'If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain, if you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain. If you like making love at midnight, in the-' Summer lazily reached over to her nightstand and hit the snooze button on her alarm, cutting off the song mid-sentence. Eyes squeezed shut, she stretched out slowly and yawned, feeling the pleasant burn of her muscles as they adjusted to movement once more.
"Urgh…" She moaned out loud, rubbing at her eyes as the light filtered through the window. The sheer curtains draping to the floor dimmed the light a notch, but it was still bright enough to make her squint.
She sat up, eyeing the bedspread for a certain kitten. "Max?" She called groggily, not spotting the fluffy ball of fur on the comforter. Sighing, she lifted the warm covers off of her and slipped on her panda slippers, making her way to the kitchen. The house was chilly and sent goosebumps up her legs.
She stepped around the stack of college textbooks on the floor beside her chair. After countless times ramming her toe into the corner of her visual media book stumbling around in the morning, she'd finally pushed them aside so her feet wouldn't hurt.
Summer looked around on all the surfaces that a small kitten might find comfortable; the creme-colored sofa was empty, the red plush chair beside it was too, the kitchen stools under the counter extension showed no signs of the cat, and even beside the heater held no trace. She blew a piece of her hair out of her face, trying to think of any other places the little creature could have gotten to.
There was a scratching sound from the laundry room, and Summer stalked closer. Poking her head around the corner, she saw the little black kitten had climbed on top of a laundry basket and was now pawing at the dryer in hopes of jumping on top. The distance looked a little too high for Max to vault, so Summer came up behind him and picked him up, placing him on top of the machine he was so interested in.
"Here ya go, now you're so high up." She cooed, kissing his head. Leaving the kitten to snoop around a little, she returned to the kitchen and searched for something to eat in the fridge. Her eyes swept the inside. Sooner than later she'd have to go shopping. Milk, eggs, cheese…not much else. She could make an omelet. Taking out the necessary ingredient, she grabbed a pan from under the cupboard and placed it on the stove.
Summer made quick work of the food, having a wonderful smelling breakfast in a matter of minutes. After grabbing a plate and fork, she dished it out and brought her food over to the table.
Her laptop sat on the counter, closed. Flipping it open, she typed in her password. The screen unlocked to the internet. It was still on the Craigslist page for her photography services. One click and the page refreshed. Much to her disappointment, the corner tab for messages showed '0.' Pouting, she took a large bite of her breakfast.
"Well damn." She muttered, picking at her omelet a little less enthusiastically than before. She hadn't had a job offer in the past week. Despite her numerous Facebook and Craigslist advertisements, no one seemed to be biting. It was the time of year when photography would be at it's peak, too. May was right around the corner, meaning graduation pictures, engagement photos, baby announcements, and the summer professional family picture session.
She clicked over to the Facebook page, and brightened up when she saw 1 new message on the tab. She clicked it, reading over the message.
Mrs. King,
My name is Natalie Holbrook, and I'm looking for a photographer to take pictures for my wedding. I did a little snooping around and saw your example photos online, and they look exactly like what I had in mind! The wedding is June 5th, and I hope that's enough time for you to prepare and whatnot. I've never done this type of thing before, so I'm afraid I don't know what to expect.
You can call me at my cell phone number below. Thank you!
"Yes!" Summer fist pumped the air, accidentally hitting her elbow on the edge of the counter with a loud thump in the process. The hit caused her funny bone to go numb and then all tingly.
"Ow…" Shaking out her injured arm, she pulled out her phone and dialed the number on the screen.
Summer pushed out of her apartment, shrugging her backpack on while hopping up and down in an attempt to put on her shoe. It took several tries, but the stupid thing finally slipped on. Brushing down her hair, she set down the hall and the stairs to the ground below.
"Oh, Hitomi! How are you?" Summer greeted, spotting the silver-haired beauty making her way up the stairs. She was trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her gray pencil skirt, all the while swatting away her adopted brother's hands tugging on her silky blouse. Soma kept calling her name in an effort to get her attention.
"Hello." She responded, immediately turning to Soma with a stern look. "Go get your books before we're even later than we already are." The twelve year old Soma took off down the hall, stepping into the apartment besides Summer's. Hitomi returned her attention to the blonde.
"It's lovely to see you, Summer. I wish I could stay and talk but I've got to call a client before noon, and take Soma to school, not to mention get the apartment cleaned and-"
Summer waved off her explanation. "No worries! If it'll help, I could drive Soma to school for you."
Hitomi shook her head, trying to pin her hair back into the neat bun that befitted a professional lawyer such as herself. "Oh, no. You've done so much for me already, you don't-"
"Hitomi, don't worry about it, ok? I'd love to. You're stressed enough as it is." The woman sighed in relief, a reluctant smile gracing her lips. She looked so pretty when she smiled, at least on the few occasions she did. In the time Summer had known her, she'd come to realize that the darker-skinned woman was as serious as they came.
"Thank you. It would help a lot actually. I'll go tell Soma. I'm sure he'll be excited." She stalked up the rest of the steps and followed the boy into the apartment.
Summer waited respectfully on the stairs, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. One glance at her watch confirmed that she still had plenty of time before her first class started. It was a good thing she had a habit of leaving for things earlier than what was necessary.
A moment later, Hitomi's apartment door flew open and Soma was racing down the steps. "Alright, let's go!" Hitomi emerged a second later, giving the blonde student a wave of appreciation.
"Thanks again!"
"No problem!" She called, descending the stairs in search of the hyperactive young boy.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Law hit the alarm to stop the infernal noise, sighing in relief when it returned to silence. He stared blankly at the clock. It took a few seconds to register that it was noon, though it was no different than any other morning. Rising, he went straight to the shower to get cleaned up.
The hot water helped to wake him up. It always took him awhile to fully shake the confines of sleep. He didn't get enough of it anyways. Damn insomnia.
Stepping out of the shower and into the foggy bathroom, he took the towel from off the rack and dried his body. The mirror was fogged up, and Law could only make out the relative outline of himself. The black marks tattooed over his torso were easily distinguishable from his lighter skin.
Throwing on a black tank top and jeans, and then a nicer leather jacket to compensate for the lack of a formal shirt, he headed towards the living room.
All the shutters were closed and minimal light escaped into the dark room. Flipping on the light, his two plush chairs and TV faced him. The Xbox light was still blinking. Damn. He'd forgotten to turn it off yesterday before leaving for work.
His steps took him to the small kitchen where his home phone sat on the counter next to the fridge. The red voicemail light was blinking. He pressed it, and the usual mechanical voice came to life.
"You have two new messages. First unheard message. Thursday, April 24th, 8:08 pm."
"Yo, Law? What's the deal? What happened to 'I'll call you back later,' man? Whatever, if you still want to see that movie with us, just go to the MegaScreen at 8:30." His friend Shachi's voice ended, and Law sighed with a shake of his head. He hadn't even thought about the movie, too preoccupied trying to get the last of his apartment cleaned before heading to work.
"Next unheard message. Thursday, April 24th, 10:41 pm."
"Congratulations! You have been selected to win an all inclusive cruise getaway to-Message Deleted. End of Messages." Stepping away from the phone, he grabbed his keys from the small bowl by the door. His shoes were still beside the couch where he'd kicked them off after work, and so he slipped them on again and headed out the door.
The afternoon air was warm, gently ruffling his hair as he stepped out. Law followed the path down towards the parking lot, examining the small grassy courtyard that sat in the middle of the six apartment buildings. A small playground for young children was placed in a square sandbox at the far edge of the space. Occupying the middle was a cement patio with a built-in grill, used mostly for the owner's annual apartment block party.
A volleyball court and a basketball court were situated on opposite corners of each other, with the rest remaining grass space for people to do whatever they felt like.
Law passed the courtyard and moved on to the parking lot. He scanned the parked cars for his covered motorcycle, spotting it parked besides the complex owner's red Ford Focus.
Throwing off the tarp, he revealed his yellow Honda Rebel cycle. It was dry, but still a little cold from the previous night's rain. Shaking the tarp free of water, he rolled it all up and stuffed it into the satchel on the back he'd made specifically for it. Clipping it shut, he snatched up his black helmet and climbed on.
Keys shoved in the ignition, kickstand pulled up, and engine roaring, he backed out of the spot and started off down the road.
The cemetery was quiet. Birds chirped in trees, their wings rustling the leaves gently, but other than the small background noises of the creatures it was otherwise silent. Law let down the kickstand and placed his helmet on the handlebars, stuffing his keys in his jacket pocket.
He approached the three graves, his solemn eyes inspecting every familiar etch of the headstones. He sat, not minding that the grass was still a little damp from the morning dew. The flowers he'd brought the last time were beginning to wilt, and so he removed them from the holder.
Law simply sat there, staring at the three headstones he'd come to hate so much. Lami, precious daughter and sister. Susan, beloved mother and wife. Jack, wonderful father and husband. Even if Law never saw them again, he'd still have their inscriptions written at the back of his brain. No matter how many times he'd tried washing the images clean before, they would remain with him.
"I haven't forgotten." Law spoke quietly. He ripped at the dying flower, pulling it apart petal by petal, then moving onto the stem once those had run out. "I won't ever forget."
The stones remained silent, the way they always were, as Law finished his mutilation of the plant. It lay in torn bits on Lami's plot. He always hated this part, the silent crying. No tears ever fell, but the emotion would well up and almost overflow. His eyes would itch, but that was all.
They did so now, thinking about the lost years and memories that had never been made, the birthday parties they never threw. Graduations never attended. He'd never been able to see Lami grow up to be the veterinarian she'd always wanted to become. The small things. Those were the hardest to mourn.
Letting out a deep sigh, he remained sitting for another ten minutes. The simple act of sitting with them made it all the more real. But at least he had something to hang onto, even if it was the depressing stone markers of their graves and nothing else.
Law stayed for another half hour or so, just sitting and staring. Once he'd decided that he'd payed his respects properly, he rose from the grass and headed back to his bike. Checking his watch, he noticed it was only two in the afternoon. A low grumble came from his stomach, and Law figured that he should probably get something to eat.
Placing the helmet back on his head, he started up the bike and sped towards the main road.
Monet, the usual day waitress for Caeser's Cafe, showed Law to his seat by the window, handing him the laminated menu with a flashy grin. Law noticed her usually brown hair was now a pale green. The woman must have seen him staring, because she gave a low chuckle and tossed her head of curls casually.
"You like? Seafoam green is so in season this year." Law ignored her and proceeded to take off his jacket, setting it beside him on the plastic blue seat. She sighed at his lack of an answer but continued on anyways.
"Will it be the usual?" She asked with half-lidded eyes. Law gave a silent nod and she took the menu back from him, her fingers lingering over his longer than was necessary. He simply continued to stare out the window at the street.
As soon as her lean figure walked off to the bar of the main counter, she breathed a silent sigh of relief. Her less-than-subtle passes were getting tiresome, and it seemed like each time he came in she was finding something else to compliment him on or took another step in changing herself. Last week it had been her eyes. The colored contacts gave her brown eyes instead of her natural green. Before that she had started using copious amounts of makeup in an effort to attract his interest.
Despite the unwelcome attentions of the now green-haired waitress, Law would continue to eat there several times a week. There were few places he could relax comfortably, and the cafe was one example. People didn't bother him, besides Monet, and he could keep to his thoughts in peace.
He grabbed his cell phone from his pocket, inputting the four-digit password to unlock the screen. During his visit to the cemetery, he'd felt it vibrate but hadn't bothered answering. There was a notification from messenger. A text from Penguin.
'You can only ignore us for so long Law. Your mystery date at the movie last night was pretty pissed you didn't show up! Don't blame us if we kinda took advantage of that.'
Accompanying the text was a media message. He tapped it to open the file. A shirtless Penguin, looking rather smug, being cuddled by an equally topless, sleeping woman stared him in the face. Her hand was laid across his chest. He blinked, shaking his head and tapping the textbook to reply back.
'Too bad she's married. Check her left hand, dumbass.'
After a few minutes, he got a reply back.
'Oh shit.'
Law grinned, typing back that maybe he should check to see who he's picking up on those dating sites of his. After sending the message, Monet returned with his order.
"One BLT and a vanilla shake, as always." Setting the shake and sandwich on the table, she leaned her arm against the back oh his booth seat. "Anything else I can get you, Law?" His name on her lips was drawn out in an almost catlike purr.
"No." Was his short answer. She chuckled, placing her hand on his shoulder and giving a light squeeze before moving off to handle someone else's order. He barely felt it.
Law picked at the food in thought, still staring out the window. Cars and taxi's drove by, the endless crowds of people walking the sidewalks in search of their destinations. Groups of several women toted around shopping bags from the department stores a street over. He wondered how many of their husbands or boyfriends actually knew the amount of money they were spending.
Caeser's Cafe was at the end of the street, and a much larger plot of land was situated directly in front of his line of sight. Cars lined the main street, with small parking passes hanging on the rearview mirrors.
The university was sprawled out over countless acres of gently rolling hills, the main campus being centered on the top of the tallest one. Parking lots and sidewalks were laced in between buildings, and students walked these with exhausted expressions. Over on the right most side, he could just make out the dormitories and their parking lots.
He glanced at his watch. It was 3:40. Which meant she…
Law lips twitched upwards, in a tiny smile, at the sight of the blonde photographer walking the sidewalk towards her last class. She was frowning, concentrating on a picture she'd taken on her camera. Notebook tucked under her arm, she quickly walked out of his line of sight.
Law sighed, finishing the rest of his sandwich in a matter of minutes. He told himself that he wasn't stalking her. He never talked to her outside of the bar. She never ate at the same places as him. He doubted she'd ever even been to the cafe before.
'You're just watching out for her.' He thought, sucking the rest of his shake through the straw and standing to leave. He approached the cashier, where Monet helped another customer pay for their food. It was only when she noticed him did she smile.
"Hope you enjoyed your food." She said, picking up his ticket and tapping the register keys. "That'll be 10:53. But I'm sure you knew that."
Before she'd even told him the amount, he was digging in his wallet for the correct amount of change. Giving it to her exactly, he disappeared out the door before she could give him a receipt or a goodbye.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
