The Girl Who Read At Starbucks

VII:

Durban North
Russell

I get to the door as fast as I can ignoring everyone's stare as I ran outside.

River.

She looked like she was in trouble. It looked she was crying. I had to find her. I have to go looking for her.

Where could she have disappeared to?

I walked down the stairs panic rising in my chest. Something tells me she's not okay wherever she is. She might be in danger or maybe someone is hurting her.

She's so fragile and young for this world. She's a spark of pastel pink and pastel dreams surrounding her mind and soul. She can put her head in the clouds and get lost in space.

I jog down the road looking out for her.

The sun is setting and the colours of yellow and oranges are splotches across the sky like a fully painted canvas.

It's so beautiful.

I wonder if she could see the beauty of the sky from where she is. I'd like to watch the sunset with her and stare at her brown chocolate eyes with a little of lime green as if I was in space orbiting the sun from Saturn rings.

As I continue jogging down the road away from Brodys flat I see a girl sat down breathing heavily and staring down at the gravel road.

As I neared I notice it's River.

From where I was I could see she was crying.

Oh no.

When I caught up with her I stood in front of her  for  a minute not knowing what to do.

She sensed someone was there and she looked up. When our eyes met it was like when the sun met the stars. Her eyes were  a light brown and a small spark of lime green. They were different but there was a distant to  them. She was even beautiful up close.

She looked away first and quickly wiped her tears. I kneeled down. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked her.

Her ginger braids were hiding me from seeing her face. She was sniffing refusing to look at me.

I notice that there was a scratch from her left knee and blood was pouring out in tiny gaps.

I took out a handkerchief that I luckily had on my pocket then covered her  knee.

When I was done that's when she looked at me. "Thank you." She said to me. Her voice as soft like lilac and roses. 

"It's a pleasure. What's your name?" I ask her. I knew what was her name. I just wanted to hear her say it.

"You want to know my name?" She gasped and a sigh came out of her voice. She had that deep tone and far accent to her voice.

She has real feminity.

I nod. " Yeah. We're strangers. We've never met before."

"And what makes you think I'll give you my name?" She snorted at me. 

A mini debate. I like this. It keeps the conversation going. It's too bad I ain't feeling offended like she wanted me to be.

"Well my name is Russell."

"Russell...." she whispered my name like it was honey and gold to her. It get perfect coming out of her plush pink lips.

"Oh well it's River." The way she said her name had an aesthetic and sincerity.

"Beautiful name." I told her. She turned a pink shade and quickly looked away.

"May I help you up?" I asked smiling at her.

She turned slowly then smiled and offered her hand to me.

Her hand is soft -there was a spark as if the moon had reached earth to cast a light over the horizon.

She stood but I noticed her knee was still sore so she was slightly crouched. 

"You can hold onto my shoulder as we walk back to your house." I tell her. 

Her eyes meet mine then she says  "Sure."

As we walk, her hands holding onto my shoulder I ask her what happened that she hurt her knee.

"It's a long story." She simply says but I didn't miss the panic that showed in her eyes.

I'll have too ask her another  time.
What's her story?

"I've seen you before." She says to change the subject.

"At Starbucks."

"Yes there. You work there?"

"Yeah. I work on Mondays to Thursdays."

"That's cool."

We were past many houses and a few blocks away from Brody's flat.

"I notice you like reading."

"Yeah. I connect with books just like you connect with coffee."

"You could say that. Hey-"

"You can go now I'll be fine here. Thanks for everything." She says dismissively.

"I'll-"

"It's late anyways. See you around." She says then hurries off with her limping foot.

I watch her leave and I'm still standing there stunned as she disappears around the corner.

What is her story?

Thank you got reading.  What is the sudden rush for River? 
😕