The Dreaming Place Chapter 1
XXX months later XXX
I get up from my bed with an early start, earlier than usual because today I'm meeting someone. I'm not sure if I should be happy or nervous, but at least it's exciting to do something different for once. I've been working as a waitress, and one of my co-workers asked me out on a sort of date I think.
It was a bit unexpected since yesterday was the first day we'd actually met. He just hired on as our cook's replacement, and already everyone in the kitchen says he's a genius when it comes to food. It wasn't like we had a meaningful talk or anything; he literally just approached me asking me if I had the time the next day to meet him up for a drink of coffee in the morning.
I guess it's about time I've done something new with my life. I'm 23 and I still haven't ever even been with a guy. It's sad I know, but I've never really felt the need to be with anyone until now.
When I get to the coffee shop I see him right away reading a book at one of the tables. He seems to notice me, or sense me, as I walk up towards the big glass window that separates me from the shop. He waves me to come in as if impatient, but I'm stuck at the entrance of the shop as all the wonderful images of food are hit me in the face and I begin to feel the water beginning to well up in my mouth.
I suddenly feel an intense gaze on me and I turn to see my co-workers head peering at me through the opening of the front doors. "Are you going to keep me waiting all day?" He asks me and I feel somewhat embarrassed by his reaction, but what embarrasses me even more is when he suddenly reaches out, grabs me by the hand and literally leads me to the table like a parent would do to a small child.
He points to a chair and bluntly tells me to sit. I do sit, but then I start to wonder about this how this scene looks to the people around us and I begin to blush in shame. I'm being ordered around by someone I've only just met. I want to say something now, but I really don't have the courage to do it. "You've grown you're hair out since I've last seen you."
This pushes away my previous thoughts immediately. I stare at him wide eyed for a moment. "Have we… met before?" I ask and the guy before me seems to find this amusing.
"You used to be all over the news. You're that piggish detective girl right?" He asks with a light playing in his dark eyes. I hadn't noticed before, but aside from his blunt personality he seems to have a soft expression at times that seems to betray his words.
"Oh, I guess you've found me out huh?" I laugh a little than the whole comment starts to set in. "Do people still call me that…even now…?" I trail off in my sentence with a sudden feeling of despair. Is this what people remember me for? "Oh, by the way I don't think I've introduced myself yet. I'm Yako."
"You think I don't already know that?" The guy asks with a quizzical look and suddenly I'm embarrassed again. "Were you really a detective?" He asks and I feel even more stupid. Well at the very least he should tell me what his name is.
"I don't think I ever got your name." I look down at the empty table top now suddenly wishing I hadn't come. If I knew he was just going to make fun of me I wouldn't have gotten out of bed so early this morning.
"You've already forgotten who I am?" He asks me and I look up suddenly startled. I look at him closely for a minute and begin to think that maybe I should remember him… that is until he laughs.
"It was a joke."
This is actually getting irritating now. "Why did you want me to meet you here? Are you just making fun of me?" I ask with as bravely as I can.
"I told you it was just a joke. Isn't it normal to joke with other people you know?"
"And… stop acting like you know me! We just met!" It was suddenly all becoming very irritating. "Are you trying to make me remember things that I don't want to remember?!"
His expression remains unnerved, and now all I can think is that there's a hidden intent behind his questioning. "Call me a pig, but why do you have to try and bring up things I've been trying to forget?" I can't help it, and now I feel the familiar tears that I cried every night in the past when I looked out into the distance for a familiar face beginning to well in my eyes once again.
"Well, if that was your intention than a job well done." I say to him sourly ending my sudden rampage.
I wait for a moment, in a daze, looking over the table, and then at him. I can feel the atmosphere of the shop has changed. It's become much quieter now, and now I know for a fact that I'm the center of attention.
Though all of my grief and anger was poured out into those few sentences I suddenly feel much better because of it, and suddenly I feel bad for yelling at the guy like that. He couldn't have known; no one could have known about these things. "I… I didn't mean to explode on you like that." I say quietly now.
He stares at me for a while and suddenly I think I've made out a hint of color in his dark eyes for the first time. Green.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think it was something you wanted to forget so badly." He says with some contempt in his voice. It's beginning to feel as if I've hurt him instead of the other way around.
"I won't ask you about it again." He looks at me almost angrily, as if I've betrayed him in some way. But, I don't understand why. When he turns his head from me, I realize the conversation is over. Now I feel guilty and I don't even know why.
As I leave the shop I can still see his intent gaze, looking off into the distance of the window beside him.
"You were trying to forget me this whole time?" A strange thought lingers in my head.
To be continued...