Status: Tell me what you think, should I continue with this?
The Runt Wearing Silk
The Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop
Hadley always hated small towns. The routine was the same and when there was a problem, people turned their heads the other way. Everyone knew why the Springer family sported bruises and always had one too many broken bones, but as long as you showed up for church on sunday, it wasn’t a big deal. Everyone gets a few beatings here and there, right?
Hadley only needed one person to speak up, and 3 weeks ago, someone had. Franky Delano, one of her dads best friends and drinking buddies gave her his entire savings (which consisted of $237.46) and told her to get the hell out of this town because it was going to eat her alive, quite literally.
So she left, and tried to forget that dead end town of Parish and now shes sitting here in a coffee shop. She only got to Mississippi, which she thought was pretty far considering the small amount of money she had left with. The barista was staring at her.
“Your total is $5.37” She repeated. Hadley looked down at the three dollars in her hand and frowned, feeling completely embarrassed.
“Uh nevermi-” Hadley was cut off by a strong voice behind her.
“I got it Jazmine.” A hand reached from behind Hadley and handed the woman a twenty. Hadley could feel her cheeks warming up as she realized she couldn’t even afford a coffee.
“Thanks.” She squeaked before turning to the man behind her. He was tall, with messy chocolate hair and chocolate eyes. His hair looked like he had run his hand through it one too many times and his bloodshot eyes made it look like he hadn’t slept.
Arthur knew that the girl before him was checking him out, as many women had but he couldn’t seem to make himself look away either. She was young, no doubt. She had messy blonde hair that was so light it was almost white. If it were any other girl, Arthur thought to himself that he would have thought she dyed her hair but no. This girl was natural. Her skin was pale and flawless, her eyes wide and light brown. She was absolutely stunning.
Jazmine, the barista that Arthur had met many times on his drive back and forth cleared her throat.
“Uh, her drink is done.” Arthur smiled, tearing his eyes away from the beautiful girl and grabbed her coffee. He walked to a table and to his satisfaction he could feel her trailing behind him.
Hadley’s ribs hurt. She couldn’t tell if it was because they were still broken from the night she left or if it was because her heart was banging on her ribcage so hard. She decided on a mixture of both and awkwardly sat down in the chair he had pulled out for her.
“My name is Arthur. What is yours?” His voice sounded soft but strong. She almost felt warm from hearing his voice. She cleared her throat.
“Hadley.” He didn’t need to know anymore, she knew he was older than her and he might try to take her back.
“Hadley.” He repeated. “That is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” She rubbed her feet together nervously. In the weeks that she had been away, the only people that talked to her were people who worked at places she had been in, like the barista, or old men that she hitch hiked with.
“Thanks.” Hadley felt like facepalming at her stupid response. He was being kind. To avoid saying something else stupid, she put her coffee up to her lips and took a sip.
“So Hadley, what brings you to this part of town?” Arthur loved the way her name rolled off his tongue. It was no secret that this part of town isn’t the best, but it did have the best coffee shop. Hadley shrugged.
“I’m staying here for awhile.” Not very much longer since you only have three dollars left Hadley thought to herself.
To say Arthur wasn’t happy would be an understatement. A small, broken down town like this would eat a girl like Hadley alive. Before Arthur could think things through, he spoke.
“How do you feel about Minnesota?” He asked lightly. She scrunched her eyebrows together confused, and Arthur couldn’t help but think about how cute she looked doing so.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been up north.” She blushed, hoping that Minnesota was in fact north. Her knowledge of the map of the united states was minimal.
“How would you like to go there?” He looked at her, gauging her response before continuing. “My mother is Ill, I have been shuffling from Louisiana to Minnesota every week. It would be nice to know that someone was there watching her.” Hadley watched Arthur curiously.
“How do you know I’m not a serial killer or something.” Arthur sported an amused smile.
“If you are, by the end of the 38 hour drive I will know. You would be surprised how much you get to know someone when you are stuck in a car with them for that long.” He paused again. “I would be able to pay you, you know. You could stay there and make sure she is eating and isn’t lonely. I’ll give you money so you have some for girl things like-” His mind went blank. His knowledge of girls was based off of the weekends he had spent with his mom growing up. He didn’t have much.
His pause made Hadley go into a fit of giggles. He had to smile, although it was more because of Hadley’s cute laugh than his little knowledge on the female species.
“Well, I don’t really have anywhere to go at the moment so why not. As long anyways as you never take me to Louisiana with you.” She paused frowning. “I’m not a fan of the small towns there.”Arthur nodded happily, and unsure of his own happiness they set out for Coon Rapids, Minnesota.
Hadley always hated small towns. The routine was the same and when there was a problem, people turned their heads the other way. Everyone knew why the Springer family sported bruises and always had one too many broken bones, but as long as you showed up for church on sunday, it wasn’t a big deal. Everyone gets a few beatings here and there, right?
Hadley only needed one person to speak up, and 3 weeks ago, someone had. Franky Delano, one of her dads best friends and drinking buddies gave her his entire savings (which consisted of $237.46) and told her to get the hell out of this town because it was going to eat her alive, quite literally.
So she left, and tried to forget that dead end town of Parish and now shes sitting here in a coffee shop. She only got to Mississippi, which she thought was pretty far considering the small amount of money she had left with. The barista was staring at her.
“Your total is $5.37” She repeated. Hadley looked down at the three dollars in her hand and frowned, feeling completely embarrassed.
“Uh nevermi-” Hadley was cut off by a strong voice behind her.
“I got it Jazmine.” A hand reached from behind Hadley and handed the woman a twenty. Hadley could feel her cheeks warming up as she realized she couldn’t even afford a coffee.
“Thanks.” She squeaked before turning to the man behind her. He was tall, with messy chocolate hair and chocolate eyes. His hair looked like he had run his hand through it one too many times and his bloodshot eyes made it look like he hadn’t slept.
Arthur knew that the girl before him was checking him out, as many women had but he couldn’t seem to make himself look away either. She was young, no doubt. She had messy blonde hair that was so light it was almost white. If it were any other girl, Arthur thought to himself that he would have thought she dyed her hair but no. This girl was natural. Her skin was pale and flawless, her eyes wide and light brown. She was absolutely stunning.
Jazmine, the barista that Arthur had met many times on his drive back and forth cleared her throat.
“Uh, her drink is done.” Arthur smiled, tearing his eyes away from the beautiful girl and grabbed her coffee. He walked to a table and to his satisfaction he could feel her trailing behind him.
Hadley’s ribs hurt. She couldn’t tell if it was because they were still broken from the night she left or if it was because her heart was banging on her ribcage so hard. She decided on a mixture of both and awkwardly sat down in the chair he had pulled out for her.
“My name is Arthur. What is yours?” His voice sounded soft but strong. She almost felt warm from hearing his voice. She cleared her throat.
“Hadley.” He didn’t need to know anymore, she knew he was older than her and he might try to take her back.
“Hadley.” He repeated. “That is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” She rubbed her feet together nervously. In the weeks that she had been away, the only people that talked to her were people who worked at places she had been in, like the barista, or old men that she hitch hiked with.
“Thanks.” Hadley felt like facepalming at her stupid response. He was being kind. To avoid saying something else stupid, she put her coffee up to her lips and took a sip.
“So Hadley, what brings you to this part of town?” Arthur loved the way her name rolled off his tongue. It was no secret that this part of town isn’t the best, but it did have the best coffee shop. Hadley shrugged.
“I’m staying here for awhile.” Not very much longer since you only have three dollars left Hadley thought to herself.
To say Arthur wasn’t happy would be an understatement. A small, broken down town like this would eat a girl like Hadley alive. Before Arthur could think things through, he spoke.
“How do you feel about Minnesota?” He asked lightly. She scrunched her eyebrows together confused, and Arthur couldn’t help but think about how cute she looked doing so.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been up north.” She blushed, hoping that Minnesota was in fact north. Her knowledge of the map of the united states was minimal.
“How would you like to go there?” He looked at her, gauging her response before continuing. “My mother is Ill, I have been shuffling from Louisiana to Minnesota every week. It would be nice to know that someone was there watching her.” Hadley watched Arthur curiously.
“How do you know I’m not a serial killer or something.” Arthur sported an amused smile.
“If you are, by the end of the 38 hour drive I will know. You would be surprised how much you get to know someone when you are stuck in a car with them for that long.” He paused again. “I would be able to pay you, you know. You could stay there and make sure she is eating and isn’t lonely. I’ll give you money so you have some for girl things like-” His mind went blank. His knowledge of girls was based off of the weekends he had spent with his mom growing up. He didn’t have much.
His pause made Hadley go into a fit of giggles. He had to smile, although it was more because of Hadley’s cute laugh than his little knowledge on the female species.
“Well, I don’t really have anywhere to go at the moment so why not. As long anyways as you never take me to Louisiana with you.” She paused frowning. “I’m not a fan of the small towns there.”Arthur nodded happily, and unsure of his own happiness they set out for Coon Rapids, Minnesota.