Alpha Girl Read Online Free PDF Page A

bed, unable to move in any direction.
    ‘Wh-what’s the time?’ I asked.
    My mother checked her watch. ‘A few minutes before sundown.’
    ‘It’s starting,’ I said through gritted teeth.
    My parents didn’t need telling twice. They left the basement so they didn’t have to witness the worst of my affliction.

Monday – 23 days to go

     
    The following week I eagerly awaited my shift at the café, in the hopes that Mr. Stone would turn up. When it came close to closing time, I always offered to stay back and clean up to Estelle’s delight.
    Mr. Stone arrived late, as usual.
    ‘Am I too late again?’ he asked, stepping through the door.
    ‘No,’ I shook my head and walked around the counter with a coffee in my hand. ‘I already made you one.’
    Mr. Stone raised his eyebrows as he took the cup. ‘You made this for me?’
    I shrugged.
    ‘How’d you know I was coming?’ he asked.
    ‘I was hoping.’
    He scrutinized me for a moment, before smirking. ‘Ah. You made it for yourself, didn’t you? We have the same coffee.’
    ‘Nope.’ I held up a second cup. ‘This is mine.’
    ‘Oh.’ Mr. Stone glanced at his cup before looking around. ‘So, are you finished for the night?’
    I walked past Mr. Stone and flipped the sign on the door so it read ‘closed’ from the outside. ‘Now I am,’ I said with a smile.
    He smiled and shifted a little awkwardly, the cup of coffee held loosely in his hand.
    I moved across the café and sat in one of the booths, sipping my drink.
    ‘Aren’t you going to join me?’ I asked.
    Mr. Stone looked out of the café window at the dark street outside. ‘Uh … I thought your shift was over. Aren’t you going to close up?’
    ‘I can have a coffee if I like,’ I said. ‘Why don’t you join me?’
    He stood in the middle of the room for several seconds deciding what to do. He must have decided that coffee with his student wasn’t so bad, because he sat opposite me a moment later.
    I held my coffee tightly in my hands and stared at Mr. Stone as he sipped his rather nervously. He sat hunched over with his elbows on the table, his eyes darting outside as though he feared we were being watched.
    ‘What’s the matter?’ I asked.
    ‘Nothing,’ he said a little too quickly. ‘I just … it’s strange sitting in here alone.’
    ‘With me?’ I asked.
    He threw me a glance. ‘Well, some people might get the wrong idea.’
    ‘It’s only coffee,’ I said.
    He exhaled loudly, his shoulders loosening up. ‘You’re right.’
    As he drank his coffee I observed what he was wearing today. It was no different to the usual. He wore a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches. It was a little too big for him. The shirt underneath had an ugly paisley pattern on it.
    I did not hide my gaze as I looked around the table to see his pants, which were a type of brown velvet. He wore the same lace-up boat shoes as usual, this time with no socks.
    ‘What?’ he said a little embarrassed as I scrutinized his attire.
    ‘You dress so strange,’ I said, leaning back against the booth and observing him.
    He smiled and sipped his coffee. ‘Do I?’
    ‘Yeah … it’s eccentric. Like a mad professor.’
    Mr. Stone chuckled, his emerald eyes twinkling, reflecting the streetlights outside. ‘Don’t you like the way I dress?’
    I frowned, considering it for a moment. I liked it very much, indeed. ‘I think it suits you,’ I said.
    ‘Would you like to know a secret?’ he asked, leaning forwards.
    ‘I’m not good at keeping secrets,’ I replied.
    Mr. Stone raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. ‘I do all my shopping at the thrift-store.’
    I feigned a look of shock. ‘Really? I would never have guessed.’
    He laughed. ‘All right, no need to get smart.’
    Perhaps Mr. Stone is poor , I thought. After all, he was a little rough around the edges, not to mention his car was about to fall apart. It would be rude to ask though.
    ‘I promise not to tell a soul,’ I said,