Chapter 3 Part 1
Cooper sat at a table in the cafe of the bookstore closest to his house. He was waiting very patiently for his steamed mocha to be ready. It could be a while. There was a very long line. He decided since he had no other plans, he would go look for a book and come back. Hopefully his drink would be waiting for him when he got back.
He wasn't sure which book he should pick up. He was just walking around aimlessly. Then he remembered that he needed to read "The Catcher In The Rye" for his English class. He thought that would be good. He liked J.D. Salinger's other books and he'd be getting ahead in class. It was win-win situation.
He walked back to the cafe with the book in his hands and looked at the counter at the back of the cafe briefly. Still no mocha.
He went back to his table and opened the book. He read about three pages when his number was finally called. "Number 317, your order is ready. Number 317 your mocha is ready."
Finally, he thought to himself. While he was walking to the counter to claim his drink, he could see that the barista was staring at him.
"Let me know if there's anything else I can get you." She said in a sweet tone of voice. He just gave her a quick smile and turned to his seat. He could feel her gaze as he walked away. This made him very uncomfortable. He decided he would avoid further embarrassment by changing tables. Instead of going back to his original table facing the bar, he sat down at an empty table in the far corner of the cafe and faced the front door.
Just as he was getting settled, he looked up. That was when he saw her. He only knew her for an extremely short time but he could recognize her anywhere. She looked much different than she had the night before. She was wearing ripped jeans and an oversized hooded sweatshirt. Her long, golden hair was straight and covered most of her face. She was not wearing any makeup and yet Cooper had never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life.
"Amelia!" he yelled. This seemed to startle her. She looked up, searching for the person who called her name. Cooper waved at her. He hoped she would sit with him. Seeing her made him feel elated. Once she recognized who had called her name she waved at Cooper, walking over to him. "Hi." She said in a quiet voice.
"How are you?" Cooper asked. He couldn't help but smile.
"I'm okay." she said in that same quiet voice. Cooper could sense that something was not right.
"Is everything okay?" he asked in a very concerned tone of voice.
"Um, yeah." she said, her eyes shifting to the right. She bit her lip.
"Why don't you sit with me?"
"Yeah, sure. Let me just order my drink."
"Oh, here. Let me get it for you." Cooper offered, taking out his wallet.
"Thanks, but you don't have to do that."
"I want to."
"Please don't. I'll be right back. I promise."
"Okay." Cooper said, giving up. He watched her walk away, hoping she really would come back. He thought he should open his book and attempt to read a bit more before she returned. He just couldn't concentrate. He just wanted her sitting across the table from him. He opened the book and tried to start reading. His eyes were moving but he wasn't really seeing the words. His brain was on overdrive. Why was she alone on a Saturday night? What was bothering her? And why did she feel the need to lie about it? Not that it was any of his business. He barely knew the girl. And yet, he felt like he needed to know every little detail about her. He had to know.
The sound of a chair scraping the floor nearby broke him out of his trance. He looked up startled. Amelia was sitting in front of him, drinking whatever frappucino she had ordered. She couldn't have been in line for very long.
"Hey! No fair! I had time to sit here for a while, look for a book and my drink still wasn't ready when I got back." Cooper exclaimed.
"It's all about the timing." she replied, smiling at him.
"I guess so."
"So, what are you reading?"
"Oh, Catcher In The Rye. Have you read it?"
"No, I haven't." she said, shaking her head. She then started to stare at the table, sipping from the straw in her drink absentmindedly. Cooper got the feeling she wasn't actually seeing the table. Again, the feeling that something was bothering her hit him with full force. What could be wrong?
"Are you sure that you're okay?" he asked her.
"No." she said too easily. Her eyes widended at her truthful response. Her face flushed in chagrin.
"Do you want to talk about it? I'm a great listener." he coaxed.
"I don't know. I tend to just keep it all inside."
"That's not healthy you know. You should always talk about what's bothering you. Do you keep a journal?"
"No. I feel foolish writing in a journal. It's not like anyone will ever read it."
"Journals can be very therapeutic. Even that's better than bottling it up."
"In my experience, people don't want to hear it. They want to pretend the world is perfect and that you're fine. They act concerned, but in reality they're judging you. They don't care."
Cooper didn't know what to say. She was obviously hurting. The pain was deep. Amelia looked down again and sighed heavily.
"I know that I've only known you for about 24 hours and I know that this might sound weird. But, I care. I do." He hoped the sincerity in his voice was clear. All he wanted was the stop the pain the girl in front of him was feeling.
He wasn't sure which book he should pick up. He was just walking around aimlessly. Then he remembered that he needed to read "The Catcher In The Rye" for his English class. He thought that would be good. He liked J.D. Salinger's other books and he'd be getting ahead in class. It was win-win situation.
He walked back to the cafe with the book in his hands and looked at the counter at the back of the cafe briefly. Still no mocha.
He went back to his table and opened the book. He read about three pages when his number was finally called. "Number 317, your order is ready. Number 317 your mocha is ready."
Finally, he thought to himself. While he was walking to the counter to claim his drink, he could see that the barista was staring at him.
"Let me know if there's anything else I can get you." She said in a sweet tone of voice. He just gave her a quick smile and turned to his seat. He could feel her gaze as he walked away. This made him very uncomfortable. He decided he would avoid further embarrassment by changing tables. Instead of going back to his original table facing the bar, he sat down at an empty table in the far corner of the cafe and faced the front door.
Just as he was getting settled, he looked up. That was when he saw her. He only knew her for an extremely short time but he could recognize her anywhere. She looked much different than she had the night before. She was wearing ripped jeans and an oversized hooded sweatshirt. Her long, golden hair was straight and covered most of her face. She was not wearing any makeup and yet Cooper had never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life.
"Amelia!" he yelled. This seemed to startle her. She looked up, searching for the person who called her name. Cooper waved at her. He hoped she would sit with him. Seeing her made him feel elated. Once she recognized who had called her name she waved at Cooper, walking over to him. "Hi." She said in a quiet voice.
"How are you?" Cooper asked. He couldn't help but smile.
"I'm okay." she said in that same quiet voice. Cooper could sense that something was not right.
"Is everything okay?" he asked in a very concerned tone of voice.
"Um, yeah." she said, her eyes shifting to the right. She bit her lip.
"Why don't you sit with me?"
"Yeah, sure. Let me just order my drink."
"Oh, here. Let me get it for you." Cooper offered, taking out his wallet.
"Thanks, but you don't have to do that."
"I want to."
"Please don't. I'll be right back. I promise."
"Okay." Cooper said, giving up. He watched her walk away, hoping she really would come back. He thought he should open his book and attempt to read a bit more before she returned. He just couldn't concentrate. He just wanted her sitting across the table from him. He opened the book and tried to start reading. His eyes were moving but he wasn't really seeing the words. His brain was on overdrive. Why was she alone on a Saturday night? What was bothering her? And why did she feel the need to lie about it? Not that it was any of his business. He barely knew the girl. And yet, he felt like he needed to know every little detail about her. He had to know.
The sound of a chair scraping the floor nearby broke him out of his trance. He looked up startled. Amelia was sitting in front of him, drinking whatever frappucino she had ordered. She couldn't have been in line for very long.
"Hey! No fair! I had time to sit here for a while, look for a book and my drink still wasn't ready when I got back." Cooper exclaimed.
"It's all about the timing." she replied, smiling at him.
"I guess so."
"So, what are you reading?"
"Oh, Catcher In The Rye. Have you read it?"
"No, I haven't." she said, shaking her head. She then started to stare at the table, sipping from the straw in her drink absentmindedly. Cooper got the feeling she wasn't actually seeing the table. Again, the feeling that something was bothering her hit him with full force. What could be wrong?
"Are you sure that you're okay?" he asked her.
"No." she said too easily. Her eyes widended at her truthful response. Her face flushed in chagrin.
"Do you want to talk about it? I'm a great listener." he coaxed.
"I don't know. I tend to just keep it all inside."
"That's not healthy you know. You should always talk about what's bothering you. Do you keep a journal?"
"No. I feel foolish writing in a journal. It's not like anyone will ever read it."
"Journals can be very therapeutic. Even that's better than bottling it up."
"In my experience, people don't want to hear it. They want to pretend the world is perfect and that you're fine. They act concerned, but in reality they're judging you. They don't care."
Cooper didn't know what to say. She was obviously hurting. The pain was deep. Amelia looked down again and sighed heavily.
"I know that I've only known you for about 24 hours and I know that this might sound weird. But, I care. I do." He hoped the sincerity in his voice was clear. All he wanted was the stop the pain the girl in front of him was feeling.