Chapter Five
Harshal
“I wish I had been there, the men look hot.” Brunelle says as I watch Wraith and his friend group beat up some guys.
The videos of them fighting is literally everywhere on campus and I was sitting in the kitchen, eating a sandwich when Brunelle came to me with her phone to show me the video.
I’m still in the kitchen, with an empty plate in front of me as I stare at the phone playing the video on an infinite loop.
I was wondering why Wraith had a beat-up face today in class but I didn’t dare ask him or ask around to find out why, now I know why.
I can’t seem to get this man out of my head and at the moment it seems quite literally impossible.
I shake my head before handing Brunelle her phone.
“I also love a man who knows how to fight.” Brunelle sighs.
“Girl get your head out of the clouds and into those college textbooks of yours.” I said as I put my plate in the sink.
“Uh, my head has been in the textbooks, which is why I’m finished with my homework, I may seem like a slut but I know my education comes before any dick even if it’s a magical dick.” Brunelle said. “Because one thing is certain a dick can be taken away, but my college degree can’t, thank you.”
Now I envy her, I have homework that’s due in two days and I really don’t feel like doing it. I wish I was done with it like her.
“Well, I’m going to go to the coffee shop that’s around the block to do my own homework.” I said, heading to my bedroom.
“Oh, I guess I’ll be here, watching TV.” She says, walking into the living room.
“You do that.” I smile.
After grabbing my bookbag and everything I need for homework I exit the apartment and head to the coffee shop.
I’ve heard about summers in Arizona and the heatwaves the state gets, and I didn’t think anything of it until now.
It’s so hot outside I don’t even feel like doing homework anymore, instead I want to dive in a ten-foot pool and never come up for air until the sun goes down.
I’m at a crosswalk waiting for the light to change when I pull my phone and headphones out to put on some focus music so I can put all my attention on doing my work.
When I look up the light changes and I walk across the street, into the coffee shop.
I’m grateful that the shop doesn’t just sell coffee so when I walk up to the counter I order a nice tall glass of Strawberry Lemonade, basic, I know but I’m not in the mood for anything else.
When I receive my drink I find a table in the corner by a window and begin my homework.
I sit there and finish my Mathematics and English and I’m about to do my Biology homework.
I pull up the assignment on my computer and read the directions.
Everything is going great until I read further and realize I need the textbook.
Shit! I need to get that textbook. I look out the window to see the sun setting and I twist my lips as I begin to think.
All thinking comes to a halt when I see someone dressed in all grey sitting in a corner across from me.
At first I think it’s Wraith but with the hood on his sleeveless grey shirt over his head I can’t tell if it’s him or not and I don’t want to jump to conclusions, also his head is down, looking at something on his phone.
Along with that there’s paper sprawled around him like he’s doing homework as well.
I do know that he rides a motorcycle so I look outside to see if I see his bike parked outside but curse to myself when I remember that I saw the parking lot in the back of the shop.
I do know I’ve been here for quite some time, maybe about an hour or so, so I’m not sure how long he’s been sitting there.
I then curse at myself because my first thought was him.
I need to get him out of my head because I feel like he’s nothing but trouble, especially after what I saw at the party the other day and his threat to me.
Giving up on trying to figure out if the guy is Wraith or not I look up the school’s bookstore hours.
It closes in about an hour, so I think I have time to go get the textbook I need.
Packing up I exit the coffee shop. Since curiosity gets the best of me I walk around to the parking lot.
Examining it I don’t see Wraiths bike so I shrug it off and continue my journey on to the bookstore.
I’m about halfway to the bookstore when I take a sip of my lemonade only to discover I’m finished with it.
I groan internally and throw it in the trash when I approach one.
My mouth has never been so dry as I finish my walk to the bookstore.
When I enter I take the headphones out of my ears and put them away.
I’m then greeted by the student working the store before heading to the biology section.
The store is quite big if you ask me, almost like a mini library.
I scan the shelves as I look for my book when someone squats down in front of the shelf a few feet away from me.
My eyes widen and my heart drops as I spot him.
Him, as in the same guy I saw at the coffee shop and now I can’t help but wonder if it’s Wraith or not.
I notice he has a full sleeve of different sticker tattoos on both of his arms since they’re exposed and they’re something I didn’t notice in the coffee shop.
I don’t remember if Wraith has tattoos on his arms or not and I have no reason to believe it could be him except for the fact that he threatened me and he’s just watching me because he doesn’t trust I’d keep my mouth shut.
I do my best to shake these thoughts away and continue to look for my textbook.
As I scan my eyes advert back to the guy, occasionally watching him.
“Do you need help finding anything?” someone says.
I jump and turn to my right to see the employee standing at the end of the aisle. I smile and look back at the shelf and immediately find the textbook.
“Uh, no, I just found what I’m looking for, thanks though.” I smile.
The employee smiles and nods before walking away. I turn to see if the guy is still there but he isn’t. I look around the bookshop to see where he went but he’s nowhere in sight. Did he even buy anything? Letting the matter go I head to the counter and pay for my book before heading out.
When I step outside a warm gush of wind blows against my face and through my locs.
The sun is almost set and it’s quite dark, I would bet it’d be dark in the next five or so minutes, which means I need to get home.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I begin to walk.
I startle when I open my eyes. Wraith stands across the street casually leaning on his bike.
He wears grey pants and a black leather jacket as he scrolls through his phone, with a bag in his hand.
I stare at him for a moment to see if the bag in his hand matches the bookstores bag, but I can’t make out anything that detailed in such dull lighting.
When he looks up and sees me my heart lurches and I turn to walk the other way.
I’d be sure it was him in the coffee shop and in the bookstore if he didn’t have that leather jacket on.
I don’t understand why he has a leather jacket on in this heat anyway.
Pulling my headphones back out I plug them in my ear and begin to walk all the way home.
I’m on edge the entire walk, looking behind me to see if anyone is following me but everything looks normal.
By the time I get to the apartment I am grateful.
Brunelle is fast asleep on the couch when I enter.
The TV is on, playing one of her favorite reality TV shows.
I grab the remote and turn it off. Walking into my bedroom I sit my bag and stuff down before heading into the kitchen to cook myself some dinner.
I decide on tacos and as soon as I put the meat in the pan Brunelle wakes up, sniffing the air.
“Are you making tacos?” she asks, looking directly at me.
I smirk.
“Yes.” I respond.
“Are you making enough for the both of us?” she follows up.
I look at the meat in the pan. The amount in it is just for one person and it’s that way because I didn’t plan on her waking up and wanting any.
“Are you trying to ask me to make you some tacos too?” I ask.
She smiles politely.
“Please.” She says. “And thank you.”
I sigh in a dramatically playful way before going to retrieve more meat to season and place in the pan.
“So,” Brunelle begins, getting off the couch and walking to the kitchen. “How was your evening studying?”
“Uh, it was good, I needed to go get a textbook for my biology class, I went to get that and came back here.” I state. “Though it is really hot here in Arizona.”
“Tell me about it.” Brunelle said.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to mention the guy in the grey and my discovery of Wraith across the street but I refrain and focus all my attention on the meat I’m cooking.
“Did you see any cute guys there?”
I shrug. “I don’t know I was too focused on my homework to pay any attention to some college boys.”
“Fair enough.” Brunelle says.
I then hear a bike engine roar outside and I freeze, Brunelle notices.
“Uh, are you alright?” she asks.
I don’t answer her as my mind goes back to Wraith standing across the street of the bookstore.
My heart is pounding in my chest as it makes its way up my throat.
Brunelle snaps her fingers in my face and I feel my hands go lower as my vision begins to blur.
I don’t know why Wraith causes me to react this way and I think it’s because I’m afraid he might kill me soon and I’m not sure I want to die right now.
A scorching pain surges from my hand and up my entire arm.
“Fuck!” I shout yanking my hand from the pan.
I rush to the sink and run my hand under cold water. I can’t believe I just burned my hand.
“Are you okay?” Brunelle asks cautiously.
“Yes, I’m fine, I’m fine.” I respond.
I turn the water off and go over to the living room window.
Peeking out onto the street I see a white motorcycle with flame designs on them and a guy getting off it.
He takes his helmet off and I find he has blonde hair and a little girl around the age of four runs up to him.
I hear their joyous laughter and the guy say,
“Hey Princess Squirt!”
He picks her up and goes to kiss a woman before they head inside their apartment building. I take a breath of relief and jump when I hear Brunelle’s voice.
“Why don’t I finish the tacos while you go take care of that burn and lay down, I think you might’ve studied too hard.” She says.
“My hand is fine.” I said as I turn to face her.
She gives me a pointed look with her hands on her hips as if she’s my mother.
“Okay fine, I’ll go put some ointment on my hand and lay down until the food is ready.” I sigh in defeat. “... Mama.”
She throws one of the kitchen towels at me as I make my way to the bathroom, both of us laughing.
***