1927: Redemption

Annoying

“You're perfectly annoying but that's okay because it's as much a reflection of me as anything else. Those days everything goes right I find you so cute, and those days the world bites me I want to bite you. So really, it's the pressure and stress that messes us up, you and me. Because when I see you properly I soon find that you are annoyingly perfect.”

2021-DECEMBER-FLORIDA

Annoyed, that was what Adeline felt by Ace’s early presence that too at her house. Annoying was in the eye of the beholder, for it said far more about the one being reactive instead of responding with calmness. That said, we all have limits, and when we react like a cornered beast feeling the attack, we need a time out, we need to relax.

She kept the string of profanities running through her head to a minimum as she finished gathering up all of the dirty dishes spread out on all of the tables, trying not to pay attention to Ace. He was still leaning up against the front corner, his head in his hands, looking as if he did not have a care in the world.

Yes, so you might all be thinking about how Adeline ended up at her workplace?

Well, our dear Ace escorted her to the coffee house because of her safety issues.

How caring?!

And, since then he had been sitting in one corner keeping an eye on her as she did her normal routine work, it wasn’t much easy but Talia’s absence made it a little easy as Adeline did not have to reason with her about Ace’s unwanted presence again.

Keeping that in mind that they have some history that Adeline was unaware of.

Adeline always thought that Ace did not have a card in the world. But spending more time with him, she had begun to realise that he had a lot more responsibilities placed on his shoulders than most teens their age. It was sort of sad to think about, in all honesty.

But, it was not like Adeline did not have any responsibility because she did have, just that she knew the reason for her being involved in this mess, but Ace’s involvement was still not clear.

Blowing out an exhausted sigh, making her way around the front counter to get into the back kitchen. She had barely made it over the threshold when Ace stepped out in front of her and yanked the bin full of dirty dishes out of her hands.

“What was that for?” Adeline squawked indignantly.

“That’s enough, we are leaving now.” He replied, marching into the kitchen as if he was acquainted with the place very well.

“Leaving? Why?”

Followed him into the kitchen while he dumped the bin into one of the large sinks by the fridge. He twisted on the faucet and sprayed water all over the dishes in the sink, but that was it. He dusted off his hands after turning the faucet off, and he had no-nonsense look about his face.

Wait, for starters, he definitely knew about this place very well. And, secondly, Adeline might be discovering something very important today.

“Where are we going?” Adeline asked him nervously.

Ace did not answer, instead of walking over to the coat rack in the far corner of the kitchen to grab HIS BLACK JACKET and yanked it on.

How the hell did his jacket gets in the kitchen?!

“Ace?” She repeated, a bit frantic.

“Jesus, Adeline Martinez, just put your freaking coat on.” That was the response she got.

Miss Martinez bit back a very rude remark and stomped her way across the kitchen to pull on her coat. He stood beside the back; oh he knew about this as well- was the thought that crossed Adeline’s mind.

His arms were crossed impatiently, while she rummaged around in her coat pockets for her hat. After finding the thugs and ramming them on her head, she turned to Ace with an annoying bright smile, her hands in her pockets.

“Here we go,” Adeline chirped, “Where are we going by the way?”

Ace rolled his black eyes and gestured over his shoulder with a thumb, to the back door. “Let’s just go, all right?

Adeline shrugged indifferently, it was not as if she knew what was going on anyways.

Stepping out of the coffee house in the back, and after Ace locked up, she followed after him as he walked down the cramped alleyway to the sidewalk.

The air wasn’t full of fumes, and there was a certain holiday scent hanging about that smelt a bit like cinnamon and peppermint.

Ace and Adeline walked side by side down the sidewalk in silence, dodging the clumps of people who were not watching where they were going.

The quietness reminded her of those quiet days when everyone left soon after eating, it was a chance to enjoy pottering about. With the music on and nothing but the trees for company, she slowly put her small world in order. She could honestly say that those days were her salve, a chance for the spinning top of ideas, that carousel of duties to slow and occasionally stop. It was as if she had truly been given the day, and she would bow to the way the world was, this insane notion that to relax one has to do nothing or be pampered... or do what she really loved like she loved to make everything look clean, to bake, to garden and write whatever ideas were drifting by that day. She thought of those days as if God had granted her a button to stop the world for a day so that she could breathe and have the serenity of wakeful rest.

Coming out of her thoughts, Adeline thought about asking him where they were going, but she figured she probably would just yell at her if she did.

Man, she really needed to work on her confidence if she had to survive in this cruel world.

It became evident where they were going when they meandered their way across the street and came up short of the entrance to a place she had not been to in quite a while.

“Central Park?” Adeline said half-excitedly, turning to Ace. “This is where we were going?”

Ace shrugged, “The more the people, the more chance to stay alive in your case. Also, the place helps me think.”

She tried not to stop right then and stare up at Ace with a duped look on his face, this had certainly been turning out an interesting day, no questions asked.

How many times had she beard Ace say anything about his likes or dislikes or anything about himself?

Like, zero times, that was how many, and besides this was the third time they were meeting and it felt like they have known each other for many years, well technically, yes, but not practically.

“Why are we here again not for the central park zoo if I might add,” Adeline said conversationally as they walked.

“Of course not Adeline Martinez, we are here for your answers.”

OKAY!

This would turn out more interesting and finally Adeline would get some answers.

What will Ace tell her?