The Bar

4 - Cathy

4

…

Cathy

Cathy stirred her second mug of coffee and placed it on the kitchen table. The previous night was long and extremely intense. She was irritated due lack of sleep plus her teacher had caught her attention that was drifting out of the classroom this afternoon. The heat wasn’t making it easier for her either.  She couldn’t even switch on the air conditioner otherwise the electricity bill would go up…

Cathy patiently waited for Mina to arrive so she could give her a hug.

The previous night, when Mina had decided that Cathy and she should talk instead of getting drunk, it got serious. Mina seemed to have an easy life, but it wasn’t so. She had parents that didn’t accept her for who she was. Her boyfriend used to beat her and used her for her money. She hoped that he would change one day, she was patient and when he didn’t alter his personality, she left him.

Mina was two years older than Cathy. She had moved out of her home when she graduated. Her grandmother had left her some good amount of money when she had died and Mina used that money to get their current apartment. She got a good job as a waitress in a hotel just a few blocks away from ‘The Bar’. She had met her ex – boyfriend at that same hotel she worked in. He was a customer and they had immediately fallen for each other. A few months later he moved into Mina’s apartment and since then he had been an asshole to her. After she left him, she got offered to be the manager and her job paid her well. She lived a satisfied life but the only thing was it got too lonely in the apartment and she needed a person to start over with.

Cathy could relate to Mina. Although she never had an asshole – kind of boyfriend she did have a horrible best friend and she knew what it felt like to wanting to start over.

One night was all it took for Mina and Cathy to become close friends. Cathy had an aura that made people very comfortable with her. She made friends easily but that didn’t mean they would last forever or be her close friend.

“Hey! Why aren’t you sleeping?” Mina surprised the jeebez out of her.

Cathy almost spilt her coffee over the floor. She really wondered how Mina could be so good at sneaking up over her.

“I was waiting to give you a hug” Cathy smiled warmly.

“Oh, why?”

“I wanted to hug you last night, but I was too confused but now I’m sure. I think I will give you a hug” Cathy put her coffee mug down and leaned in to give Mina a long, loving hug.

Mina was surprised but she hadn’t been hugged like that in a long time. She controlled the tears that welled near her eyes and soaked in the love she was getting.

Cathy had spoken about Helen to Mina. Mina sympathised but she didn’t know the right things to say to her yet, except that she would always be there for her.

The girls were bonding and it was miracle for both of them. After a minute, Cathy let go of her and walked into her bedroom to fall asleep.

Mina did the same and walked inside her own room.

Sleep came to her faster than she thought it would. Cathy slept like a baby till six in the morning. She still had an hour more to sleep but it was like her body was telling her to wake up and go for a jog. She took a quick, short shower and got into her track pants. Cathy didn’t have a body that would look good in a sports bra and tights. Even if it did, she felt conscious so whenever she wanted to exercise she wore her old track pants and a long t – shirt. She tied her hair high up into a pony -tail and quietly got out of the house and began to walk to the nearest park.

She had taken her phone with her, which usually was the best company whenever she had to do a task alone. Cathy never liked being alone or even doing any activity alone.

She found a beautiful little park where many people had come for their early morning walks. She found a quiet corner, next to a tree and started stretching. Breathing evenly, she touched her toes and then got up quickly, bending her back as far as she could, behind.  Then slowly gaining the confidence, she started to walk. She had forgotten her ear phones back at her apartment so to distract herself she started to play a game on her phone along with walking. That way she wouldn’t pay attention at the people looking at her and she could be in her own world.

Being so involved into her phone she missed banging into a tree and a couple of other joggers but she was doing okay. Later she got bored so she switched to Facebook on her phone. There was a friend request and she clicked on it with her finger, over the touch screen but the window wasn’t opening. Annoyed she kept on pressing over it but due to her slow internet speed it was taking ages for her to have a look who sent her a friend request.

She looked up and jumped to her right, missing clashing into a fast runner. Her phone vibrated and the friend request opened up.

“Max Bane?” Cathy was surprised. She looked up to make sense of the boy who had sent her a friend request when suddenly a heavy body clashed into her from behind.

Cathy came crashing down but she held onto her phone, which got saved from getting damaged but she definitely scraped her knees.

The man who had clashed into her had fallen down too.

“Lady! Watch it!” he shouted with his back to the floor.

Cathy got to her feet, trembling with pain and turned to look at the idiot who had probably broken a bone in her back.

She was about to scream her lungs out but his face made her shut up.

He got to his feet and rubbed his head that looked slightly bumped because of her. His blue eyes saw right through her and she cringed. He was slightly taller than she anticipated and his body was covered with dirt now.

“I’m sorry” she tried smiling.

“Never mind” he shook his head angrily and got back to jogging.

Cathy seemed disturbed. She immediately predicted that boys who look that good are always arrogant. She shouldn’t have been mesmerized. She should have shouted back but never the less, she couldn’t stay angry for a longer time. A boy, who every single girl in the class crushed on, just friend - requested her. It was shocking and sent chills down her spine.

Cathy looked around and suddenly felt her cheeks warm up. She no longer wanted to jog, instead she found herself already walking home. It was time for college and she didn’t want to waste any more time doing nothing. It was time to face a beautiful day.