Leather Jacket

NOTE BEFORE-- I will not be editing this book any time soon.. I am writing two other new books.. if any confusion, please comment. If need a rewrite of something, again comment. Sorry for disappointments in the grammar and overall plot (if any loose ends and etc.).

Chapter 1

~The Leather Jacket Guy~

--HER--

“So, I’m excited for Christmas break,” my friend, Kiley, had said with a smirk.

We had just got done with practices and school courses for today and we were hanging out at our favorite cafe.

I couldn’t help but laugh out my reply, “I hope you know we haven’t even finished summer break and you’re already wishing for the magical season.”

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “You always have to remind me that it’s farther away than it seems. And I’m sure I’ll get a date to prom after Christmas brea-”

“Or next school year,” Violet chirps in with a burst of laughter.

“Auh,” Kiley folds her arms, annoyance was expressed. “Can’t you guys cut me some sort of slack? I’m young and boy crazy!”

“You’re crazy and boy crazy,” Violet sips on her soda quickly after she mumbled her comment.

Kiley narrows her eyes at her. “If I ever get married, I’ll be positive not to let you be my bridesmaid.”

Violet’s face dropped into a sour face, “You wouldn’t dare!”

“I would!”

“Okay guys, calm down,” Sophie said, warning us that they were shouting.

“Sorry,” Kiley apologized, realizing they were probably yelling pretty loudly.

“It’s okay,” she gave us a smile.

I thought all my friends were beautiful, inside and out. My best friends. My only friends since 8th grade. We were all paired in the beginning of the year for a history project and Kiley and Violet always joked about the guys and girls in class while I’d always start the different conversations and Sophie would be the educator of the group. We were a pretty evened out group.

“Oh my gosh,” Kiley murmured in complete awe. “Look at that hottie.”

I laughed and turned my head. I quickly cleared my throat as my laugh quickly dropped into a serious tone, “No, not him.”

“But he literally looks like a snack. In that leather jacket and sunglasses and-”

“He has a gun, so my answer is no,” I warned.

“What! Really?” her eyes scanned down his body until halting and she went pale slightly. “Probably too old if he has a gun anyways.”

“Good thinking,” I rolled my eyes.

“He’s still hot, is he not? Right Violet?” Kiley looked over, which made me look at her with narrowed eyes.

“Right Violet?” I repeated with a suspicious tone. She was staring at the man as if he was meat hanging on a rack. A random laugh blurted from beside me and Sophie was bursting with laughter.

“I am so lucky we’re friends because the exchanges were amazing between the three of you.”

“I know I am amazing,” Kiley said, tossing her hair back.

“She said the three of us, you ding-dong. Don’t you have your brains with you?” Violet scowled. “And I think my stomach just growled.”

“Are we still on school property?” Kiley asked, ignoring Violet’s plea for food.

“Uhh, no?” I said hesitantly. “It’s the middle of summer.”

“Then there’s your answer Vi. If not in school or on school property, then I don’t need to use my brain outside of school.” She shrugs. “See, I outsmarted you.”

I laugh. “She did get you but not as good as she thought.”

“Oh really? How’d you pass your drivers test then? Huh Kiley?” Violet asked, determination was obvious in her eyes.

“Oh.” She frowned. “I used my body?” she replied nervously. “Ugh, I used my brain. Are you happy?” she finally gave up.

“Yes, very,” Violet smiled proudly.

“You guys are so competitive, especially at conversations, do you ever notice that?” Sophie asked.

“No, actually I haven’t,” Violet agreed.

“I have,” I say before getting up. “What do you guys want?”

“Two baskets of large fries and I want a Strawberry shake,” Violet blurted out loudly.

“Chocolate,” Sophia requested.

“I want Vanilla,” Kiley replied.

“Alright then, I’ll be back.”

I walked to the counter and sat down on the round chair that was blue. I moved back and forth, spinning in a circle sometimes. Until someone cleared his throat. I stopped and focused on the leather jacket guy. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

“Yesssss?” I held my reply out. A small smirk rose on his lips.

“Excuse me,” he gestured to the chair and my face fell.

“Oh goodness, I’m so sorry I didn’t know I took your seat,” I started to apologize and get out of my chair.

“No, no, money fell out of your pocket,” he bent down and handed it to me. I blushed, obviously embarrassed for my oblivion.

“Thanks.” I reached out to take the money and my hand swiped against his own on accident. I pulled back sharpley, his skin hotter than boiling water. I swallowed, slowly looking up into his eyes. I’ve definitely read too many books for my own good. Maybe he’s just naturally hot.

“Back again, aren’t we?” the boy asked and I finally let my eyes leave the leather jacketed man and remembered my order.

I smiled back politely. “Yes, matter of fact, I am. Can I order two strawberry milkshakes, one chocolate and vanilla then two large fry baskets with popcorn chicken mixed in?”

“Sure can. I’ll bring the milkshakes to you as soon as I can and the basket will take a couple minutes,” he replied.

“That’s okay. Thank you.” I took another look at the leather jacket guy. He looked away before our eyes caught once more.

“Until we meet again, beauté,” he starts to move away.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“You heard me,” he walked away.

I quickly walked back to my seat and huffed with slight annoyance.

“So?” Kiley asked. I looked up to find all of them staring at me as if I hit a gold mine.

“What is wrong with you guys?” I looked at all three of them. Even Sophie was giving me an ‘Ohhh girl!’ look.

“The real question is; what is wrong with you?” Violet asked.

I narrowed my eyes for the hundredth time today. It was a thing I learned from my father and became a habit. He only used it when he knew I was over telling the story, adding too many details and extra lies. I thought it was cool but when I looked at my dad, his eyes would be narrowed as if to scold me through the eyes instead of using words.

“Nothing is wrong with me. I went to order like I do everytime. Isn’t that enough?” I fold my arms.

“Then stop asking for our orders.” Kiley laughed.

“Then we’ll be here forever and I have to be at home at a certain time,” I explained with a tone of exasperation.

“You could just order your own,” Sophie suggested.

“Smart idea,” I nodded, taking it into consideration next time.

“Here are your milk shakes.” The boy sat down the shakes before sliding them smoothly to each person.

“Hello.” Kiley fluttered her lashes flirtingly.

“Hey,” he laughed nervously.

“Oh great,” Violet scoffed under her breath.

Kiley gave her a death glare. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

She coughed over her words, “I don’t think I had to.”

“Get a room, you two,” I finished. There was laughter erupted between everyone except Kiley. I pouted. “What’s wrong? Lighten up.”

“This should be filed for verbal abuse,” she huffed but looked up at the boy who’s helping us.

“Do you want my number?” he shrugged, giving into Kiley’s flirting. He started writing it in his notebook before placing it in front of her. She sighed happily and smiled up at him.

“Your name is Mathew?” she smiled more. “I’m Kiley.”

“It’s nice to meet you Kiley.”

“Mat! The baskets are ready!” a woman’s voice screams from the back.

“I’ll be back with your food.” He gave her a smile before running off in a hurry.

“Is it me or was that love at first sight?” I asked.

There was a loud sigh coming from Kiley. “It was love at first sight. Here he comes back.” She smiles dreamily.

“If only food was my husband,” Violet drank some of her shake and stared at the food in Mathews hands. The baskets were set on the table. I grabbed a few fries and my phone dinged with a message. I quickly shrugged when my mother texted me that I could stay late there. I hummed quietly to the most perfect tasting fries in the world.

“Thank you so much,” Kiley blushed as she thanked him.

“Kiley, I got fries,” I said as I tried to get her attention. I watched her give his phone back to him. I finally rolled my eyes and ate a few popcorn chicken.

“So remember that course test that the teacher is going to give us Thursday?” Violet asked.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Well we only have two days left and I had already lost my sheet to study,” she said.

“Yeah well, that’s exactly why I printed four copies out.” I dug in my bag and handed her a copy. She looks at it as if it’s an emerald.

“Oh my gosh, Cora, you’re the freaking bestest of the best. Did you know that?” She smiles and hugs the paper.

“Oh, I need one too, please?” Kiley smiles at me.

“Here.” I giggled and handed her the paper.

Suddenly my eyes drift up to the tv in the corner. A building caught on fire and the smoke billowed out of the windows was the thing that caught my attention. The words on the bottom read: Explosion at the Yellow Center Bird&Box. My stomach dropped and a frown made its way to my face.

It wasn’t my father. It wasn’t my father. It wasn’t my father. I tried to persuade myself.

One person dead, six others fatally wounded and ten others injured.

“Cora?” Sophie whispered. “You’re very pale and it’s scaring me.”

“My fathers building had caught on fire,” I explained to her. “The news showed it.”

“Do you need to go home?” she asked. I slowly nodded as my stomach rolled into knots upon knots.

“Hey guys,” Sophie got their attention. “I think Cora got food poisoning from lunch because she said she feels like she’s really got to throw up so I’m going to take her home.”

I nodded sharply. “Or I got a stomach bug,” I told them.

“Oh, we hope you feel better and we’ll come by, okay?” Violet gave me a reassuring smile but she didn’t seem to believe me being sick all of a sudden.

“Yeah and I’ll let my mom make some soup,” Kiley added. I knew they were only playing along.

I got up and gave them a tight smile and turned towards the door but stopped to see the leather jacket guy look at me. His face was grim and when he looked at me, we held eye contact.

His lips mouthed, ‘I’m so sorry.’

Sophie grabbed my arms softly and led me out of the cafe. She carefully led me to her car and I sat down in the passenger seat. Throwing my bag to the back seat and staring straight forward.

“I think my dad was in the incident but why would my mom text me to stay here longer if she knew?” I looked over at Sophie.

“So then you would have your last good times,” she answered wisely, like she always did when I couldn’t come to an answer.

“The guy who had the leather jacket, he was weird,” I told her. “His skin, you should have touched his skin. It was like lava or a hot oven.”

“Maybe he’s naturally hot Cora,” she tried reasoning, there was no joking tone to her voice when she said this.

“No, I know when I touch something that hot. And, when I left he made eye contact and he had this grim look of sadness on his face then he mouthed that he was sorry. It was as if he knew what was happening this whole entire time or if he knew my father or some crazy theory my brain is coming up with,” I expressed my inner thoughts with her. We pull out into the road and start driving down a road in silence.

“Maybe he did know something but that doesn’t mean you’ll ever know,” she answered after a few long minutes.

“Sophie, what if my dad is dead?” I asked her.

“Do you want me to tell you the blunt way or no?”

“Blunt way,” I replied.

“I think you’ll lose a part of yourself, that maybe you’ll be able to feel a void for a very long time,” she said to me. “And Cora,” the car stopped in my driveway. “I think if he is dead and you do lose yourself, your friendships will be lost.”

“Can you come in with me? Please,” I beg.

“Yes,” she answered.

We got out of the car and walked to the door. There was a ping from my phone and I looked to see it was from my mother: You don’t need friends here. Tell them to go home.

I hesitated and looked at Sophie with sadness drawing down my lips. “She texted me and told me I can’t have friends over right now.”

“Oh,” she nodded, seemingly understanding. “Text or call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Can you tell Kiley and Violet what happened?” I asked.

“Yes, I’ll text them in the group chat so you can see.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you later,” I whisper, my voice constricting with pain.

“Bye Cora.”

“Bye Sophie.”

I opened my door and was hit with the homely smell and warmth. I shut it behind me and took two steps into the hall before hearing glass break. I quickly made my way to the kitchen to see my mother on the kitchen tile, sobbing quietly before she screamed in complete anguish. My body racked with a sudden sob. My mother looked up at me, still in her police uniform. She stood up almost like she was a fragile doll, her hair a mess and makeup smeared around her eyes.

“He was bombed. He had gotten a package in the mail and as he was opening it, it went off. He was the only one in his office. The only people who were on the line of death are his secretary’s and the rooms beside his,” my mother told me.

“He’s dead.” I blinked slowly. My chest lurched in torment. “Dad’s dead,” I whisper, reassuring that what she’s saying is true.

“He’s dead, Cora,” my mother croaked out. She was in pain as much as I was.

I stepped back as my head spun in uneasiness. My brain is rolling the words of my father being dead, around in my head like a ball. I turned and left the kitchen. I walked up to my room and closed the door slowly. I slid down the door and let the words set in once more before I started to sob my grief quietly on the floor. The realization was dawning and bringing a torture to my heart and mind. My body shook as I mourned. I even screamed at the ceiling. I dug my nails into my hair and pulled, not feeling one bit of pain except in my heart. It was a harsh aching feeling that felt like chest pain except worse. It was almost like my heart was breaking into pieces at the news. I pulled at my hair again, the pain becoming so agonizing to feel. It was so harsh and painful. I wanted to feel something. Anything. But I didn’t feel anything but the ache that sat behind my ribs. I curled into a ball against the door. I kept sobbing until my body grew tired as well as my now swollen and red eyes. I had fallen into a sleep that was fully welcomed.

AN- I have fully edited this chapter.. Again. I had also wanted to say, that after I edit all chapters, I will be going along and adding the italic parts in it. This book is completed BUT there are rough parts that might not make sense, confusion, and unneeded chaos or too much in some areas. That is why I am revising.

Thank you for reading <3