One Touch

6: Starbucks Lovers

I didn’t know what to do. We were face to face, eye to eye, and neither of us moved as we absorbed the silence. I had contemplated for ten minutes, figuring out what to do. I swore I’d take action, but I drew back every time I decided to. The red eyes were clear and visible, and I started to think they were laser lights coming from a tower or the sky. But that was near to impossible, so I had to investigate on my own.

A couple days ago, I had brought mom into my bedroom and told her to wait and see the red eyes. However, when I showed her, she thought it was a prank. The last time I played a prank on someone was years ago, and that too was a fail. The point was, mom didn’t see the eyes and I was the only one who could. They must be my imagination, or I didn’t know what else to think. I needed to straighten this out, since it was getting on my nerves.

This night, I finally mustered the courage to step out my bedroom and meet the red-eyed creature in person. I didn’t know if it was a wise decision or not, but I wanted to know if I was dreaming or if it was real. My footsteps were slow as I tiptoed across the corridor. Dead silence filled the entire house as I weaved my way through obstacles and furniture. I wasn’t afraid of the dark on a regular day, but I was sweating now.

I stopped right in front of the main door, peeking out the stained glass to spy on the red-eyed figure before I went out. The glass dispersed my vision into a thousand pieces, so I had no choice but to open the door. Leaving the comfort of my house at this time was terrible and frightening. Go back, go back, go back….it might just be a mirage.

A breeze hit my face as I walked onto my porch and held onto the white pillar. To the side, in front of the garage, was the same frame of a body I’d seen from my bedroom window. It was a shadow, and the only visible part of the body were the eyes.

Again, they seemed to stare at me, and me only. I huffed, climbing down the porch and marching to the shadowed body. It didn’t flinch at all, having no fear of being approached. Instead, I was filled with dread as I retreated back into my house after one more step forward. That was such a fail, going out there in a gallant stride and backing out like a wuss.

As I went to bed with unsettling thoughts of the red eyes, I promised myself one day, I would uncover the mystery to them. Or at least, I’d take a picture of them. But one option was out of the way—I couldn’t embarrass myself showing others what I, possibly, imagined seeing.

* * *

Odelia was supposed to come for dad’s appointment the following morning, and I woke up to voices echoing from beneath my floor. By the time I freshened up with my morning routine, mom and Odelia were sitting in the living room couches sipping coffee. Mom had invited her earlier than planned to discuss some other things related to dad. I didn’t want to listen, but at the same time, I was curious to know what else he’d been telling Odelia and what other discoveries she’d made.

“Eve darling, please remove these cups from the table,” mom asked me when both the women finished their coffee. I took the mugs and placed them in the sink, washing them by hand as the house brightened with the sunrise.

An hour before noon, mom took Odelia upstairs so she and dad could have another conversation. Mom returned to the kitchen after a while with restless anticipation, and I tried to comfort her. I wished I could to more for her, but she was a busy woman and I…I wasn’t noticed much. Rick lived in his own deranged world, and it wasn’t long since I entered this world knowing I was part of a broken family.

The bell rang and I went to get the door as mom took out frozen perogies to make for lunch. Rick must’ve ordered another set of textbooks. This guy needed to get a job instead of using hundreds out of mom’s wallet.

There were no textbooks, but a far more surprising face. “Yes?” I said. Caspian stood at the doorway with a purple t-shirt on and hands inside the pockets of his denim jeans. “Atlanta’s not here.” I explicitly told him to leave the house yesterday—I didn’t expect him to show up.

Caspian rubbed the back of his neck. “I know. I came here to apologize.” Apologize? That didn't sound like him at all. “For yesterday.”

“Is Atlanta making you apologize?” I asked, my eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. “Because if that’s the case, I don’t really care. It makes zero difference.”

He paused for a moment and said, “She did.” Of course. “But I want—I have to make it up to you.” I was curious to know what he had planned to do for me, but I couldn’t let my guard down.

“Hm, leaving might be a good option,” I said to him. Ice formed across Caspian’s gaze and I let mine drop to the ground. “Well, what do you have in mind?” I asked in a murmur.

“I have to take you out,” he answered, and I went blank. “To some ice cream store or park, or whatever.” Oh. For a second I thought he meant a date. If it was against his will, then most definitely it wasn’t a date.

“Let me go change,” I said. He relaxed when I agreed and I darted to my bedroom. I didn’t know why I was excited about this, but I was to the point I spent a solid ten minutes deciding what to wear.

Wait. Why was I worrying about what to wear? That was the last thing I would ever do if I had a choice, so I shouldn’t be stressing this much. I pulled on a grey top and a pair of faded jeans, my usual style. I put my hair into a loose ponytail and walked past the living room carpet. I let mom know who it was at the door and that I was heading outside.

“Have fun,” she said through the sizzling pan on the stove. I halted, wanting to help her with lunch. But I joined Caspian outside and shut the door behind me.

“What took you so long?” he muttered as we moved to the sidewalk. “You surely weren’t deciding on what clothes to wear.” That there, was flat mockery and it irritated me since it was the exact opposite.

Instead, I threw my irritation into a garbage can. “Are we walking to this place you’re taking me to?” I queried.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. Seriously? I didn’t know how people like Caspian functioned, and getting to know them would be a pain. “I don’t want you in my car so we’ll walk.” My mouth hung open at the blunt statement. Caspian glanced at me and a grin played on his lips. He was being serious when we crossed several streets away from our houses.

“You know…” I started, “if you hate my presence that much, you can always lie to your sister that you took me out. I’ll grant it to you.” I’d rather have that than his obnoxious behaviour.

“Thanks for the offer, but I work on my own efforts and have incredible loyalty,” he refused. A part of what he said must be incorrect. I called it bluff.

We made it to the Trinity plaza and Caspian took us to Starbucks. As if a miracle, all heads turned to Caspian when he entered and took a seat at the far window to the right. I was aware of jealous looks pointed at me from the girls nearby as I sat across from Caspian.

“I feel like I need permission to be seen with you,” I mumbled, putting a hand to the side of my face. We should’ve chosen a better place with fewer people.

“Maybe you should’ve asked for permission,” Caspian said without any sympathy. The problem with him was I never knew if he was being sarcastic or serious. Either way, I wanted to buy a smoothie just to dump it on his head.

“So, is this going to be formal?” I said to him. “Finish your apology and we can leave. It’ll save trouble for both of us, right?” He wouldn’t want to be seen with me, either.

“But the rule is I have to stay one whole hour with you,” he said, folding his arms on the table and leaning in. “I have to buy you something to compensate for yesterday’s damage.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I assured him. He waited, staying resolute. “Fine. Caramel Frappuccino. Small.”

He stood up to get our drinks and I made a mental note to pay him back the price of my drink. Although he came to apologize, I didn’t want a reward without giving back. When he returned with our drinks, mine appeared to be a few sizes larger. I’d asked for a Small on purpose, yet he bought me a Large. What was the big idea?

“I said Small,” I told him, taking the cup. “Now I have to pay back for a Large.” Caspian told me I didn’t need to pay back. “Are you being nice to me?”

He sipped from his straw and brought his watch up. “I’m not poor.” What an awful answer.

“Listen, I know this is something you were told to do but,” I began. But he was still a jerk, and so was I.“I’m sorry, too.” He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “For calling you an asshole. Even if you are.”

A stretch of silence filled between us and I quietly slurped my drink. Caspian sat back. “It was a thriller, watching you blow up,” he said, amuse dancing in his eyes. “I thought you’d punch me in the face.”

I sighed. “I’m not typically that kind of girl. I get a little audacious when I’m angry.” I hated it, but it was a gene I got from dad. Thinking of dad, my eyes slipped past Caspian’s shoulder into a zoned-out memory. Dad wasn’t as senile, as everyone addressed him as, when I was younger. I saw him smile more often and have hair in a neat part to the side.

Caspian’s movement broke me out of my memory as he leaned forward. He was halfway over the table directly in front of me that it took me by surprise. His eyes fixed on mine, digging into mine and I dared not move.

“W-what?” I stammered as the amber and purple streaks brightened in his irises.

His brows furrowed, his lips turning into a pensive frown. He took my wrist, closing his fingers over the thin length below my hand. The contact sent a tingle of shock through my wrist and his hand tightened.

“Interesting,” he mumbled, staring at my wrist as I became nervous with his closeness. Caspian realized it and put my wrist down. “Listen, it’s really important for me to say this…” Oh, not again.

“I get it. You want me out of your life,” I finished, pressing back to the chair and away. “You want me to ‘stay away’. I understand.”

“You really don’t,” Caspian said. He didn’t sound angry, but genuinely serious that it bothered me. “It’s for your own good. We won’t benefit—” He stopped, and let out a sigh.

For the rest of the so-called hour he had to spend with me, we spent it in utter silence and frustration. I had thought for a second we’d be on good terms, but boy was I dead wrong.

When we walked back home, Atlanta was on my driveway with Odelia and mom conversing with each other. She was surprised when she saw us, but kept quiet as we met them on the driveway.

“I tried to stay and sort things out,” Odelia was telling mom, her voice vibrating with worry. “But he yelled and shut the door on me.”

“Oh no,” mom said, depressed. Was it dad? “What got him so angry? He’s never done that to a psychiatrist. He never lost his composure.”

Odelia adjusted her bag on her shoulder. “I’m going to work on this case, Cassie. This is a challenge, but I’m up for it.” She gave mom a weak smile. “I can imagine what you’re going through. Leave it to me.”

A minute after Odelia left, Caspian trailed behind her. Atlanta and I were the only ones standing on our driveway. It seemed like the conversation dad and Odelia had today wasn’t a pleasant one.

“What happened?” I inquired Atlanta. She said something along the lines of shouting and dad being upset. Neither of them knew what happened inside dad’s office, but the act of him kicking Odelia out of his room was true.

Atlanta poked my shoulder and I turned to her. “Hey, what were you and Caspian doing? Where did you go together?”

I shifted from side to side. “He came to apologize and make it up to me for yesterday. So we went to Starbucks and he bought me a drink.”

Atlanta had on a weird expression. “He did that?”

I looked at her, puzzled. “Yeah. Weren’t you the one who told him to?” She didn’t recall it. “He said you told him to apologize and take me out.”

A slow change appeared in her face as her eyes widened. She jumped in excitement, tugging on my arm. “Eve, I didn’t tell him anything.” What? She had to have. “This is a real mystery. This is awesome.”

“No, no it’s not ‘awesome,” I said in pure bewilderment. Atlanta rubbed her chin in thought and my brows furrowed. We couldn’t crack the case.

What did he have up his sleeve? Because I knew for sure as hell he would never show interest in me. It was something else he wanted from me. It had to be.