Before We Say Goodbye

Chapter Fourteen: Caramel Coffee

Chaper Fourteen - Damon

I think I’ll go casual.

I grab a band t-shirt and a pair of faded old jeans that I haven’t worn for a while and pull them on, mussing up my hair and glancing in the mirror.

I think I look alright. Apart from the burns. If it wasn’t for them, I might actually look pretty fit!

But I can never look fit now, all because of one stupid little fire.

I look at the clock on my desk – ten to ten. I still have over an hour. Over two hours, even. But I’m really excited, for some reason. I don’t know what’s got me hung up over this girl. All I know is I like her a lot.

What the frick, man! I don’t want to like her!

But you do.

I scowl at the words my heart whispers to me. I don’t want to know.

I should be at school right now, but I managed to talk Mum into letting me stay off – thank God. I can’t deal with the staring and the snide comments. I thought a month off school would be enough time to get my head around things. I couldn’t be more wrong. One day of school, and I’m completely knackered.

Mum said I could have a week more to myself, and then I need to knuckle down and face school.

Speaking of, how come Sophie’s free today? Shouldn’t she be at school? I’ll ask her about it later.

I can’t sit still waiting for twelve o’clock to come by. The second hand on my clock seems to make it’s circuits agonisingly slowly, to the point where I feel like it’s going backwards.

But eventually, the hands are in the quarter to twelve position.

I leap up, grabbing my leather jacket and my wallet.

The walk from my house to the café we’re meeting at is twenty minutes long, but it’ll be fine for me to come five minutes late. Better than me turning up early and looking desperate.

It’s chilly outside, but it’s not too bad. I walk briskly down the street, just wanting to see her already. For some reason, when I’m not around her, I feel like there’s something missing. She carries a warmth, a sense of being alive and loving it. I never noticed how much life she had in her until she wasn’t around.

I don’t understand why I like her so much all of a sudden. Just the day before yesterday she was really annoying. But when she ran away I…I don’t know. That was when I realised I liked her.

And I’ve known her for like, five days, and I feel closer to her than I’ve ever felt with Kyle and Luke.

I just trusted her automatically. I told her what happened to me and she accepted me. I guess I just feel like I owe her something.

Now I want to get to know her.

I’m suddenly standing in front of a small, homely looking café. I can smell the home made cakes, and the caramel coffee, and the fresh bread. I grew up around this café. My auntie owns it, and before the accident my family used to come here all the time.

The caramel coffee is brilliant, here. It’s perfect – sweet, but not too sweet. You can taste the caramel but the texture is smooth. Ugh, words can’t even describe the taste.

Think of it this way. It’s like drinking a piece of Heaven.

I push open the door, letting the warmth of the café engulf me. I scan the tables for Sophie.

She sits in the corner, holding a mug of steaming liquid – it better be caramel coffee! With a small silver spoon, she stirs it absently, looking dreamily into the mug. Day dreaming.