A Chance At A Time

Chance X: Deal With Your Past

"Harper, aren't you working yourself to the bone?" Clair asked in concern that Sunday evening as Harper returned from her work at the orphanage and got a shower before getting ready to go to the coffee shop.

Max's coffee shop also served pastry delights and other drinks apart from coffee so in the evening it became a hangout spot for young couples. As exhausting as it was to smile at everyone, Harper found a measure of peace there and she loved the ambiance. Sometimes when she was done with her duties, she would find a corner, sit down and do her school work and assignments. 

"You should find some time to rest before your body decides to take measures on its own and you pass out in public." Clair continued as she took out her nail art equipment and started doing her nails. "Weekends were made to relax and recharge, not for overdosing on the employment pill! Max wouldn't mind if you skip a day or two from work."

Harper looked up at Clair as she put on her shoes. "I need to clear my head for a moment. So much has been happening and I just need something to help me settle my wild thoughts together."

"You clear your thoughts by working? Who does that?" Clair asked in sheer astonishment.

"Someone who has never had to work in her past life," Harper said as she got up and pulled her untamed locks into a pony then grabbed her bag and waved to Clair. "See you later."

"Be careful! Don't greet strangers or follow them home! It's the evening for crying out loud." Clair said. 

Harper chuckled as she went out. 

The evening was cool as Harper made her way out of campus. A few people loitered around the campus, some making their way to the study areas and library, others just meeting up with each other for discussions and study groups. Harper needed help in her other courses because one of her assignments came back and she hadn't done very well. She recalled how her father emphasized that in order for her to return back to her old life and go to a good private university next year, she had to prove herself academically as well. 

She needed tutoring. Her best option was Kristofer with that super brain of his but she knew it was only a cold day in hell that he would agree to such an arrangement. As it was, it must have been agony to deal with her during the assignments. They settled their differences on Saturday but that didn't mean they were on a talking level. Kristofer still kept his distance, only greeting her if they bumped in the hallway or something. 

Harper thought it was fair enough given that she gave him the reason as to why she said what she said on that day. It didn't seem that he cared what she thought but decided to take her advice and Melody's and stay away. 

On one end it was a good thing because it meant that Melody would stop being a b***h to her but on the other end, Harper realized that apart from Clair, Kristofer was the second person that she could talk freely to and he didn't judge her. Images of the time she almost fell into a hole yesterday replayed in her mind. He was so fast, catching her and pulling her away from the hole.

Harper didn't know what was happening until her palms had planted themselves on his chest. Feeling the hard muscles underneath his t-shirt was something else entirely. She didn't expect them to feel like warm iron draped in velvet. They moved with his breath and she felt his heart thud rhythmically against her palms. She became very aware of him standing in front of her with his fingers around her upper arm. He was too close and he made her breathing a little difficult. 

Why did she react in such a manner? This was Kristofer for crying out loud. He was the guy that could make you want to laugh at one moment but punch him in the next! It didn't make sense to her that such a thing could happen and she wanted to make sure it didn't happen again.

She arrived at the coffee shop just in time to relieve the girl who had been there since lunchtime. 

"See you tomorrow." The girl said to Harper who gave her a little nod and went to the backroom to change. 

"I thought you weren't coming in today? Clair told me you are doing a community project and that you come back exhausted. You should have taken some time to rest." Max approached Harper when he saw her take her position at the back of the counter.

Harper forced a smile at him and said. "I get paid for the community project just as I get paid here. I need the money and besides--you're not my boyfriend so I can't slack off. My pride refuses for me to take advantage of you."

Max chuckled. "Alright then. This evening you will be cleaning after the customers." He handed her a cloth and a spray bottle.

Harper sniffed the contents of the bottle and winced. Scented disinfectant. "But I like my job at the counter."

Max nodded. "You need to know the basics of all the jobs being done around here. Go on." 

Harper rolled her eyes and slumped her shoulders before she made her way to clean her first table. 

Just then the little bell on the door rang as a new customer entered. Harper looked up and she felt her heart stutter in her chest as her breath came out in a large whoosh and color leached from her face. She quickly turned away, hoping to avoid eye contact and being recognized by the person who had entered together with an unfamiliar girl. 

"Harper?" She heard her name being mentioned and grimaced. "Harper, is that you?" He asked and Harper heard shoes knock softly on the tiled floor as he approached her.

Harper was at the corner of the coffee shop so there was nowhere to run. Sighing in defeat, Harper straightened her shoulders and turned around. She gave the man a tight smile and said. "Zander, a surprise to see you here."

Zander breathed in hard and confusion marred his face. "Not as surprising as seeing you? How is it that you are here? I thought you were at the university back home? It's been a while since the last time I saw you and I tried calling you but it seems your phone has been disconnected. From what I read online, it is said you took a break from the limelight, is that true?"

Harper nodded and placed the spray bottle and cloth on the table before she placed her hands in the pockets of her apron to stop Zander from seeing them shake. "Yeah, I needed a change of atmosphere. I'm studying here now. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on a business trip. My father was too busy with other things so he asked me to come to represent him--how is it that you study here now? I mean, I don't know a good school around that would have you interested to stay." 

Zander was always the nosey one. The way he was speaking, meant Harper's father did not release the information about where she was and what she was doing at the moment. That was a good thing because she didn't want to be looked for by anyone in her past. Zander was a childhood friend, a few years older than Harper. They studied together and also were neighbors but after middle school, Zander's family moved away. 

Harper looked at him then at the girl behind him who looked a little offended that Zander had suddenly forgotten that she was there. "I think your date is not entertained by your lack of attention to her. If you would like self-service, you can go to the counter, or if you want the menu, I'll get you one."

Zander understood that Harper didn't want to talk about her current situation so he straightened and sighed. "We'll just go and get the stuff ourselves. I'll be around for the week if you want to meet up." He fished out his wallet and removed his business card. "This is my personal number. You can call me anytime."

"Thanks, Zander." Harper accepted the card and watched as he went back to the girl who was giving her the nasty eye. 

Harper slipped the business card in her apron and went back to cleaning the tables. 

Harper recalled having a crush on Zander for the longest time but the man never settled down with one girl. He was very popular because not only was he good-looking but he also had the money to go with it. Girls practically fell on his feet wherever he went. 

Zander took her for a younger sister, always watching out for her. Harper never had the courage to tell him her true feelings although there was a time she thought he found out because he later started keeping his distance until when he finally moved away. Harper could see that he didn't outgrow his bad habit of women in all those years that had passed. 

Harper was very sure that the girl he came in with, was just someone to keep him busy through the week, and afterward, he would leave and never look back. 

What were the odds of someone walking in that coffee shop from her past? She was too far from home and Harper knew it was the strategy her father used to make sure she went somewhere where it was highly unlikely for her to meet with someone who would recognize her but it was a small world that they were all living in. Such incidents were bound to happen. She was just glad that it was Zander and not someone like Alexia who would have posted everything online after the meeting and leave her to deal with the media aftermath!

Harper cleaned up quickly and made her way to the backrooms feeling Zander's eyes burning holes on her back as she disappeared. She knew he had so many questions for her but she wasn't ready to answer them.

"Oh, crap." She grumbled to herself when she got there. "So much for clearing my thoughts tonight." She thought lightly with a sigh.

                                                                        *****************

Kristofer was out for dinner with his family. Philippa insisted that they went out to a new restaurant in town. The food wasn't bad but it didn't need to be so expensive. The vibes were great, the live band playing made digestion of the expensive food easy and the company made him forget about the problems he left in college. 

"So, how is everything going? You never tell me anything these days with the reason that you are grown up." Kristofer's mother complained.

"If you see that he is not saying anything about his life, then it means that he has a girlfriend." Philippa supplied as she took a spoonful of her chocolate mousse and gulped it down before grinning up at her brother.

Kristofer frowned at her. "Aren't you a little too young to be thinking about such things?" He asked her.

Philippa rolled her eyes. "I am seventeen!"

Kristofer winced. "See, still very young."

Their mother chuckled. "And she has a boyfriend, by the way. I caught the little thief over at home one day and he pretended he was there to help her with her homework."

"Mom! You promised you wouldn't tell." Philippa exclaimed suddenly.

Kristofer sat up straight. "How are you having a boyfriend right now?"

"He is a classmate and a good friend!" Philippa protested as she turned back to her dissert. 

"That's how they always start." Kristofer assured her.

Philippa looked up and her eyebrows arched up knowingly. "Is that how you also started?"

Kristofer dismissed her question with the wave of his hand.  "We are not talking about me here. I want to know about this boy. Where does he live? What is his last name? What do his parents do for a living--"

"You think I will give you the information so that you can go and terrorize him? Forget it."

"Pippa!" Kristofer drawled warningly.

"Kris!" Philippa exclaimed then sighed and said. "This is not a competition. I am not telling you anything about him because I know you. As much as I love you, Kris. You are a bully and you would scare him away."

"If he is such a coward then he shouldn't be with you in the first place. How will he protect you when something happens?" Kristofer argued. 

"Not every guy goes out there looking for trouble like you, Kris. He is a nice guy and doesn't unnecessarily go around looking for someone to slap around." Philippa shot back.

Kristofer scoffed. His sister made him sound like a total asshole without even trying. In the past, Kristofer did go around looking for trouble and there was a moment in his life where he got mixed up with the wrong crowd but he finally found a way to dig himself out of that shallow grave and straighten up his attitude towards life. 

"You shouldn't be looking at boys right now, Pippa. You should be concentrating on your school."

"And you should be looking for a girlfriend to keep your anger in check--"

"Enough you two." Their mother said then exhaled tiredly. "We are here to have some family time, not bicker among ourselves." 

Kristofer and Philippa shut their mouths and quietly enjoyed the rest of the night. Once they were done, Kristofer called for a taxi for his mother and sister.

"Aren't you coming home for the night?" His mother asked, a little disappointed that he was leaving them so soon.

"There is something that I need to take care of at school before tomorrow." Kristofer lied.

Truth be told was that he had a lot in his mind and just needed some time alone. 

His mother nodded and got into the taxi. "Get there safely."

"Good night, Kris. Thanks for the dinner." Philippa waved at him.

Kristofer nodded and said. "Stop thinking about boys and concentrate on your schoolwork."

"Sorry, Kris, but I don't wanna end up a single virgin workaholic like you!" Philippa teased.

"Pippa!" Kristofer growled but the taxi was already pulling away. 

When the taxi was a good distance from the restaurant, Kristofer removed his packet of cigarettes and placed one between his lips before he lit it and started walking along the street. He had left his bike around the corner of the block because his mother hated it when he rode it. She was always scared that the bike could kill him. Kristofer hated making his mother worry because it deteriorated her health so when she was around, he avoided all the things that would make her worry like smoking, cussing, and riding his bike.

His mother and Philippa was the only family he had and it was the reason why he wanted to give them everything. He couldn't believe that his sister called him a virgin workaholic. It was refreshing how ignorant and naïve his sister still was. It meant that the world had not yet opened her up to such things but that boy might if he hadn't already. Kristofer was a little worried about this boy that she was seeing. He might as well be the younger version of him; a troublemaker.

Kristofer planned to find out all he could about him. He knew Philippa's friend and their neighbor, Cecil had a little crush on him and would tell him anything if he asked her. 

This was not the first time that Kristofer experienced crushes from his sister's friends but he knew how to handle them. He stayed away for long periods of time and he knew those young girls were just infatuated by him like the way Melody was. 

When he got to his bike, he finished off his cigarette first before he got on. Just as he was placing his helmet over his head, he saw someone familiar getting out of one of the coffee shops a few yards, across the street from where he was. So, that was where she worked? Harper undid her pony and gathered the loose hair from her face then tied it back behind her before she started for the bus stop. She hung her head which meant something must have happened at work.

Kristofer started his bike and slowly made his way to where she was. He kept on asking himself why he didn't just ride off and let her take the bus. After Saturday, Kristofer realized that maybe it was a good idea that they stayed away from each other and only met for assignments. He recalled Stefan's gibberish every time he saw her. 

That girl right there has done something to you that made you look at her like she is a human being.

What did that even mean? She was like any other girl that he had interacted with. 

No, if it were another girl, you would have ridden off without a second glance. A voice in his head snickered. Kristofer bit back a curse and stopped in front of Harper, startling her a little. 

She turned to him and he saw the way recognition registered in her eyes. 

"Wanna try running me over with your bike again?" She arched her eyebrows in inquiry.

"I saved your life that day, Harper." Kristofer defended himself.

She shrugged a little and touched the front of her head. "More like you saved my hair that day." 

"I'm heading back to campus, want a ride?" He asked her.

Harper peered around the bike then said. "You only have one helmet. Sorry but I don't want to spurt my brain all over the asphalt if we get into an accident." 

Kristofer switched off his bike and got off before removing his helmet. Harper took a step back and swallowed hard. He glowered at her. "Come here."

"What are you doing?" She asked in apprehension.

"Protecting your head." He held up the helmet pointedly. 

Harper bit her lower lip nervously and Kristofer felt his gut tighten at the action. Without thought, he reached forward and eased the lip from her teeth with his thumb then said. "Don't do that." Before she could protest, he placed the helmet over her head and buckled it under her chin. 

His voice came out thick and husky, something so unfamiliar to him. 

"What about you?" She asked him as she adjusted the helmet on her head.

"I'll be fine." He returned to his bike and jumped on before helping Harper to get on behind him. "Hold on tightly." 

He felt Harper awkwardly hold onto his jacket and a smile appeared on his face as he let the bike jump forward a little which made Harper crush against his back. She yelped in surprise and her arms quickly wrapped themselves around his waist tightly as he started for the campus. 

The night was beautiful and the town was booming with all sorts of activities because it was the weekend. People were out and about meeting friends for food and drinks, on date night, or just refreshing after a long day. As Kristofer eased the bike through the street he caught a whiff of evening food from the food stalls, different perfumes, and colognes from the pedestrians, and alcohol from the nearby pubs. But all that was muted for a moment when Harper adjusted her sitting position behind him. He felt her chest on his back and she was warm, just like the way she was on Saturday.

Even with his jacket on, he still felt her warmth. The way her hands were wrapped around his waist made him very aware of her. As she shifted a little, her perfume bloomed around her; vanilla and roses. 

It was a very innocent scent but it was very tantalizing and it tickled his nostrils. Somehow it managed to surpass all the other scents in the evening air. As she adjusted again, Kristofer gritted his teeth because, without a warning, his body was beginning to react to her movements.

It was a bad idea to offer her a ride and now he was paying a hefty price for it.

He let go of one of the bike handles before grabbing her tightly clasped hands around his waist and squeezed them lightly then muttered. "Sit still." 

"What?" Her muffled voice came through.

"I said--" He turned around but he couldn't see her face through the glass of the helmet. He cursed out lightly and said. "I know you are scared because this is the first time you are riding on a bike but I need for you to sit still."

"Oh, okay. Sorry." She said then leaned against his back and tightened her hold on him.

Kristofer wanted to howl in frustration. All her moves were very innocent but his body was raging because of it!

What the f**k is this? He wondered as they rode through the streets towards the college.