Just Maybe

Unexpected Kindness

Mila's POV

As I walked into the library I felt the warm air surround me and I breathed in the musky smell of old books. This is my favorite place in the city.

I strolled up to the librarians desk and smiled warmly at the old timer whom has become a staple of my experiences here at the library. Dorothy had been working here since before I've lived here. She was a white lady who kept her fiery locks in a loose bun at the top of her head. She wore black rimmed cat eye glasses and had a beauty mark right beside her nose on the left side.

"Hello Dorothy, how are you this chilly morning?" I asked with a smile.

"Well hello Mila dear, I'm doing just fine. What are you looking for today?" she asked in her thick southern Louisiana accent that I've come to associate with comfort.

"I'm looking for the same thing I always am Ma'am." I said softly so as to not come off rude.

Dorothy laughed, "Yes I suppose that sounds about right! Have fun my dear."

I smiled and began to walk to the back where my favorite section is located, the mystery section. I loved mystery books almost as much as I love teaching US History. My favorite author is James Patterson but I'm thinking about expanding my horizons to other genres.

As I was scanning the books in the romance section I just couldn't find anything that looked interesting.

I ended up just picking one of my favorite mystery books and calling it a day. I walked up to the front desk and Dorothy checked my book out and wished me a good rest of the day.

As I walked out I checked the time and realized that I had spent three hours in the library, shocked I ran to my car and jumped inside heading to the supermarket.

I needed to get groceries because my house seemed barren of food.

I was strolling the isles of the grocery store thinking about what I could make for dinner for the next week. Lasagna sounded good but I also wanted tacos, so I decided to get both and a few things for my lunches at school. I was heading to the self checkout when I ran into the people I thought I would never see again, my parents. I tried to run away but they saw me.

"Mila? Is that you?", My mom Agnes rasped in her voice that been altered by years of smoking.

"Hey mom", I cringed as I turned around to face them.

She tried to run up to me and hug me but I quickly brushed her off.

"M-Mila what's wrong?" She did not just ask that?!

"What's wrong? What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong! You kicked me out at seventeen because I wouldn't fuel your drug habits anymore! You never cared for me. You made me feel so worthless but not anymore. I'm over that part of my life. I hope I never see you again." I felt a little bad for yelling at her but what's done is done.

I turned to walk away, to get out of there as fast as I possibly could, when my dad ,Jerry, grabbed my arm and yanked me back and started screaming about respect in my face.

I had started to cry because his grip on my arm was so tight I couldn't feel my hand, when that guy I was on the street hit my dad in the face.

I knew it was the man from the street because he had the same hair, long and red. When he hit my dad I had kicked him at the same time so dad fell to the ground in pain.

My mom tried to help him up but he back handed her and she fell to the floor. 'I've had enough of this' was my only thought as I left my grocery basket right there in the middle of the isle and ran out of the door of the store and to my car, so to escape the embarrassment of that whole fiasco.

Sitting in my car with my head on the steering wheel I thought about how great my day, hell my life, has been and how it could just come tumbling down around me in as little as five minutes.

While I was drowning in self pity I heard a knock on my window and I immediately thought, "Great, just my luck, why couldn't they just leave me alone", I looked up fully prepared to yell in my dads face when I when I came eye to eye to that man in the supermarket who had helped me.

Now that I could get a good look at him I realize that he was quite the handsome fellow. He has shoulder length red hair that falls around his face in the most artful way. Hell, he looks like a piece of artwork himself. He's a little pale with some freckles, but not as many as me, he also has the deepest looking brown eyes and I feel if I stared at them too long I'd be lost.

He seemed tall but I wouldn't know how tall until I got out of my car. Which I now realize I should probably do because I look like a weirdo just staring at him. So I hurry and jump out of my car and quickly try to compose myself.

I look him up and down, he's wearing dark wash jeans and little distressed at the feet and a dark gray t-shirt. Simple but he pulls it off well with his lean stature. Oh and did I mention he's practically a foot taller than me and I'm about 5'7, so that's a bit scary. But he has a cute, charming face so I'm not as alarmed as I'd be if he looked mean.

I stop checking him out when he coughs letting me know he saw me watching him. I blush red and I'm sure I heard him laugh quietly.

"I apologize if I scared you Ma'am, I just noticed you left your groceries back there so I thought id get them for you." He spoke in the nicest voice I've ever heard. His voice is like a smooth whiskey, strong and flowing. But he has this soft protecting tone in his speech along with a slight New York accent.

"It's alright, I wasn't that scared", I laughed. Then I realized what he had said, he bought my groceries! I couldn't believe that he was so kind.

"Oh my gosh you should not have done that! I could have just come back!", I exclaimed.

"It's really not a big deal, Ma'am", he said chuckling.

I looked at him perplexed because no one has ever called me Ma'am, "I should pay you back the cost of the food."

I reach for my wallet and he grabs my hand and puts it to my side, "No need honey, I don't need it."

I looked at him in surprise but concede, "Alright, let me just put them in my car."

I take the bags and throw them in my trunk, and look back at him and thank him. He says its no problem again and heads to his car which is an old silver Ford pickup but it looked better than any other truck I had ever seen.

I jumped in my car to escape the cold when I remembered how he didn't even have a coat on, he must be crazy. I shook him out of my head and started on my way back home. I turned on the radio and Too Good At Goodbyes came on and I just couldn't help myself but to sing along.

I got home and walked up the stairs to my apartment, as I was putting my key in the lock my neighbor decided he wanted to pop out and say hello. His name is Alexander and he was very short, he had short brown hair and green eyes. He was also really pale, kind of like that man at the store, now come to think of it I never got his name.

"Hey Jeremy, what's up?" I asked politely

"Not much like always, just wanted to ask how your day has been." He smiled his adorable crooked smile that made me a little happier after todays events.

"My day has been great, but I've got to put these groceries away, okay bud?" I just lied straight through my teeth to the kindest person I've ever met.

He didn't look very convinced but said alright anyway. I nodded and walked into my apartment and took off my coat and shoes off and got busy putting the food away. I was walking to the living room when I got really tired suddenly, I guess it the events of today that has made me feel this tired. I yawned and walked down the hallway to my room and collapsed on the bed, to take a very much needed nap.

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Hey guys! I hope you guys like this chapter and again let me know what you think because I appreciate hearing your opinions. Thank you guys for reading and I'll write again soon! xxxx