Asher's Heart

Chapter 9

The bell chimed as I entered the café. It was more like a bakery. It looked small with all the tall buildings surrounding it but it felt homey. I liked coming here. Also, it remained pretty much empty at this time of the day. So, it was quiet too.

Nora smiled brightly as she saw me. She was the owner/baker of the place. She was in her early thirties but looked much younger. She had honey colored hair and green eyes.

I smiled at her too.

"Mind I came early?" I asked.

She came out from behind the counter.

"No, of course not," she said then she looked at Lacey who was cleaning the tables.

"Lacey, do you mind?" she gestured to the counter.

Lacey left the tables and went to stand behind the counter.

"Let's start then!" I said.

"Excited huh?" Nora smiled and hugged me.

"You bet," I grinned as I returned her hug.

Nora and I went to the kitchen at the back and she gave me an apron. It was a white apron with small pink flowers and pink hem. It looked a bit girly but I loved it.

Every Wednesday I came here after school to take baking lessons from Nora. This had been going on for a few months now. She was the best baker. Her cakes and pastries were heavenly.

I always had an interest in cooking. So, when she offered to teach me I was ecstatic. Too bad she denied to take any money. I insisted she take it but she didn't. So, after an hour of baking, I took the counter for another hour. I knew it wasn't much but it was all she would let me do.

"Knead it till it gets soft," she told me.

I nodded and did what she was doing with the dough.

She was a good teacher.

When she taught me I always imagined that my mom was teaching me how to bake. If she was alive wouldn't she teach me how to cook? Tell me her special recipe?

And it always filled that hole inside of me. Even if for a small moment.

I looked at Nora sideways as she was explaining the procedure to me. Was she like her? My mom.

She looked at me and her eyes crinkled as she smiled. I smiled back.

She was definitely like her.

****

Turned out Asher never uploaded the video after all. I knew why he didn't. He was scared of me. He was scared of what I might do to him if he did that.

Yeah right.

I had no idea why he didn't upload it. And why he lied he did. Maybe he was just messing with me. Like the prank wasn't enough. That guy was seriously not right in the head. Or maybe he was too smart and had planned this for something big. Something much more embarrassing than this.

Should I be afraid?

Yes.

Was I?

No.

In fact, I was glad that I didn't have to face the embarrassment before the whole school and possibly from people outside the school.

I would have been an internet joke. And my video would have been shared all over the world like the video where some kid bit his brother's finger. Or was it thumb?

Yeah, I didn't want that.

The problem was avoided for the time being and I would find the solution soon.