Encountering Ember (Currently Editing)

Chapter 13.

cнαpтer 13

                After we finish with dinner, just as my mother is about to pour the left over tofu spaghetti into the trash can. Ember intercepts and requests to take the leftovers with her. “Of course, sweetheart,” My mother says handing the pan of spaghetti to my father who then puts it into a plastic tub.

                “Thank you.” Ember smiles taking the eco-friendly bag my dad had put the leftovers in out of his hand.

                My father and mother both seem fond of Ember. How could they not be? She’s quite wonderful.

                “It was wonderful having dinner with you both,” She states before wrapping her oversized coat over the multi-colored long sleeve blue dress she had warn today. I throw my coat on as well and she gives me an odd look.

                “I’m walking you home,” I confirm as my mother smiles beamingly at me. It’s her way of silently saying, “Way to be a gentleman, Son!” I roll my eyes before putting on my shoes and opening the door. Ember says her goodbyes to my parents and then we’re off.

                “Would you mind if we stopped somewhere real quick?” Ember asks.

                I sigh before agreeing. Somehow I knew the leftovers weren’t for her and when she led me to an alleyway behind one of the local skating rink diners I knew just who it was for.

                               ˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•٠·˙

                “Mr. Joe, this is Mathew. Mathew, this is Mr. Joe.” She says before giving me a stern look, warning me to not be rude. We greet one another uncomfortably and then Ember hands him the bag of tofu-spaghetti.

                “Thank you, Ember.”

                 “It’s not a problem, Mr. Joe. How’d your day go?” She asks sparking a conversation that I felt was unnecessary.

                “Same as always, no one’s willing to hire me.” Joe sighs and Ember pats him on the back.

                “They’re fools, all of them,” Joe smiles at Ember as he pops the lid off the plastic container and starts munching down on the food with the plastic fork Ember had just so happened to have in her pocket. “Luck will strike you so hard one day Mr. Joe. And you know why that is?” Ember asks smiling at him.

                The sound of a cats fighting near a trashcan rattles my attention so I start observing everything closely, it wasn’t exactly a place to be at this time. I don’t care if we are in a small town or not, in the movies, people always died in alleyways.

                “Because you’re a good person. Good people are always rewarded in the end.” Ember finishes.

                “You’re a good person too, Ember. You’ll be struck with a goldmine of luck if what you say is true,” Joe says with a light heart of truthfulness, but Ember’s eyes darken, and she moves away from him and towards me.

                “Maybe...” She mutters under her breath.

                 The ways she just said that doesn’t sit well with me. It’s like there’s a big missing piece to the puzzle known as Ember, and I can’t figure it out. “We should get going, see you around, Mr. Joe.” Ember says tugging on my arm. I look at her and her eyes look guarded, so heavily guarded.

                 Mr. Joe says goodbye to us as Ember pulls on my arm hard, her fingers gripping tightly. I feel like there’s a question I should be asking, I’m just not sure what it is.