Hello World Read Free

that I
hate Charlie. I love him and I know he’s trying the best he can. He just wasn’t
ready for parenthood at the age of twenty.
    I take a
deep breath and unclench my fingers, wiping away my runny make-up and combing
through my messy hair with my fingers. Then I walk back into my room and stuff
my sketchbook and a few pencils from my drawer into my backpack before heading
out again, grabbing my bike.
    I bike
everywhere. I don’t trust myself driving and I can’t be bothered to walk.
    Heading
back into town, I pull up in front of my favourite coffee shop and head in,
smiling slightly. The local coffee shop always feels like home and sells some
of the best coffee money can buy.
    ‘Afternoon
Neve,’ the manager Albert calls as I enter, the rich smell of freshly ground
coffee reeling me into an affectionate hug. I force myself to wave cheerily.
‘Some couple tried to take the window seat a few minutes ago but I had a
feeling you would be popping over so I moved them off,’ he winks, speaking in a
low voice so that the couple can’t hear. ‘Can I get you the usual?’
    ‘Please,’
I smile, dropping my payment on the counter. I like Al. He’s a short, slightly
podgy man with dark black hair and friendly smile. Since I’d become a regular
he tries to make sure the comfy chair by one of the windows towards the back is
always free since it’s my favourite spot. I like it because it’s secluded and I
can draw peacefully without the hustle and bustle of people walking around and
having to squeeze past me.
    I curl up
in the chair and crane my neck to the right to look out of the window, watching
people as they go past and wondering what their own story is. I turn to my sketchpad
and start on a new page. Sketching always helps me to calm down.
    Creasing
my brows, I picture Alex in my mind; his golden, sandy hair sticking out at odd
angles because he never styled it, his strong jaw line and perfectly blue eyes.
Everything from the smoothness of his cheeks to the shape of his ears or the
way his lips set in that lopsided smile of his.
    Then I put
pen to paper and try to draw him onto my page, focusing hard on every detail.
Yet nothing I seem to do gives him justice.
    I can draw
anything else in the world, but I can’t draw Alex.
    Albert
brings me my drink and after an hour or so of frustration I rip out the page
and scrunch it up.
    ‘Red?’
    I jump at
the sound of that voice and drop my sketchbook. I look up to see that boy.
    ‘Seriously,
stop stalking me,’ I warn, scrambling to pick up my sketchbook and stuffing it
into my backpack.
    ‘Hey, I’m
not stalking you, I work here,’ he laughs. I stop at his words and then really
take him in. He’s wearing smart, black trousers and blue polo shirt with the
shop’s logo stitched onto it, a black apron around his waist and note pad in
hand.
    ‘Since
when?’ I ask in disbelief. I’m in here every day and I’ve never seen him around
here before.
    ‘I just
started. We only just moved into town. My uncle owns this place,’ he shrugs, a
smile playing on his lips.
    My mouth
opens and closes again before I shake my head and walk out of the shop. The boy
follows though, jogging to stay in front of me.
    ‘Wait, I
just wanted to say sorry for shouting at you earlier. It’s just that it was my
Dad’s car and he would kill me if it has the slightest dent. What do you say we
just start over?’ he asks hopefully, green eyes shining, holding out a hand for
me to shake.
    I stop and
raise an eyebrow. His hair is a light brown colour, short but thick and he’s at
least a foot taller than me, possibly more. He has a sweet boyish face too,
friendly looking.
    ‘Look, J-
J? That’s it, just one letter?’ I frown, squinting at his name badge. He laughs
and shrugs sheepishly.
    ‘I don’t
like people knowing my birth name. Call me Jay.’
    ‘Okay,
whatever. Look Jay, you seem nice, but you don’t know a thing about me. It’s
probably easier if you just stay away.’
    ‘What