I shiver in the cold.
I feel him grab my arm and pull me in, normally I would protest but I can’t help but stare at the concerned look on his face. I take my jacket off and sit down; Alex and I stare at each other, not a word uttered.
Alex seems to feel my awkwardness, “Err…What are you doing here?” he says with a smile on his face.
I mutter that I need to call my Auntie.
“Don’t you have a mobile phone?” his expression looks bewildered.
“Oh no, it’s not safe,” I say.
“Actually it’s proven that phones don’t harm humans in any way,”
I stare at him, confused. What is he talking about? I think about my Auntie and hope that she’s safe…if I didn’t get back soon…they would get her…without my protection…
Alex stares at me, waiting for my response.
I realize what he’s talking about, “No, no, I’m not talking about physical injuries, I just mean…”
I think back to when it happened, “They would find us if I…”
Alex stares at me. I realize what I had just said.
He quickly hands me the phone, he looks like he’s thinking.
He leaves the room, which I’m grateful for. My Aunt’s best friend answers the phone.
“Hello?” there’s an urgency in her voice.
“Yes, Hello. What are you doing here, Rosemary?”
Her voice suddenly changes into a hush whisper, “Listen,”
“Where were you? Your aunty was so worried, she called me over but we couldn’t find you and then she took her coat and…” she stops.
“She took her coat and she left Han, she left. She said that she had to find you because otherwise they would find you and it looks like…”
“It looks like WHAT?” I scream, not caring that Alex is in the room next door.
“Something happened Hannah, to your gran…I think they might have found her…”
My heart stops beating.
But quickly starts again, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” I shout
“Honey, you’ve got to listen…”
“I CAN’T LISTEN! DID YOU JUST HEAR YOURSELF, THEY’VE GOT HER”
“She’s going to be fine,”
“HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?”
“Listen, you have to listen. I can’t pick you up Hon,”
“What? I can’t just stay here!”
The phone beeps.
Rosemary hung up.
My Aunt could be dead.
I have to stay at Alex’s.
***
I walk out the room in a hurry.
Alex obviously heard everything from the look of his face.
I ignore it and pretend that nothing happened, “Look, My Auntie can’t pick me up and…is it alright if I stay for dinner?”
“Okay” he says with a grin on his face.
At the table Alex tries to make conversation.
“How’s Kimberly?”
“Well it’s alright, better than my old school, though that wouldn’t be that hard…” I trail off.
He starts to ask more personal questions but all I can think of is my aunt. Is she alright? What was I going to do? How could I save her? These questions ran through my head as Alex rambled on.
“Where did you come from?”
My heart drops. I can’t answer that.
“Umm…You know, just…around,”
He seems frustrated at my answer. Why would he care? He has Regina
“As in, from this country?” he persists.
“Yeah, like the opposite end,” I say.
“Like California
He keeps on asking, his curiosity annoys me, I want to leave. Alex cannot get to know me.
“Uhuh,” I say and tell myself that if he asks anything more than I’ll leave.
We’re silent for a moment and I think that he’s stopped.
“So why did you move?”
That’s it. I don’t want to be rude but Alex…nobody can know what I really am.
“Oh look the rains stopped,” I jabber and quickly pick up my things and run. Alex doesn’t run after me, I’m glad. But also a little disappointed. I run to the only place I can think of that makes me feel like I’m home when I’m not.
***
‘C.C’s Café’ the sign reads.
I remember my dad taking me there. I was laughing on his lap, mum laughing as well, her shiny blond hair wiping around. No.
I will not talk about my dad anymore. My dad is nothing, I will not even recall the good times. What he has done…no.
I walk in and sit down, “One Large Strawberry milkshake thanks,” I order.
“Coming right up,”
“Dada!”
“That’s right my little strawberry popsicle! We’re in the D.C!”
“Oh darling, stop disrupting her and let her finish her milkshake,” I shush my mum with my stubby finger.
“I no want D.C, want Calforn!” My mum ties back her long hair up and scoops a bit of milkshake froth for me to eat.
“Hush now dear, just eat…”
“Here’s your milkshake,” the fat old lady bangs it down in-front of me.
“Umm…Thank you,”
I take the straw out and lick the edges, but catch someone staring at me in the corner of my eye…
I stop and look. It’s Alex.
Why is he always around?
I’m about to grab my coat and leave when I spot what he’s having.
Strawberry milkshake.
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