Opening my eyes my blurry vision focused on to the white ceiling, a dull plain looking colored room with plain looking colored bed sheets and covers. I knew where I was and I realized that I was in a motel in a room that I had rented for at least the night until I’d find another motel to sleep in. I didn’t move just yet, I arched my back and stretched my body as I tried to ease my muscles; curling my toes and letting out a soft lingering yawn. I knew I had to probably get up and get dressed and go continue my journey, because honestly I could sleep forever if I had the chance, I don’t even have to sleep either, I can just lay here and stare at this ceiling hoping that if I stare long enough I will somehow vanish into dust and disappear. Sadly that is too good to be true, and in all honestly everyone knows that would be quite impossible. Although it takes me a while to get out of bed, as I finally shifted myself towards the edge of the bed I grabbed my clothes which were laying on the floor, I didn’t bother with them just yet because I wanted to take a shower first.

I don’t enjoy showering in motels, not even hotels too. It feels a little strange because I always feel like I’m taking a shower in someone else’s bathroom and I don’t feel all too comfortable about it. Once I finished showering I grabbed my black skinny jeans from the floor and put them on, grabbing my black shirt which had a ribcage kind of drawing on it, which I thought the shirt was pretty neat too. Realizing that most of my clothes were dark and black or either grey, bright colours never suit me and I hate wearing such bright bubbly colors, not to mention how much I hate wearing skirts and dresses because I don’t feel comfortable wearing them. Putting the shirt on I grabbed my sweatshirt and put my thumb through the whole it had on the sleeve, after zipping it up half way I grabbed my purse and hung it on my shoulder and left the room, locking it and going back downstairs towards the front, giving the room key back and paying for the night that I spend.

While putting my wallet away as I paid for the fee I looked at the old man who was working their, I kind of shrugged my shoulders and hesitated because I was slightly nervous to ask him a question. I wanted to know where the town is, or rather, where could I find the spotlight of this place and a more urban area.
But I wasn’t sure whether it was the adrenaline or my anxiety that was making me like this, because I simply blurted out the question. The man looked at me like I was lost or something, which I was, but he was nice enough to tell me which bus I need to take me to more of a urban area.

I thanked him and left.

*~*

While I was on the bus I leaned my head against the window and watched the cars passing by, thankfully since it was at least noon everyone was either at work or doing other errands because it was a week day, which meant that the bus was kind of empty despite how many people there are. Although I wasn’t sure where I was right now, I just wanted to get to more of a urban area, but I know for a fact that this town wasn’t all that big because I could have sworn be drove by the same places at least twice.

I kept thinking about what happened yesterday, because yesterday doesn’t feel even like it happened at all, that it was just a terrible dream. I guess it’s the alcohol that I consumed yesterday night, but honestly I was thinking about the stranger who was so nice to me, he even listened to my bullshit story and my life problems. I know for a fact that if I was sober I wouldn’t have been to open with him, I would have pushed him away or I could have been silent. I didn’t know his name either but I kept in mind that it was probably for the best, because there is no chance for me to meet him again because I might be coming back home in a few days too. It’ll take a while for me to break, because if I get tired of this place or if neither of my plans work out I’ll have to call my parents, apologize and then come back home.

I kind of cringed at that thought, I know that if I come back I will probably get my head cut off, but then again I’m not a little kid anymore. I’m going to turn 21 soon and I don’t think my parents should keep me in prison. They wanted me to live my life, where here I am.

After a while I shook the negative thoughts out of my head, but there was one thing that I couldn’t get out of my head and it has been bothering me a while now.
The stranger that I met yesterday, his face and his facial features, his pointy pixie nose and his messy dark brown or black hair. His face was stuck in my mind and I couldn’t get rid of it, I guess it’s because I didn’t know his name, and now I’ll probably spend a life time trying to figure out who he was and what his name is. But thinking about it now he didn’t look all too muscular either, he had sad eyes from what my fuzzy mind can remember, but his eyes also looked deep in thought. I wonder what kind of person he was.

Soon after I looked around and noticed that we had stopped at a more urban area part of the town, quickly as I stood up I walked out of the bus and looked around my surroundings. It was a little cold because the wind kept blowing on my face and I realized that I probably could find a coffee shop and spend my time their. Honestly that was a perfect idea.

I walked along the sidewalk and kept gazing at the stores and shops I was passing, it didn’t look all too different from where I lived, which is good. Suddenly a Help Wanted sign had been caught by my own eyes and I instantly looked up to see the sign of the name of this shop and building. It didn’t seem to be big, but it wasn’t small either, before I could even look at the name of this shop or whatever it was I walked right in and looked around.

It was very quiet, I saw books everywhere, I saw comics and I saw a coffee stand and a persons standing behind the counter. To me this looked like a coffee shop and a library too, I saw couched and bean bags and tables everywhere and people held their cup of coffee and a book in their hand. I honestly felt like I was in paradise. First of all, I love books and comics, because reading was something I took a lot of interest in. Secondly I love coffee, it’s the nectar of gods and I swear coffee is my life blood, along with tea. There weren’t any windows since the shops and buildings were right next to each other, but the only wide window was where the door was while you get in the building, even though it was still bright enough to see here too.
The place didn’t seem to be all too modern and high tech, it seemed simple and comfy too, I liked it right away and I swear if I could I’d live here. What’s more better than drinking a cup of coffee while you read?

As I walked towards the counter I noticed the women seemed to be somewhere around her late 30s, she gave me a soft sweet smile and I smiled back at her.

“What can I get you?” She asked me softly.

“Just coffee plain coffee.” I answered her back.

Looking to my right I noticed the counter where all of the sugar and the coffee supplies were, I liked my coffee with cream and sugar and nothing else. But I also noticed and felt the feeling of this place, despite the fact that making coffee was a little bit of a loud process everyone seemed to be lost in their own world, everyone was either talking softly to , reading, or just drinking coffee and thinking.

After I paid for my coffee I grabbed my cup and walked over to the counter, poured some cream and sugar into it and stirred it. Finding an empty spot by the window I saw in the small booth and placed my coffee on the table, then putting my purse right next to me. I didn’t grab a book simply because I wanted to write in my notebook and see how many days I had missed out, and to see how many messages I had on my phone too.

While opening my purse I grabbed my purse to see that I didn’t have any messages or missing calls, it kind of surprised me. Surely this phone didn’t have a navigation system in it and my parents could find me easily. That would be quite the scary thing, at least for me.

As I shoved my phone back in my purse I grabbed my notebook and my pen, opened to a new page and started to write without marking the date. I thought that it didn’t matter, the only thing that mattered to me is whether what time it is and if it’s either a weekday or a weekend.
Hitting my pen against the paper I wrote;

~Maybe this was a bad idea.~

That’s all I wrote, because honestly I had a feeling of regret and guilt washing over me and I knew I had to stop feeling like this, either I could let it pass or move on; the only reason I was feeling like this was because of the conversation I had with the mysterious stranger, maybe I should give him a name.
Suddenly an idea popping into my head, then I started to write once again on the same page of my notebook.

I have at least a week to find this stranger that I met yesterday, if I find him then this means that I should stay here in New Jersey, if I don’t then I will leave and realize once again that this was a bad idea.

It was a horrible idea but it sounded right to me, because if I do in fact spot the stranger that I met yesterday that this means that I am on the right track in my life, but if I don’t I’ll have to go back, as much as it pains me.

*~*

I wasn’t exactly sure how many hours had passed, but I knew it was late at night and I spend all of my time in the same coffee/library shop for hours without moving, I realized that less and less people were in here and it was very quiet and empty now. It was probably close to closing time, and I knew I also probably had to go, even though I didn’t want to. I noticed that the same women was cleaning up and washing the counter and putting things away, she probably wanted to close the shop but she couldn’t because I was still here.

“Excuse me, could you tell me if there’s a motel somewhere around here?” I asked her quietly, knowing that I didn’t have to shout because she was only a few feet away from me and no one else was here besides us.

She glanced at me and captured her gaze with mine, glancing at me a little curiously with a confused look. Although her facial expression softened as she walked out and walked towards the booth I was sitting in.

“I’m not from around here and I kind of need a place to stay, either a motel or a hotel depending how expensive it is. I’m guessing you lived here quite a while so I thought…” As I spoke once again my voice slightly faded as I looked at her, kind of giving her an innocent look as I gave her a hint that I wasn’t from here, although I understood by her look that she was a sweet person. She sat across from me and looked at me, a little concerned but at the same time she was sweet.

“You’re not from around here? I kind of guessed because no one has ever spent such a long time in the same spot for a while.” She smiled at me.

I smiled back at her and chuckled lightly. “Yeah, this is my second day here and I don’t know this place all too well.”

“I see, but, couldn’t you just call your parents or something? A family member? They could pick you up.”

I shrugged my shoulders and lowered my gaze for a moment before I looked at her once again, but seeing that she was a nice women I knew that I shouldn’t be hiding anything from her, maybe she would help me in some day.

“I don’t think for me it would be such a good idea because I ran away.” I shrugged.

“Oh dear, why is that?” She asked me, more concerned now for me then she ever was just by looking into her eyes.

“Well, long story short I kind of had to, not because I’m rebellious or anything, but for a given reason and a pretty good reason. I kind of want to start my life on my own and from a new chapter, maybe find a job here and live in motels-- well honestly I don’t know where to start. I kind of saw the help wanted sign too and I thought that maybe I could work here.” I kept my answer and story simple, I knew I wasn’t going to spend an entire hour explaining everything to her. She looked at me with concern and sympathy, I knew she listened to me, which honestly made me feel kind of better.

“You look like a very nice girl, and if you want I will give you the job. The job is quite simple as you saw, but I also need someone to help me rearrange the books and put them back in correct places because there is only one of me. I like coffee shops and I like to visit a library sometimes with a cup of coffee, but as you know most libraries don’t allow that so when I bought this place with my own money I thought it’ll be nice to have a coffee shop and a library in it too. After I rented and bought this place for my own use it came along with an abandonment apartment. It’s small and dirty but if you take the time to clean it up it’ll look nice because it’s already furnished. If you want I can also give you that apartment for free, you wouldn’t have to pay each month for the little things like the lights or the electric bill and all that. The only way you’ll pay it for me is if you work here and do your job the way you should, but that’s your choice whether you want to take the offer or not.”

I listened to the women closely and kind of widened my eyes with a sudden surprise, she was being quite generous and I wondered whether I should take the offer, although I kind of shrugged my shoulders and gave a thought about it; until suddenly I heard the door open and I heard the soft bell ringing as the door hit against the bell, furrowing my brows I wondered who it is because I was facing the wall. Capturing the women’s gaze I saw the smile on her face as she greeted whoever just walked in.

“Gerard!”

I furrowed my brows and turned my head around to see who it was, I widened my eyes as I saw the same stranger I saw yesterday night. He captured my gaze and kind of looked at me with no given emotion, but I knew he was surprised because I saw the way his eyebrows furrowed at me, almost in surprise. Despite the short silence between everyone I now knew that I had to stay here, and I was kind of relived.

Notes

Sorry I didn't get the chance to write a new chapter yesterday, I wasn't in the mood to write and I was a little busy.

Oh and also I hope I'm not going too fast or too slow with this story.