility. Who knows, perhaps Richard is the one behind it and making his report to him about me.

Walking up the remaining steps I slipped in. Since I came, the rest of my stuff has come in the mail. Most of them were items from my bedroom like my camera, painting supplies, and books. However, I hadn’t packed any of them out, along with my suitcase which sat inside the empty closet. 

Opening my suitcase open it revealed my clothes carefully folded in. Grabbing my black baggy jeans along with a white turtleneck I slip into them. Walking up to the mirror I remove the elastic keeping my hair up and watch my lock fall down to my shoulder. Satisfied I grab my bag and phone. 

Opening my door I yet again curse when I see Sean standing there, except that this time he had changed clothes and a phone in his hand. Playing some game by the sound of it. Looking up he furrows his brows as he looks at me up and down. 

“Where are you heading to? Dad is coming any minute with dinner.”

“Thanks for reminding me, eat for us both will you,” I say and walk down the stairs. Ignoring him following me, I slip into my sneakers. 

“Look you can’t just go, does dad know?” Raising my brow at him I scoff. “Seeing that you are so deeply worried he’ll know any minute since you’ll call him. As usual.” Murmuring the last bit he doesn’t seem to have heard it as he sighs and shakes his head displeased.

 “Fine whatever. Not my problem when your phone blows up.” Rolling my eyes I open the door and step outside. 

Taking a deep breath of the warm yet breezy wind I close my eyes as I relish at the moment. If there was one thing I loved it was the outdoors. Putting on my headphones I started to walk to my destination as if I know it by heart. After a short bus ride and walk, I stand in front of a narrow wood door smelling of coffee and books. Reading the neon sign  I feel memories wash over me. 

‘24/7 fantasy club.’ it read with two of the neon letters not working. Hadn’t it been for the fact that there were a bunch of book signs, the name itself sounded more like a strip club than a cafe and library. 

Pushing the door open the smell of old books and coffee washes over me. Looking over the library I see that it’s almost empty except for some seniors. 

“Do you need anything? Perhaps some book tips or some coffee.” Turning around I am met with a friendly smile. Shaking my head at the middle-aged women I offer a smile back. 

“Just a cup of black coffee.” Smiling the women prepares the coffee. Paying I take the coffee in my hand and start exploring.

Walking between the shelves I let my fingers run on the spines. Stopping at a familiar one I take out to look at the title. Snorting I flip the pages as I look at it. It was a historical romance about a woman going back in time and looking for her way back. Flipping it to the last page. I grin as I see my own initials on the card. 

I must have been what, 11 or something when I read this. It was a bit too heated for me to read when I did, but I managed to read it to the end. Placing the book back to its place, I take out a crime-novel.

Considering how Sean was looking at me as if I had committed a crime, the theme for the book was fitting. Walking over to the seats in the far corner, I make myself comfortable as I sink into yet another book. 

I was unsure about how much time it had been until I heard the bell of the door chiming, signalizing that a customer beside me and the 70-year-old man had entered. 

“Let me guess the usual?” Looking up I watch the back of the head of a guy standing. “You know me well Laurel.” He says with a laugh. 

Rolling my eyes I focus back on my book. However before I can find myself fully emerging into the world, the close sound of something hitting the ground and chair scraping startled me. Darting my eyes to the sound I watch the boy take a seat a 

a couple of seats away on the same long table as me.  

He looked the same age as me. Narrowing my eyes at him I take in the slightly disheveled yet put-together look. His jet-black hair looked like he had run his finger through a lot, which hung like curtains, hiding his face for the world to see. He was wearing a white shirt tucked inside his green khaki pants. Seeing that he was hanging his head and sighed as he dropped his bag, it was clear that he wanted to be here anywhere than here.  

“Here’s your drink.” looking up he smiles and sips at what smelt like choco. “Thank you,” he answers. Only now did I see his face which was hidden by his shoulder-length hair. 

His eyes were brown like mine, except that they were lighter and brighter. Almost as if his eyes haven’t been touched by the cruel world yet. His face curved into a sharp jaw and lips which had a slight olive and pink touch to it. The way his hands gracefully held the cup as he raised it to his lips and sighed against it with closed eyes made it look like that cup of choco had now saved his day. 

“Do you want a refill again?” Taking my eyes off him I look up at her with confusion. “What?” 

“I said do you want a refill again.” Looking at the four different coffee cups I had on the table and the plate with cake crumbs I shake my head.

 “No thank you.” Nodding she leaves. Looking over to the boy he smiles at me as he gestures with his head at the coffee cups. 

“Let me guess, you are working on school and that’s what is keeping you going?” Shaking my head I hold out the book in my hand. “Close enough, but I’m reading a crime novel actually.” 

Turning his head to the side he looks at me with a confused face. “How is that close?” Grinning, I lean in conspiring. “Because a dead body is just a big mystery as the answers to whatever test you are studying for.”

Grinning he scooches a couple of seats closer and pushes his hand forward. “I'm Noah.” He smiled showcasing his pearly white teeth as he looked at me with kind eyes.

 Looking at his hand I hear this voice in my head telling me to not engage, listing all the cons. However, there was this other voice. Its words aren't as clear but are opposite from the other. 

“I’m Alex.” Taking his hand I feel his warm handshake mine. “So where are you from, I come here often and haven’t seen you before.” Raising my brow at him I feel the corner of my lips turn up to a smirk. 

“Who says I haven’t been here before?” Grinning he points a finger to himself. “Says the guy who has been coming here every Tuesday and Thursday for the past 2 years.” 

Snorting I raise my hand above my shoulder mockingly. “Fine. I just moved back, but I have been here before. It has just been some time since the last visit.” 

“See, I know when I see a tourist around here.” Grimacing I narrow my eyes at him. “Tourist? I just said I have been here before.”

Shrugging his shoulder he smiles innocently, however, the smirk he was biting down to hide was obvious on his face. 

Gesturing to the cafe with my hand I say “Please, tell me what tourists would have found a place like this on their first week back? On top of that why would I lie?”

Shrugging his shoulder he points to my phone on the table with a wink. “Well you could be a spy disguised as a tourist looking for some hidden artifact, and the clue lays here. And in hope of finding out where in the shop you will try to persuade me by playing an innocent, lost tourist.” Shocked and amazed by his creativity, I laugh and shake my head.

“Unbelievable.” I mutter. Just as he opens his mouth to reply my phone starts ringing a doomsday bell. Knowing who it is I cringe as I turn over the screen and see the Number ID. Richard. Along with that, I saw the time, which was now around the time he returned from work.

“Let me guess, it is your tourist guide ready to collect you and take you back to the hotel?”  Looking up I however feel the annoyance building up in me vanish. 

I didn’t want to go back. Back to sitting in my room or endure whatever Richard had for me when returning. And considering I have already pissed him, what will a few extra hours do. 

“Not if you plan to keep me company.” At that, a slow smirk came over his face and I believe whatever idea that was forming in his head wasn't exactly a pure one. 

“I should be working on my math, but if you want to join in a game of mine, I’ll keep you company as long as you want.” Biting my lip I narrow my eyes at the glint in his eye. Whatever game he was suggesting at, he had piqued my interest and there was no way I was going to say no. 

“I’m in.”