Free Falling

Chapter 1

Eleanor

                    Benjamin's always been a pretty easygoing kid but today morning it's like I'm dealing with some spawn of the devil instead of my kid brother. It started with a temper tantrum because I stepped on one of his toys while I was waking him up and the fight just spilled over to breakfast.

                     "You promised p-p-pancakes Ellie! I don't wanna eat-eat-eat this stuff ag-g-gain." He half yells, half stammers, slamming his spoon on the table and spilling half the milk and cereal on the kitchen floor. He's right. I promised him we'd have pancakes this morning but I over slept after working late last night at the cafe and couldn't get anything besides cornflakes ready in time.

                  "I know you want pancakes but we don't always get what we want now do we." I immediately regret snapping and when I hear him slide off the chair and walk out of the kitchen, I know I've just made it worse. "Look buddy, I'm sorry alright-" but I can hear him slamming the bathroom door behind him and I know the conversation is over. He's not a spiteful kid and I know that within five minutes he'll be dressed and ready to go. He probably won't talk to me until later but right now I've too much to do to care.

                     I quickly pack his snack, making sure to throw in extra biscuits and an apple, clean up the kitchen and grab his school bag. By the time I'm done he's already standing by the door refusing to meet my eye.

                   The walk to school is silent as expected and when I try to kiss him goodbye he pushes off and gets lost in the sea of six year olds running around the playground.I sigh and start walking towards work.
....

                      My job at "The Hideout", small cafe in the middle of the city, is probably one of the few good things that happened to Ben and me since we left Westleton. It's owned by a redhead named Sarah and her Dad and it's pretty popular among the locals. We serve a range of drinks, pastries and confectioneries throughout the day, a few breakfast options in the morning and the usual sandwiches and salads at lunch.

                     Though we usually close at four Monday through Friday, Sarah recently decided to open for dinner Friday through Sunday. She wants to start hosting open mics and poetry nights in the loft space upstairs and though we don't really need the extra business, I don't think it's a bad idea.

                 Most of the other girls just waitress and work the cashier but when Sarah found out I could bake and new my way around pastries she offered me a job helping her with special orders and stuff. I usually just have to handle the more complicated cakes and pastries but I genuinely don't mind helping with the rest of the food since she is paying me extra.

                 I told her about Ben when I joined and she was really nice about it, even letting him hang around the cafe when I'm working late. She's a people person for sure and a great employer. I almost think we would've been friends if my life hadn't turned out the way it did.

                 I've just finished refilling the displays with a fresh batch of croissants when I hear an angry voice over the usual din. Like any other weekday the cafe is packed with the usual business men trying to get their morning fix and the noise is natural but it's rare that there's ever a cause for the kind of yelling I hear so I look over at the cashier and that's when I see him.

                He's dressed pretty much like the rest of them except for the fact that he's drop dead gorgeous and currently making our newest cashier's first day living hell. I watch carefully hoping that David will handle it but clearly the guy is close to tears. I sigh hoping the kid will grow a pair over time but for now I decide to step in.