1 One

Sitting at her favorite spot in her favorite local shop is Katya, wearing her usual jogging pants and sweatshirt. Pretty much an average woman, with a different kind of hobby.

"People watching again, huh?"

She turned around and saw a pair of big blue eyes and a thick amount of eyeliner. Nica, her best friend, seems to always have a way to find her in their company day-offs. She likes her presence, but she'd rather spend a day off alone. As a journalist, her work days pretty much involves a lot of people and a lot of talking which is a bad daily routine for an introvert like her. So she treats her day off as a chance to recharge her social battery to keep her sane for the rest of the month.

"Hey, how'd you find me here?" She casually asked as she glimpsed the top of her best friend's head.

Nica laughed defensively, "Find you here? Ha! No, I wasn't looking for you it's just- well, it just happened I wanted a morning coffee."

Katya raised her left plain eyebrow, "Nica, you live the next town and you basically have to drive an hour to get here. Not to mention your apartment has its own coffee shop at its top floor."

Nica's a six today. Which is one number higher than her usual.

"Ugh! Fine. Riko and I fought last night."

Katya sipped her coffee and nodded, "Uh-huh." Bingo.

"I hate that guy! He- He's always making things that would upset me! I hate him and I'm gonna break up with him!"

Oh no, here we go again, Katya thought.

"Okay, so you hate him 'cause he's a jerk? What else?"

"YES! A total jerk! A scumbag! A douchebag! A good for nothing!"

Yep. You could always trust a writer to list 20 synonyms.

Katya searched the room and met the eyes of the waitress. She motioned her to get her a cup of Nica's usual green tea and she nodded.

"I'm gonna break up with him! What's the point of getting a girlfriend when you don't listen to her? You know what I mean right?"

She nodded, even though she knows where this conversation is heading.

"So you're gonna break up with him? For real this time?"

"Oh, I will!- Oh, thanks." She watched as Nica wrapped her hands around the green tea mug and took a sip. Five.

"Is it good?"

"Katya, your local cafe makes the best green tea. I'm envious." Four.

"What about Riko again?"

Nica's forehead creased and her number went up to six again. She's really mad, what did he do this time?

"Wait a minute Katya. Your best friend's gonna be single for the rest of your life 'cause she's gonna break up with the best boyfriend she ever had and you're chill? How come you're chill?"

Katya took the last sip of her coffee and wiped her mouth with the tissue that says 'Home is where the best coffee is'.

"Nica, you already said that a hundred times- three for this month. And you admitted he's your best boyfriend ever."

"Oh, I did? Well technically, he really is." She loves Nica but the girl is a total airhead. She didn't even know how she landed a job with a higher position than her.

"See? Just breathe and let it pass, okay? It's not worth breaking up."

Five. Nica smiled.

***

Katya was told she was like a newborn teenager when strangers brought her to the hospital- not knowing her name and completely lost. The doctors said that she cried after being asked who she was and if she can remember anything about her. Everyone almost thought she was deaf-mute until she sobbed and said, "I don't know. Please, I don't know."

A certain Dr. Santiago took pity on her and took her to the local government shelter where she lived 2 years of her life until she graduated from an orphan community college. Worked part-time to fast foods while going to a State University for 4 years because she loved reading newspapers while at the shelter and said she wanted to write for one someday.

And here she is, holding a notebook and a recorder. Running towards a crime scene incident of a mother and child who's been allegedly killed by their own father, although the Police said they will investigate the situation before releasing a statement to the press.

But to Katya, the case is closed. Having the special, unexplainable ability to see the danger level of a person made her an asset to their company. Although she told no one about her ability she would simply answer that the accuracy of her news reports was all about 'reading between the lines'.

The suspect is a nine, which is by far the highest danger number she encountered. And by that, she's certain that he was the one who killed his own wife and daughter.

"Wow he has no trace of regret in his face. If I were the police I won't have the need the investigate the crime scene. The answer is clearly plastered on his face, yet they didn't see."

Christian, a photojournalist commented. He is the photojourn partner of the newswriter Katya.

"Chris, they DID see. But as police professionals, it is their job to present valid, accurate, non-implied facts and data.", she said while scanning her notes and continued, "only a stupid person will believe the man when he denies which is clearly something he won't do. Have you seen the way he stares the dead body?"

"Stare? More like glare."

As a newswriter, she's been immune to these kinds of situations but it still creeps her out. Well, nothing could be creepier than seeing numbers at people's head but she already somehow got a grasp of it.

"Do we head to the police station to ask?" Christian asked.

"Nah, no need. I'll write the news right away and as soon as the police releases statement, we'll be publishing the news in a second."

"That's risky, you know. Even though I said it's expected the suspect will be guilty, what if the police says otherwise? Your work will go to waste."

"Oh it won't, I'm sure of it... Don't you know how to read between the lines?" Katya smiled.

(End of Chapter One)