Locked Heart
Chapter Two - Caleb
Caleb sighed and cupped her chin in her hand as the professor droned on about reincarnating and how it would be impossible. She didn’t really see how it mattered. She couldn’t think of a single job that required knowledge about the exaggeration of reincarnation.
Heh heh, I can rhyme. She smiled at her stupid distraction, but it was better than none. She glanced over at Elizabeth, who noticed her and rolled her eyes back.
“Class dismissed.”
They both snapped to attention, then happily gathered up their books and hurried out of the room.
“Man, he never shuts up.” Caleb grinned at her friend. She smiled back.
“Nope. You doin’ anything after the next class?”
“Oh, sorry, Liz.” Caleb cringed. “I have to go home early today. My grandmother just broke her leg and I have to do the errands for her and help clean the house.” She wrinkled her nose.
Elizabeth matched her expression. “Have fun.” She said sarcastically, then waved slightly and wandered off. Caleb sighed and shoved her books into the locker, then bustled her way through the crowd to get to the doors.
She paused outside, a sudden wave of uneasiness washing over her. She felt like someone was watching her. She glanced around, but the parking lot was completely barren. With a quiet sigh she hastily started towards the old convenient store. The town was old, and small, but it was home. She had lived here her entire life; she had even been born here. Right smack dab in the living room of her house. She was one of the few families with a large house, and ever since her parents had retired to the Bahamas, she had had it to herself. Until her grandmother had moved in, that was. She loved the old woman dearly, but ‘Granny’ (as she so often told Caleb to call her) never stopped talking. She could drone on for hours about one little thing. It was nice though, because she always cleaned up and bought all the food for the two of them.
Once she got to the store, the uneasy feeling seemed to have past, so she just walked in. She noticed some orange scented candles burning nearby, and she smiled at the nice scent. The store had just gotten a new addition, and it was quite larger. They had filled the new side with candles and soap, and other sweet smelling, dainty little comforts.
Caleb trotted over to the dairy products, staring down at the milk. Her eye sight seemed to be getting worse each day. Squinting, she leaned over farther to see the names on the milk. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the locket that her grandmother (the other one, on her father’s side) had given her before she passed away, swing out from under her shirt. She absentmindedly tucked it back in, then finally noticed the right gallon she needed. She grabbed it and, smiling, walked up to the counter.
“One seventy nine.” The man at the cash register grunted. Caleb reached into her pocket, and then, much to her surprise, a dollar and a couple of coins slid onto the table. She looked up…only to have to glance down at the person who paid. He had short, messy, grey-brown hair that kind of reminded her of pepper. His brown eyes sparkled as he grinned up at her.
“I’ll pay for it, ma’am.” He said. He had an english accent, something that was rare around there. She paused, then shrugged. It was only two dollars.
“Who’re you?” She asked as she grabbed the milk and moved aside so another person could get to the counter, though no one was there at the moment.
“Legend. Legend Thomas.” He replied, then followed her as she started towards the door. “Don’t you remember me?”
“Remember you?” Caleb asked, squinting as she walked outside into the bright sunlight.
“Yeah, we went to school together when we were kids. I recognized you immediately.” Legend grinned again, and she smiled back.
“No, in fact, I don’t remember a Legend Thomas. I’m not sure you have the right person; I would have remembered a strange name like that. No offense, I mean.”
“None taken. But I don’t think I’m mistaken, ma’am. Cassie, right?”
“Caleb…but close enough.” Caleb relaxed slightly as she strolled down the side walk. “Well, since you paid for the milk I might as well do you back a favor. Maybe we can meet up some time and I can buy you a drink?” She paused outside of the large double doors that led into her house.
Legend shrugged. “Sounds fair. How about tomorrow, meet me in the cafe at four?”
“Alright. I’ll see you then, Legend Thomas.” Caleb held out her hand, and he hesitated, then took it in his own and they shook. She thought she felt something like an electric shock run up her arm when they touched, but she ignored it. He was eying her chest, and her hand immediately flew up to touch the bump of the locket underneath her shirt. Any other person would immediately assume they were staring at her breasts, but seeing as she was more or less flat chested, she knew that wasn’t it. She paused, about to say something, but then Legend turned away and hurried down her porch steps and down the street. She watched him for a moment, confused, before turning and opening her front door.
“Granny, I’m ho-ome!” She called as she closed it behind her.
Heh heh, I can rhyme. She smiled at her stupid distraction, but it was better than none. She glanced over at Elizabeth, who noticed her and rolled her eyes back.
“Class dismissed.”
They both snapped to attention, then happily gathered up their books and hurried out of the room.
“Man, he never shuts up.” Caleb grinned at her friend. She smiled back.
“Nope. You doin’ anything after the next class?”
“Oh, sorry, Liz.” Caleb cringed. “I have to go home early today. My grandmother just broke her leg and I have to do the errands for her and help clean the house.” She wrinkled her nose.
Elizabeth matched her expression. “Have fun.” She said sarcastically, then waved slightly and wandered off. Caleb sighed and shoved her books into the locker, then bustled her way through the crowd to get to the doors.
She paused outside, a sudden wave of uneasiness washing over her. She felt like someone was watching her. She glanced around, but the parking lot was completely barren. With a quiet sigh she hastily started towards the old convenient store. The town was old, and small, but it was home. She had lived here her entire life; she had even been born here. Right smack dab in the living room of her house. She was one of the few families with a large house, and ever since her parents had retired to the Bahamas, she had had it to herself. Until her grandmother had moved in, that was. She loved the old woman dearly, but ‘Granny’ (as she so often told Caleb to call her) never stopped talking. She could drone on for hours about one little thing. It was nice though, because she always cleaned up and bought all the food for the two of them.
Once she got to the store, the uneasy feeling seemed to have past, so she just walked in. She noticed some orange scented candles burning nearby, and she smiled at the nice scent. The store had just gotten a new addition, and it was quite larger. They had filled the new side with candles and soap, and other sweet smelling, dainty little comforts.
Caleb trotted over to the dairy products, staring down at the milk. Her eye sight seemed to be getting worse each day. Squinting, she leaned over farther to see the names on the milk. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the locket that her grandmother (the other one, on her father’s side) had given her before she passed away, swing out from under her shirt. She absentmindedly tucked it back in, then finally noticed the right gallon she needed. She grabbed it and, smiling, walked up to the counter.
“One seventy nine.” The man at the cash register grunted. Caleb reached into her pocket, and then, much to her surprise, a dollar and a couple of coins slid onto the table. She looked up…only to have to glance down at the person who paid. He had short, messy, grey-brown hair that kind of reminded her of pepper. His brown eyes sparkled as he grinned up at her.
“I’ll pay for it, ma’am.” He said. He had an english accent, something that was rare around there. She paused, then shrugged. It was only two dollars.
“Who’re you?” She asked as she grabbed the milk and moved aside so another person could get to the counter, though no one was there at the moment.
“Legend. Legend Thomas.” He replied, then followed her as she started towards the door. “Don’t you remember me?”
“Remember you?” Caleb asked, squinting as she walked outside into the bright sunlight.
“Yeah, we went to school together when we were kids. I recognized you immediately.” Legend grinned again, and she smiled back.
“No, in fact, I don’t remember a Legend Thomas. I’m not sure you have the right person; I would have remembered a strange name like that. No offense, I mean.”
“None taken. But I don’t think I’m mistaken, ma’am. Cassie, right?”
“Caleb…but close enough.” Caleb relaxed slightly as she strolled down the side walk. “Well, since you paid for the milk I might as well do you back a favor. Maybe we can meet up some time and I can buy you a drink?” She paused outside of the large double doors that led into her house.
Legend shrugged. “Sounds fair. How about tomorrow, meet me in the cafe at four?”
“Alright. I’ll see you then, Legend Thomas.” Caleb held out her hand, and he hesitated, then took it in his own and they shook. She thought she felt something like an electric shock run up her arm when they touched, but she ignored it. He was eying her chest, and her hand immediately flew up to touch the bump of the locket underneath her shirt. Any other person would immediately assume they were staring at her breasts, but seeing as she was more or less flat chested, she knew that wasn’t it. She paused, about to say something, but then Legend turned away and hurried down her porch steps and down the street. She watched him for a moment, confused, before turning and opening her front door.
“Granny, I’m ho-ome!” She called as she closed it behind her.