Annabelle's POV
Ugh! How much had I been used to tortures, first my great Father and second my horrible University?
I started university after a long break from college. So there were no more uniforms to follow and no regulations about being in a proper state and now I could wear whatsoever I wanted to.
It was the beginning of a new session and there were a huge amount of new admissions. There were no classes with less than 37 students. It seemed impossible to pass through the hallway due to the crowd that had gathered here.
I never liked University but the only person who helped me survive the torture was 'Ciara Dean'. She made university days fun. We always had lunch together- well she had all the lunch!!
As I was looking around, I saw Ciara, my best friend waving high up in the air and walking quite fast towards me.
Ciara was the same age as me, (i.e. 23), and we had our birthdays fall on the same month. Ciara was only a baby when her parents passed away in a car accident and since then she had been living with her aunt and uncle, who according to her loved her and treated her just like their own daughter.
Although, she was quite hard to handle. As looking at her pretty smiling face would make one smile along with her. It was not only her smile but her dark blue eyes that could drive a dozen guys crazy. She was the most humble person I ever came across in my entire life.
"Thank God, you're here". Ciara shouted from a distance.
"Hiii! Godd it seems like ages I haven't seen your face". I could no longer hold my happiness after looking at her. We hugged each other tightly.
I think I hugged her pretty hard cause she almost choked... but it was worth it!
"Belle... huh...what's that umm? The mark under your eye?". This caught me off guard, I was pretty sure my makeup covered every hurt or bruise that I had on my face. But I guess it did not work this time or I probably missed a spot hurrying up to university today.
"Um, it's, huh! It's just nothing... you know how clumsy I'm" I managed to lie.
"Yeah I do... but that seems like someone has hit you! Are you sure you're ok?" seeming concerned Ciara questioned again.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm great". I lied once again. "Okay! So, what are your subjects?" I silently thanked her for not questioning me anymore for my bruises.
Fortunately, we had the same subjects and really enjoyed all our classes. This was due to all our teachers being super interesting. Our classes got over before 12:00 and we had an hour or 2 before everybody started heading home. The rest of the day we simply spent wandering around and talking about our vacation.
"What did you do this summer" Ciara questioned me with a wide smile.
*Me? Oh! I once again got hit by my dad because he once again lost a stupid bet... And I once again cried reminding myself of all the hurt or pain MY FATHER had caused me.
My vacation was full of pain, hurt, loneliness, and hatred! I faced the worst of times. I had no one with me and I still have no one to listen to me understand me or even look at me with LOVE....*
I wanted to say all of this but I was scared I might lose Ciara as well. Nobody would want a friend whose background sucked!
"It was wonderful! I mean I guess I enjoyed my bit... What about you? How was yours?" I lied one more time and faked a smile at her.
My skills at faking smiles were good because I had been doing this from the time my Mom passed away. It somehow had become a habit.
"My uncle's family and I went on a trip to Europe this year! It was the best trip ever. I mean me and Ron went on the mountain peaks and enjoyed ourselves a lot, we also did ice skating. Do you know Ron is a wonderful skater..." she kept on speaking about the time she had spent with her uncle's family... especially 'RON SAMUEL', "And you know what Ron actually..." she bit her lower lips as to stop herself from speaking any further. But I guess she was late because I understood clearly what she meant!
"So... Um, Ron asked you out didn't he?" I remarked teasingly! "I mean now if you do not want to tell me it's totally okay... but your Red cheeks have already been shouting out the truth!" I stressed on the 'red' making her blush even harder.
"Yes, he did... it's not that I'm hiding something from you. But it was just so sudden that I... Um, Hugh! Forget it!" she struggled to find the right words to complete her sentence but failed.
I could no longer could hold in my laughter and threw my arms around her engulffing her into a side hug. I was beyond happy for her.
She had a HUGE crush on Ron for a very long time. Probably since we were in high school.
But she never confessed thinking he would reject her and things would become awkward. I was glad he noticed the attraction and decided to propose first.
The best part was Ron told his parents as well and Ciara's uncle and aunt were really happy for both of them.
They themselves wanted the relationship to take place. The wedding would be held soon enough. And I was to be the bride's maid obviously. This made me extremely excited but all of it went down the drain when the bell rang loud.
Tring...
Tring...
Tring...
We had no idea as to how the time had passed by so fast and the bell for the home time had already gone. We hugged each other goodbye and parted our ways home.
And by that I meant the CAFÉ, I worked here part-time to earn for myself that would include everything, basically for my expenses. I had no worries about my school fees as I was on a scholarship, and all my other expenditures would be fulfilled with the money I got from the cafè.
"Evening Pop's!" I nearly shouted while entering the cafe.
"Evening Princess" Max replied with his smiling eyes. "How was your first day of University?" he asked excitedly.
"It was great Pop's, except the part there are many new admissions in the university and it seems like our university has started shrinking but I really like all the professors except that red hair commerce teacher she seems pretty strict form the first look itself ". I said all of it in one breath receiving a low laugh from Max.
Max was in his mid 50's and was like a father to me - Even dearer than my FATHER to me.
Not because he was old but because of the way he took interest in my life. He had been really supportive at times when I needed his help. He knew about my past as I was more like a daughter than a worker to him. I had been working with him since I was 15. He knew all about my family problems and made an extra great effort of consoling me whenever needed.
He was old from the outside but soft as a baby from the inside. Although I worked with him from the age of 15 I knew him since I was only 4. I had a great bond with him, a bond, even closer than my own dad.
I hated my father from the bottom of my heart. He was no less than a villain in my life. By now I was lost deep in my thoughts when suddenly Pop's voice interrupted halted my chain of thoughts.
"Get out of your Lalaland and get to the counter". Max said with a grin.
"Yeah... my Lalaland!" I replied sarcastically with a small laugh.
I bent down to take my cap from the drawer. Fixing the cap, I heard a small sigh from behind. I turned immediately and saw Max sitting on the chair right next to the counter.
I hurried to the chair with a glass of water and sat down next to him extremely worried about his health. It was not that he was always sick or something but, he was a heart patient and recently had open-heart surgery.
"Are you okay Poppy? What's wrong?" I was seriously concerned.
"Yes... I'm fine... you know dear... I do not have anyone in this world except you and my wife Kayle... and the only thing that kills me the most in my life..." Max paused for a second and took a deep breath.
"What is it?" by now I was eager to know what made Max this sad. "You, my dear... You! It kills me to look at this beautiful face of yours with all the bruises that beast has marked on it. I feel useless because I cannot save my daughter from that monster I... I....." he could not continue as tears ran down his cheeks in a small row.
His words had hit my heart, before I could do anything else, I hugged Max and tears streamed down my cheeks as well.
"It's okay... It happens" was all I could say.
I was not sure I said that to console myself or Max.
For once in the past 10 years, I felt the love of someone. Someone that made me feel like FAMILY. I always tried my best not to make him sad and take all that stress on his shoulders, but I knew very well that he has seen the world, faced more problems than I did today and is well experienced in reading someone's eye or even the deepest secrets of their heart.
I gave Max a tight hug and kissed his forehead. He gulped down the water I got him and shoved me off towards the counter for me to start work.
The day passed by smoothly with tones of customers coming and going. It was always busy in Pop's coffee shop.
In the blink of an eye it was already time to close the shop. Soon we both started packing to head our ways home. Before leaving Max and I always had dinner that Max's wife would bring for the both of us in the cafe.
Kayle came in with the dinner that smelled so good that my stomach started growling. She set the table for both of us and gestured us to sit. She was nothing less than a mother to me.
"Sweety! how have you been?" she asked with her eyes shining due to the lights in the cafe.
"I'm great as always Maa" I smiled and started digging into the food that was in front of me avoiding any eye contact.
Kayle was well aware of my problems as Max never hid anything from his wife and that's what made me like him even more.
Kayle was a beautiful woman and the same age as Max. They were so perfect for each other even at this age that I would always admire them in awe.
They had the perfect bond and the love that they had for each other was beyond description.
Their relationship was just as young as it could have been ever, however, they had just celebrated their 40th anniversary and still, it looked like that they were a newly married couple.
We had dinner in silence as nobody asked me any questions about my whereabouts. I was thankful to both of them and started packing to head home. It sure was a long day.
After such a tiring day, all I needed was a goodnight's sleep. With the happy thought, I started walking home as darkness took over the roads.