Parallel (Travelers Series Book 1)

Parallel (Chapter 4)

Chapter Four
The Storm Trooper

In the days that follow, the incident at Battle Grounds is long forgotten. Actually, it’s more like we don’t discuss it. Whatever thoughts about Cooper I have, I keep to myself. I’m still not going to confide in Jaime that I can’t stop thinking about him.

After another boring day at school, I decide to clear my head. Instead of going straight back to the dorms, I end up going for a walk. Jaime has her weekly counseling session with the in-house social worker, so I don’t have to answer any questions about where I’m going. All the girls at Dominion have to undergo weekly sessions—which is a complete waste of time if you ask me. All my counselor wants to do is focus on is why I have these aggressive tendencies. Right, like I’m going to tell her it’s all in my mind—literally.

The late afternoon breeze makes it much cooler than usual, so I throw on a light jacket before I head out. I’m not exactly sure where I’m headed, but I don’t want to get caught without something to keep myself warm during my walk. The administrators have somewhat flexible rules for those of us over sixteen. We are allowed to leave the confines of Dominion House, as long as we are back by 8PM curfew.

After walking around for several minutes, I realize I’m headed straight to Battle Grounds. I quickly check to see how much money I have on me—about three bucks. I don’t want to loiter inside without buying anything. At least it’s enough to get me a small regular coffee and refills are free.

I purchase my coffee—this time it’s a different barista, so I don’t have to wait as long, and I make my way back outside to sit at one of the unoccupied patio tables. Springtime around here can be temperamental at times, so I welcome the pleasant weather and choose to sit in solitude. Lost in the moment, I’m able to purge my thoughts about everything: Dominion House, upcoming graduation, Jaime, and even Cooper.

“Is this seat taken?”

Well, I was doing a good job, not thinking about Cooper. Hearing the southern drawl from the other night is enough to snap me back from wherever my mind had wandered.

“Oh, no, go ahead. What are you doing here?” I ignore the inner voices telling me this might be a bad idea and motion for him to sit in the empty chair beside me.

He shoots me a forty-watt smile and heaven help me, my knees begin to knock against each other. I say a silent prayer of thanks that he found me already seated. Now he won’t have to witness me fidget underneath the table.

“I was wondering if I’d ever get to talk to you again. I took a chance that this was one of your regular stomping grounds.” As he says this, Cooper scoots his seat closer to the table. “Actually, I’ve been looking for you for awhile now.”

Okay, perhaps it’s a bit premature on my part to dismiss him right away. He just owned up to looking for me and maybe now he’s willing to tell me why. Besides, Jaime’s overactive imagination negated any sound advice she might have about potential stalkers.

“Well, here I am.” He doesn’t have to know that the odds of us meeting up again were pretty low, since I can’t afford to come here as often as I’d like. It’s the same as displaying a big neon sign advertising my status as an orphan from Dominion. Today, I just want to forget who I am and enjoy a cup of coffee with a handsome stranger.

“I’m glad.” He shoots me another megawatt smile.

“So, do you live around here?” My instincts tell me that even if he answers yes, he’s being less than truthful. For some reason, he just doesn’t seem like he belongs around here. His accent gives him away for one, and two, there’s something about him that makes me feel like he’s from a different world all together. But if the voices in my head are correct, then what does he want with me? He doesn’t seem the type to hang around a coffee shop chatting up seventeen year olds.