The Colorful Tragedies of You and I (editing)

Fifteen: The Curveball

Chapter Fifteen

Jack's POV

I walk and weave my way towards the book cafe that may hold answers about my brother.

I don't even know why I'm asking the suspicious barista rather than Finn. Finn, my twin brother, who I've spent my whole life with. Finn, whom I shared everything with. Finn, who saw me kissing a girl he fell in love with.

The guilt was swirling through my mind like a chaotic insomnia, not letting me rest and forget it for a while. And I keep telling myself to sleep, to be in peace, but something snaps, somethings fights against me, willing me to open my eyes, to let myself get tired.

I'm scared, to open my eyes, to find out answers. Sometimes not knowing is good, better than knowing facts that you wished you can put aside and forget completely.

I reach the book cafe, it's rustic theme drawing my eyes to the place. I discovered this place with Finn and Emmy. Dad and Mum took a stroll around the park and we tagged along. The two completely had shut us off then, trying to ignore the three of us, the offsprings of their love.

Forget I said that last statement.

Anyway, us three just played along and walked around, and we landed here, at this book cafe.

The red-haired girl's head snaps up as I open the door, the brass bells jingling, signalling another customer.

I almost don't catch the way her eyes widens when she sees me, there is a slight fear to them, and acknowledgement, too. I almost don't catch the way she immediately turns to her work, seemingly impressed by the boring fine print of the countertop. I almost don't notice the way her fingers slightly shake, her grip trying hard to hold the piece of rug she was using to wipe the counter.

I walk towards her, still having no idea what to say or do. With no plans whatsoever, the idea of going here was starting look like a dead end, and a humiliating one at the matter.

"Good morning! Welcome to Off The Shelf!," she greets me, a too-ecstatic grin plastered across her face. You could see the fear and uncertainty written all over her face.

"Thank you," I tell her, reaching the counter, off guard. I didn't know what to say, or even how or when to start. I look around, which is a pretty lame thing to do, but I'm nervous, I'm desperate. Clueless. I'm even beginning to think that going here is a mistake.

"What can I do for you, sir?," she asks me, and I breath a quiet sigh of relief. I look at her, at her doe-like eyes, open to anyone. She is an open book, you can tell she's uncomfortable by the way she avoids my eyes, the way she grips the counter too tightly.

"Yeah," I start. "Yeah, when do you get off your shift? I need to talk to you about something. Something very important."

She bites her lip, and looks around. Anything, everything, except me. "Look I don't-

"Please," I interrupt. "Finn's my brother. This is very important to me," I beg, my eyes trying to catch her wandering ones. But I don't, I can't. Her reluctant eyes to already encaptured by fear, scared to try to fit the puzzle pieces.

I hated that. Not of being scared, of being terrified out of your mind that your bones will shake. No. There was nothing wrong with that. It's human nature. I hated not even trying, too encaptured by the fear of failing. The power to change is within everyone. The biggest hindrance that just hides that power to change is ourselves.

Breathing calmly, I try to understand. To put myself in her shoes. I'm a total stranger to her, there's no reason why she shouldn't be scared. She was caught in between the horrendous lines of this twisted story.