The Regular

"One Black Coffee, 2 sugars, 1 creamer, 1 bagel, and a double chocolate chip muffin," I say. "Alright, that will be $13.86 please." I hand her my card and she swipes it in their high-tech machines. I've never understood those, no matter who explains it or how many times. "Here's your change and receipt," she says, handing it to me along with my card. "Your number is 019" "Alright," I say, walking off to a table in the back. I open TeenReads on my phone, a popular story platform where people create stories and/or read them.

I continue reading "Manipulated", though I'm the author and my friend does the illustrations. I'm just going over it to make sure it makes sense while editing. "He was just trying to help us!" Ellie shouted. "He was trying to steal you from me!" "But I'm not YOURS! I'm my own person, not an object you own!" she shouted at Conner. He stood there in shock at how she raised her voice at him. She froze, knowing he's lost his temper. As he approached her, she backed up, trembling. ''You. Know. Your. Place. Stay in it brat." He grabbed her arm firmly pushing her against the wall. She cried and wouldn't dare look him in the eyes."

"019!!" I snapped back to reality as I heard a man call out the numbers assigned to my order. I got up and went to get it. "Thank you, and sorry again." "It's no problem, miss." He went to get the orders that were ready as I walked back to my table.

While I ate I watched Netflix and ended up finishing an anime and k-drama. I usually go to the park while eating but today I decided the cafe was fine. I opened TeenReads to continue writing as the smell of coffee and donuts filled the air. I hate the bitter taste of coffee but it's like a whiff of reality. Bitter, yet sweet. I like to think of it like that.

As I wrote I thought about how manipulators act and treat their victims. Acting sweet in public with them, just to be a jerk when they get them alone. Getting what they want from their victim(s), then leaving them helpless and lost, questioning their own decisions. It's almost like a tornado goes through your life, wrecking and destroying the good things in your life. Relationships with the people you love, the opportunities you come across, trying new things, failing or succeeding at what you'll try, either ruined or brought to you by your manipulator. So much that could change your life for the best or worst. All in their hands is your life. They could manipulate you into doing something "good" that's so terrible for you. Something so terrible you aren't sure you wanna ever talk to them again once you find out.

The cafe started to get crowded and I decided it was time for me to take my leave. I gathered up my stuff and threw my trash out, then asked for a to-go cup for my coffee. After getting the cup for my coffee and cleaning up, I headed to the park, where I would watch the birds and kids play. I love this one park, Davis Park, it has a pond and lake in it, with big oak trees and some birch trees too. The benches and picnic tables are dark oak and birch, I think it mixes well.

The birds chirping with the perfect amount of sunlight on the park, it's just the perfect place for me to be. It calms me, like a safe place for my emotions and mind. I come here after school and on the weekend when I'm not running errands. Just as I was about to pull out my laptop the area around me got dark and I saw a shadow tower over me. "Sky? Is that you?" I heard. That voice sounded so familiar, could it be? No, no it can't be her. "It's me," She said, and I thought 'Please don't say-' "Alix"